7 Small Business Ideas for Teens in 2023

The teenage years… What a time that is.

You’re old enough to somewhat believe you know what you want to do in life but young enough to still be carefree about it all.

And with the world at your fingertips, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

If you’re a teenager with big dreams and a head full of ideas, why not start your own small business?

With plenty of low-cost, high-profit business ideas, you don’t need years of experience or a massive amount of capital to get started.

All you need is a bit of creativity, determination, and elbow grease.

In this article, I explore various small business ideas for teens.

These ideas can not only make you some extra pocket money but also give you valuable experience in the business world.

Some might even turn out to be life-long endeavors.

Let’s get right into it.

What Are The Best Business Ideas For Teens?

As young entrepreneurs, having your own business can be both an exhilarating and a scary prospect.

However, it doesn’t have to be.

Whether you’re looking to become a full-time business owner or want to hustle during the hours when you have some free time, here are the best ideas to get you started in entrepreneurship.

1. Advice-Based Business

From becoming an academic tutor in a subject you excel in, to giving music lessons on your favorite instrument, to showing local companies how to take their business to the next level on social media, giving advice is one of the best ways to get started.

No matter what you’re knowledgeable about or have talents in, there’s an advice-based business opportunity out there for you.

This means that if you have insights that can help others and are not afraid to share them, an advice-based business could be the perfect entrepreneurial venture for you.

Being a business you can start with no money, this idea is a great option to consider.

With various coaching platforms that can take care of the technical aspects, all you need to focus on is building up your client base and delivering results.

2. Creating Your Video Game Channel

From going live on TikTok a couple of times a week, to building up a comprehensive YouTube channel, if you’re passionate about video games, there’s a business opportunity for you.

With software that can help you set up live streaming on Twitch or YouTube while sharing your gameplay with the world, there are multiple avenues to consider.

Whether you specialize in creating guides on various games on specific platforms, to creating review videos on up-and-coming ones, if you can provide high-quality value to your subscribers and get them to stick around, you can make a good living off of your channel.

Not only is this a fun way to make money, but it’s also a great way to get your name out there and build a following for your future business ventures.

Here’s a list of how much the top YouTubers make – just to give you an idea of what’s possible.

3. Graphic Designer / Web Designer

If you are tech-savvy and can create visually appealing results, you might be in an excellent position to start your own graphic design business.

Taking this business idea from good to excellent means researching how to take your graphic design knowledge and becoming a web designer, where you can design websites as well as help businesses with their search engine optimization (SEO).

Those who want to take things to the next level could also learn the skills needed to become a videographer.

With these combined skill sets, you’ll be able to offer graphic design services that take care of other businesses’ visual marketing needs.

You might also want to consider providing tech support and any needed maintenance.

These could be further upsells you consider offering, keeping in mind that you don’t have to fulfill all the services yourself.

4. Becoming A Blogger

Setting up your blog is a long-term business idea that can keep producing an income.

While using other platforms can allow you to build up a good business, focusing on a site you call your own will allow you certain liberties not found with different types of companies.

Such liberties include:

• The ability to fully customize your site according to your brand
• No rules or regulations to follow (outside of legal ones, of course)
• Complete control over the monetization of your site

As a teen entrepreneur, you can speak about anything you’re passionate about, use the affiliate marketing programs that directly align with your brand, and even use email marketing software to start building an email list of people that resonate with your message.

All of this can be done through a blog.

5. Becoming A Podcaster

Another good business that goes along well with a few of the above is becoming a podcaster.

This online business can either be used as an additional channel to market your brand, make extra cash, and offer better value, or it can also be the main online business you focus on.

From recording a podcast to editing and publishing it, the entire process can be done from the comfort of your home with very little startup capital.

6. Getting Into Social Media Marketing

Almost all businesses under the sun can profit from having a better social media presence.

However, with local businesses often neglecting this aspect of their marketing, there’s an ample opportunity for you to fill in the gap and help them connect with more customers.

Social media marketing involves creating content for each platform and analyzing the analytics to see what’s working and what’s not.

It also involves staying up-to-date with the latest trends and changes on each platform and engaging with customers.

As you build up your own social networks through the experience you gain, you can also choose to start laying the foundation for becoming a social media influencer.

This can be a very profitable business down the line but will require some time to come to fruition.

7. Build An App Or Online Game

Apps make the world go round, and if you’re into coding, you could provide a solution to various needs you see around you.

A successful business that can address such needs better (whether it’s faster, cheaper, more conveniently, etc.) than the currently available options can make a lot of money.

