It started with a lemonade stand.
When she was five years old, Riley Kinnane-Petersen set up her annual stand and decided to add some necklaces she had been making from cast-off jewelry parts. When her dad John posted the baubles on his Instagram account, his followers were smitten—could they buy her creations?
“Then Dad created a little website and put them on there,” Riley tells Shopify about the origins of her brand, Gunner & Lux. Her creations were a hit with her newfound customers. “Then, Barney’s called.”
Riley has since collaborated with J. Crew and West Elm Kids, sold her jewelry in more than 500 stores, and landed features in several publications including Teen Vogue and Forbes—all while juggling homework.
Entrepreneurship is a fun family activity that has learning built in—Riley still runs her business with her dad. It’s a way for kids to make money to save for college (or Nerf Blasters) and discover new passions.
Empower your little ones to start their own business with these 23 unique business ideas for kids.
Benefits of helping kids start their own business
When kids start a business before they graduate high school, they gain advantages on college and job applications. Starting a business early also benefits children in several other important ways:
Foster their interests
Introducing children to entrepreneurship early is an age-appropriate way to connect their interests to countless career options.
Take Simone Hufana, the young entrepreneur behind Color Herstory. Simone channeled her desire for representation into a series of coloring books celebrating influential women of color. She now works at a nonprofit with a mission to empower young girls of color—while still running Color Herstory.
Build soft skills
Kid-run businesses fill in gaps in formal education with business and life skills that help children succeed. Through entrepreneurship, kids develop valuable skills like communication, problem-solving, marketing, and web design.
Find a learning style that sticks
Entrepreneurship gives kids a hands-on way to learn. A child who struggles with workbook exercises might connect with math and reading through building a website or managing inventory. In this way, entrepreneurship can reveal abilities or interests that were previously hidden.
When Lily Harper left school due to bullying, her mom struggled to get her to learn the curriculum through homeschooling. “We realized that studying from a book was really hard for her,” Lily’s mom, Chloe, tells Shopify. “She wanted to just get up and run around and do things. I called my mom and she said to me, ‘Build boxes. Make a pretend store. Just learn through play.’ So we did.”
Through that process, the two launched a business together, World of LLA, helping Lily thrive with a learning style that suited her energetic personality.
23 creative business ideas for kids
- Inventor of the next big thing
- Magnificent maker
- Online content creator
- Peer-to-peer tutor
- Costume constructor
- Pint-sized pop-up shop owner
- Plant or pet sitter
- Coding wizard
- Entertainer extraordinaire
- Budding artist
- Tiny tech support
- Social impact champion
- Festival or beach vendor
- Skateboard repair tech
- Neighborhood helper
- Recycling collector
- Kids’ book author and illustrator
- Baking boss
- Summer camp CEO
- Reseller
- Professional gamer
- Greeting card designer
- Babysitting boss
Ready to help your kids start their first business venture? Here’s a list of ideas that appeal to different personalities and interests. Each kid-friendly business idea includes skills your child can develop through their entrepreneurial journey:
1. Inventor of the next big thing
With some guidance, kids can invent products they make by hand or have manufactured to sell online. The best inventions often start by identifying common problems facing their generation and developing creative products to solve them.
Gabby Goodwin’s business, GaBBY Bows, began when she wanted better hair barrettes—ones that wouldn’t constantly slide off. Teaming up with her mother, she created a double-snap barrette that securely holds hair in place until intentionally removed—perfect from the dance studio to the soccer field.
Suited for
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Kids interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or design
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Problem-solvers
Skills earned
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Design thinking
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Problem-solving
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Research
2. Magnificent maker
Kids can sell handcrafted goods like beaded jewelry, soaps, and bath bombs through online marketplaces with parental support. There are countless kid-friendly crafts to make and sell—letting them choose something that sparks their interest.
Nic Bianchi launched his business after receiving a candle-making kit for his 12th birthday. Fascinated by the science behind candle-making, he started Bianchi Candle Co., which he continues to operate as a young adult.
Many crafts require initial investment for supplies, but older kids can often manage production independently. With proper supervision, kids can learn to build a simple website and online store to sell their creations.
