Summer Side Hustles: 10 Fun and Profitable Business Ideas for Teens
April 24, 2025 / News & Updates
Why Should Teens Start a Business?
Teens should start a business for a variety of reasons, including to transform their interests into money-making opportunities, develop skills and work experience, learn money management, raise awareness for causes, and boost confidence and independence.
Here at AZYouthforce, we have an exciting opportunity for teens who are looking to start their own business and love to think outside the box, the Bayless Entrepreneurship Program! This program is based on a learn-to-earn model where teens will be paid for their time in the program, matched with a business mentor, and have the opportunity to pitch their business idea for a chance to receive $2,500 of seed money to start their own business.
What Makes a Good Business Idea for Teens?
- What are your skills and interests?
- Is there something specific that you’re good at and enjoy doing? Building your business around something you enjoy increases your likelihood of sticking with it.
- Who do you want your business to serve?
- Pinpoint your target community and focus on meeting a need that people in it are willing to pay for.
- Is your business idea doable?
- A teen business idea should be realistic and achievable — from fitting into your schedule to the costs associated. Also consider if you’re going to need help and what that might look like.
- Who do you know that’s already successful?
- Connect with professional entrepreneurs who are killing it in your field of business. Get their advice or tap into their networks and resources to strengthen your business.
10 Best Business Ideas for Teens
Ideas for Teens Looking to Get Into Sales
1. Sell Homemade Arts, Crafts & Designs
Age Level: 15+ (recommended for online safety)
From candles and t-shirts to jewelry or decorative cellphone cases, young people can make and sell all kinds of handcrafted goods for extra cash. Help set your teen up as a vendor at local craft fairs or farmers markets or create an online store through ecommerce platforms like Etsy or Shopify.
2. Sell Outgrown or Unwanted Stuff
Age Level: 15+ (recommended for online safety)
Have items unused, outgrown or gathering dust in your house? Have teens consider downsizing possessions or leading a family effort to purge unneeded items. Whether selling their own items or getting a percentage for organizing a household sale, teens can host a yard sale or post items online on e-commerce sites/apps like eBay or Mercari.
3. Buy & Flip Items
Age Level: 13+
For the teen who loves thrifting, finding and flipping (or re-selling) items can be a fun, rewarding way to earn extra cash. Have teens take charge by hunting for the right items at thrift stores or garage sales and sprucing them up to resell to a different market (either online or in person within their social networks).
Hourly Business Ideas for Teens
Be sure to discuss safety protocols with your child around engaging one-on-one with other adults for their business. Teen entrepreneurs may also need to fill out their own income tax return, depending on their earnings.
4. Tutoring
Age Level: 13+
If your teen has a particular talent or knack for teaching, encourage them to tutor other kids in academic subjects or skillsets. Teens can establish their own hourly rate for one-on-one tutoring sessions in areas like SAT/ACT prep, learning languages such as Spanish or American Sign Language (ASL), or skills like coding or a musical instrument.
5. Babysitting
Age Level: 13+
If your teen is used to watching over their younger siblings or good at entertaining young kids, they might just be a natural babysitter. Help them connect with neighbors, family friends or their friends’ families to babysit kids or their friends’ younger siblings. They’ll be able to set their own schedule and earn a steady stream of income by building relationships with clients.
6. Pet Care
Age Level: 13+
Taking care of other people’s pets is the perfect side hustle for teen animal lovers! Like babysitting, support your teen with building a roster of clients within their social networks. Teens can also offer a range of pet care services to expand their value such as: pet sitting, dog walking, pet grooming or pet cage cleaning.
7. Yard & Cleaning Services
Age Level: 13+
Not surprisingly, money is a great incentive to get teens to clean. Unlike their regular chores, teens who offer cleaning services have the flexibility to pick and choose between the types of cleaning they offer, such as: washing cars, doing yard work, or cleaning pools or aquariums. It’s a great way to burn a few hours on weekends and walk away with some extra cash.
Digital & Online Business Ideas for Teens
8. Photography & Videography
Age Level: 15+
Is your teen constantly snapping pics and videos for Instagram? Have them use their documentation skills to capture important occasions like birthday parties, family reunions, baby/wedding showers or community events. Teens can set their own rates and promote their services on social media or word-of-mouth. They can also sell their photos directly online through apps like Foap and Shutterstock.
9. Digital Content Creation
Age Level: 18+ (recommended for youth safety)
Yes, this is one of the ultimate dream careers for Gen Z! If your teen loves creating digital content, they might enjoy setting up their own account dedicated to video game or book reviews, DIY craft or beauty tutorials, and more. Keep in mind that this is not an immediate cash-earner, but what may start as a fun hobby just might grow into a money-making opportunity.
10. Digital Freelance for Small Businesses
Age Level: 14+
Tech-savvy teen entrepreneurs can reach out to small businesses directly or through apps like Fiverr to offer freelance services in digital content creation. This might be designing graphics on Canva or writing and scheduling posts on branded social channels. It’s also a smart way to score job references from professional businesses!
There’s no better time to start a small business than in your teens, with low risks and high energy. Pass on these ideas to the young entrepreneur in your life. Just remind them to stay curious, determined and open to learning, and they’ll be on their way to turning their business dreams into a reality. Good luck!
This story was originally published by BGCA. Read the full story on their website.