In addition, if you have an idea revolving around an online game based on current trends and technologies, there’s a good chance it could become popular and generate a lot of revenue.

Other Ideas You Can Explore

While the above are some great ideas to explore, remember that there are endless other opportunities.

Also, keep in mind that the right idea can be transformed from online to offline (and vice versa) and that creating a lucrative business often comes down to a few single concepts you do over and over.

These include the following:

• The target audience plays a massive role in how much money you make. Knowing who you’re serving is key.
• The prices you charge depend on the value you offer. If you can show people they are getting more value by going with your solution over a competitor’s, they are more likely to be willing to pay higher prices and choose your solution.
• The offer you make is a crucial component to generating sales. You need an irresistible offer that people can’t say no to!

With the above in mind, here are a few other online and offline businesses you can consider when wanting to start an online business as a teenager:

• Selling Handmade Crafts: Etsy is a great platform to get ideas and see how handmade goods are marketed. From greeting cards involving unique designs to the addition of upsells such as gift wrapping services, this type of e-commerce business involves no to low-cost startup, especially if you’re selling digital products.
• Pet Sitter Or Dog Walker: A business involving dog walking, cat sitting, or anything else in between is ideal for making extra money and burning off energy. As a teen entrepreneur, staying in good physical shape will keep your mind sharp and instill physical habits you can keep for life.
• Car Washing Business: If you want to put sweat equity into your teen business, this is an excellent job for young people looking to make some extra cash. It’s also perfect for getting your feet wet in business while learning the ropes.
• Mowing Lawns: One of the oldest teen-run businesses around, lawn care is a must-do for many homeowners that do not have the time to do it themselves. A lawn care business can be profitable, and offering upsells involving various landscaping services can increase your earnings even further. From a close family friend to random strangers around town, everyone can do with a better-looking lawn.
• Arbitrage: Do garage sales and craft fairs often happen in your neighborhood? A great business idea is to go around and find items you can sell for more on various marketplaces.
• Personal Shopping: Many associate this job with fashion and style, however, you can offer personal shopping for virtually anything anyone will ever need in their daily life. A personal shopper can buy anything from groceries and cleaning products, to clothes and electronics. As far as cool business ideas go, this one is definitely an idea to consider.
• Child Care: If you’re good around children and happy to spend time in other people’s houses, this might be the perfect small business idea for you. A successful babysitting business in this regard means providing a safe and nurturing environment for the children in your care.
• Data Entry: A job that doesn’t require that much skill to get started with, building a business known for accurate data entry can open up various opportunities for you down the road.

How To Promote A Teenage Business

Here are a few ideas that can help you get started when it comes to getting the word out there:

• Social media platforms: Relying on a network where most people spend a ton of their time can be a great way to spread the word about your business. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can help you reach a larger audience with minimal effort.
• Word Of Mouth: If you do a great job when starting out, you will get people that share the news with others in their social circle. This is one of the most effective forms of marketing, and it’s completely free!
• Flyers: Another old-school but effective method, putting flyers in strategic locations can help attract attention to your business. Just make sure to design them eye-catching so that people will stop and read them.
• Collaborations: Teaming up with other businesses in your area can help you reach a new group of potential customers.

Considering The Offer

As I mentioned earlier, your offer to your target audience will make or break your business.

While having an official business plan might be overkill at this stage, knowing the value you will provide and how you will package such an offer is essential.

While the concept of running a small business as a teen sounds charming (and many people do admire the hustle shown by this age group), if you want to sell online or offline, having a solid offer is critical.

Some aspects of your offer to consider include the following:

• Value: What value are you offering to your potential customer? This could be in the form of a service, product, or even just information.
• Packaging: How are you going to package your offer? This will depend on the type of business you’re running, but it’s essential to consider how you can make your offer stand out from the rest.
• Price: What price point are you going to set for your offer? It’s important to consider what your target market is willing to pay along with your overhead and startup costs.
• Promotion: How are you going to promote your offer? This is where your marketing channels come into play.

Wrap Up.

The right teenage business idea can not only be profitable for those in high school and beyond, but it can also set you up for success later on in your career.

By taking the time to consider all aspects of starting a business, you can increase your chances of success.

While the above list of best small business ideas is not exhaustive, it should give you a good starting point for brainstorming the perfect small business idea to get started with.

Further reading on AdamEnfroy.com: Did you know that running out of money is the second leading cause of startup failure?

This happens in 29% of businesses that don’t make it.

Understanding the financial aspect of starting a business is critical to increasing your chances of success.

From knowing how to get a business loan to using the right accounting software, being prepared means not letting this critical aspect of business ownership trip you up.