Suited for
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Crafty kids
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Older kids
Skills earned
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Creativity and design
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Basic marketing
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Fine motor skills
3. Online content creator
Kids with big personalities and strong interests in specific hobbies (like gaming, fashion, or cooking) can build audiences by creating video reviews, demonstrations, or unboxings for platforms like YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, or podcast networks. This hobby can evolve into a business, monetized through advertising, sponsorships, or merchandise.
Aspiring content creators can gain confidence and technical skills that prepare them for high school, college, and creative careers. Parents should monitor social channels for safety, especially for younger children.
Suited for
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Outgoing kids
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Kids who love performing
Skills earned
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Video editing and production
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Community building
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Storytelling
4. Peer-to-peer tutor
Studious kids can help classmates and younger students by tutoring online or in person. This business requires strong communication skills and expertise in specific subjects.
Parents can help their children understand different learning styles to better serve their students. With parental guidance, kids can create a simple website to promote their services and schedule sessions.
Suited for
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Kids who love learning
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Aspiring teachers
Skills earned
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Empathy and patience
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Subject expertise
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Communication techniques
5. Costume constructor
Kids who love Halloween and have skills in sewing, sculpting, painting, or 3D printing might enjoy starting a costume business. Young costume designers can use social media to showcase their creations. With the help of their parents, they can set up an Instagram shop, eBay account, or dedicated ecommerce store.
Max Alexander, who began his career at age four, is now a fashion designer creating dramatic dresses for celebrities. As the youngest person to host a runway show, Max occasionally creates costumes for friends too.
Suited for
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Kids interested in fashion and performing arts
Skills earned
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Attention to detail
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Fine motor coordination
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Social media marketing
6. Pint-sized pop-up shop owner
Children can start with a classic lemonade stand as a pop-up shop, a market booth, or a front-yard business. This venture helps young entrepreneurs develop people skills and sales experience—and sometimes leads to bigger opportunities.
Mikaila Ulmer’s lemonade stand, which she started at age four, grew into Me & the Bees Lemonade, a national brand now available in Target, Whole Foods, Kroger, and other major retailers.
This flexible business model can be adapted easily. Kids can experiment with unique lemonade flavors or expand to include homemade treats or plant seedlings.
Suited for
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Kids who enjoy face-to-face interactions
Skills earned
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Communication
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Sales techniques
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Money management
7. Plant or pet sitter
Plant care, dog walking, and pet sitting have long been popular jobs for kids looking to earn extra cash. Kids who enjoy taking care of the family pet can turn these skills into a small pet business. They can care for neighborhood pets and walk dogs in low-traffic areas to keep everyone safe. A dog-walking business works well for kids who can schedule clients before and after school.
Parents can help create a simple website highlighting services and prices, even accepting online bookings and payments.
Suited for
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Nurturing kids
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Active kids
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Kids who are comfortable around animals
Skills earned
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Time management
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Responsibility
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Customer service
8. Coding wizard
Coding skills are valuable for many future careers. Several programs teach coding to kids in different learning styles. Once they get comfortable with coding basics, parents can help them start a businessdesigning websites or teaching code to others.
Samaira Mehta’s mission is to teach other kids to code. She became interested in coding at age six, when her father played a prank on her. He coded a button that read “Press this if you’re beautiful,” which would disappear when clicked. Wanting to create her own pranks, she learned to code, eventually leading her to create CoderBunnyz, a board game that teaches coding to kids.
Suited for
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Inquisitive kids
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Kids interested in technology
Skills earned
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Coding
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Problem-solving
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Communication skills
9. Entertainer extraordinaire
Creative talents like playing an instrument, performing magic shows, or cosplay can become the foundation of a kid’s first business. Even younger kids can find customers through school, the neighborhood, or word of mouth to perform at parties and special events.
This business idea pairs well with online content creation. With parental supervision, kids can start a YouTube or TikTok channel to grow an audience with their talents.
Suited for
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Eager kids
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Young performers
Skills earned
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Creativity
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Public speaking
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Confidence
10. Budding artist
Parents can nurture a love of art, craft, or design, introducing kids to the business potential of creative pursuits. For kids who dream of becoming working artists and love to paint, draw, sculpt, or sew, parents can help explore possibilities in the field. Help them run a sidewalk pop-up, set up a simple online store, or explore print-on-demand, which lets kids sell their art on t-shirts, mugs, and stickers without paying for inventory upfront.
This idea has multiple possibilities. Kids who also enjoy connecting with others can host in-person or online art lessons.
Suited for
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Artsy kids
Skills earned
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Website building
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Creativity
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Customer service
11. Tiny tech support
Gen Alpha—kids born roughly between 2010 and 2024—have grown up with technology, more immersed in it from a young age than any generation before. They can use these digital skills to help others who are less tech savvy.
“Technology is such a big influence on the way they see the world, the kind of opportunities, the kind of skills they want to develop,” says Abdaal Mazhar Shafi, entrepreneur and cofounder of the now-defunct nonprofit UpstartED, which aimed to help kids reach their potential.
Parents can help their kids start a business by advertising tech support services to neighbors and the local community. This business idea works well for kids because it taps into their natural strengths and gives them experience interacting with older people.
Suited for
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Tech-savvy kids
Skills earned
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Technical skills
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Working with older adults
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Communication skills
12. Social impact champion
Social causes can inspire great business ideas for kids. If the goal isn’t to make money but to build skills, a social impact venture teaches valuable lessons in compassion and giving back to their community. For example, Gen Alpha is particularly aware of climate change, so kids may want to start climate-positive ventures like neighborhood composting services.
“They want to move quickly. And it’s not just about reading—they want to do something about it,” Abdaal says.
A nonprofit model is another option. Kids can, with parents’ help, donate proceeds from any type of business to a cause they care about. They might also use coding or technical skills for good, offering free services to nonprofits.
When young Jahkil Jackson saw the homeless population in his town, he was moved to start his own organization, Project I Am, to provide supplies to neighbors without homes.
Suited for
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Compassionate kids
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Young activists
Skills earned
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Commitment
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Fundraising
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Activism
13. Festival or beach vendor
Parents looking to fill long summers with fun and educational experiences can help their kids start a vending business. Kids can buy products in bulk (with funding from parent “investors”) and sell items like water, Popsicles, or sunscreen at local events, festivals, or beaches. Think of it as a mobile version of the classic lemonade stand.
Some venues and city parks require permits or vendor fees, and parents should expect to be hands-on. Give kids ownership by letting them design signage or create a unique cart or booth.
Suited for
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Social kids
Skills earned
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Design
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Money skills
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People skills
14. Skateboard repair tech
If your child is into skateboarding, they already have a built-in audience: other kids at the skate park. With affordable tools and YouTube tutorials, an enterprising kid can set up a local skateboard repair service. Using a mobile approach, they can offer on-the-spot services like tightening or changing wheels.
Suited for
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Handy kids
Skills earned
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Fine motor skills
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Communication
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Money handling
15. Neighborhood helper
Kids can provide various services through a small business right in their own neighborhood. Young people can start a service business offering lawn care, leaf raking, snow removal, or car washing.
To market their business, kids can design fliers and find clients by visiting neighbors and asking for referrals. Or, with parental help, they can set up a simple Shopify store and sell time slots using a scheduling app like Meety.
Suited for
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Active kids
Skills earned
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Hard work
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Time management
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People skills
16. Recycling collector or upcycler
Don’t wait for Earth Day to teach your kids about sustainability. If your city has a recycling program, collecting recyclables is a great way for kids to make money while helping the environment. In many regions, bottles and cans can even be exchanged for cash, helping kids earn even more.
Kids can also collect specific types of waste to transform into new products, like turning used plastic bags into stylish totes. Riley Kinnane-Petersen of Gunner & Lux started her jewelry business by upcycling old jewelry parts.
Suited for
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Environmentally conscious kids
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Crafty kids
Skills earned
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Activism
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Conscious consumerism
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Organization
17. Kids’ book author and illustrator
Raising a natural storyteller? Little ones with big imaginations will love this kid-friendly business idea that’s easy to execute with print-on-demand technology.
There’s no need to find a publisher to produce a children’s book to sell. Find a print-on-demand company that can help you self-publish and bring your child’s stories to life.
Suited for
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Kids passionate about writing
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Kids who love to draw (for illustrated books)
Skills earned
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Writing skills
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Creativity
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Publishing knowledge
18. Baking boss
Does your little one always want to help in the kitchen? This business idea lets them explore cooking while learning basic math skills through scaling recipes. Help your kid turn their hobby into a business by baking cakes for birthday parties or selling treats at the local farmers market.
Charlie Kobdish started his food business when he was 10 years old. He sells on his website locally and also in-person at farmers markets.
Suited for
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Kids who like to use their hands
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Kids with attention to detail
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Kids with culinary passions
Skills earned
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Creative thinking
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Money management
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Communication skills
19. Summer camp CEO
Older children and teens can provide a valuable service to local parents during summer months. Parents can help their kids develop a summer camp program they can run from their backyard.
Theater camp, art camp, or gardening camp—help kids choose a theme that plays to their strengths. Young entrepreneurs can earn money while developing valuable life and business skills.
Suited for
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Organized kids
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Social kids
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Young leaders
Skills earned
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Working with younger children
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Teaching skills
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Scheduling and planning
20. Reseller
Reselling is a low-investment business idea for kids interested in fashion, trends, décor, and vintage clothing. Kids can earn spending money by searching local thrift stores or yard sales for unique finds and reselling them through online marketplaces or their own online store.
Many resellers use Instagram to reveal new “drops” in their stores. With parental supervision, this is a great way for kids to learn social media for business.
Suited for
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Kids with an eye for design
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Budding stylists
Skills earned
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Photography
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Website creation
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Social media marketing
21. Professional gamer
Professional gaming is often better suited for older kids. Many young teens have become expert gamers and earned money doing it. Kids who excel at video games can enter tournaments or stream their gameplay on platforms like Twitch (with parental supervision). There are several ways to monetize a gaming audience, like running ads on a YouTube channel or becoming a game tester.
Suited for
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Kids with a passion for video games
Skills earned
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Social media and streaming
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Fine motor skills
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Social skills
22. Greeting card designer
For children interested in art and graphic design, parents can help them start a greeting card business. Kids can learn to use digital programs like Canva or Adobe Illustrator, or scan handmade cards and use print-on-demand services to sell them online.
This business idea also helps kids grow their social skills. Parents can print a batch of cards for their kids to sell at a local market.
Suited for
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Creative kids
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Budding designers
Skills earned
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Knowledge of digital content tools
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Interpersonal skills
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Writing skills
23. Babysitting boss
Taking care of younger children is a classic business idea for kids. Older children and teens can take babysitting and first aid courses then advertise their services locally.
Suited for
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Organized kids
Skills earned
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First aid and safety
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Communication skills
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Child development
Tips for parents and educators for starting a kid-friendly business
Most business ideas for kids require little upfront investment or experience and can start from home. Kids can learn necessary skills through free online resources, gaining valuable research experience along the way.
Parents should provide guidance and consider factors like time commitment, startup costs, and risk. Follow these guidelines to help young people safely enjoy and succeed at entrepreneurship:
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Make it fun: The best business ideas for kids focus on their interests and strengths, so it doesn’t feel like another chore.
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Give them ownership: Choose a small business they can run with minimal supervision. Note: You may need to oversee aspects that require parental sign-off for minors or monitor safety (especially on social media).
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Start small: Keep it simple and flexible so the business fits into school and activity schedules.
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Involve the whole family: Making entrepreneurship a family activity boosts motivation and teaches kids to work as a team.
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Introduce them to potential role models: Teach your kids about successful entrepreneurs—especially those with similar backgrounds they can identify with.
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Set boundaries: Businesses that involve internet use or interacting with others should come with rules that protect children. For example, many kids who run YouTube channels have parents who review content and manage accounts.
Help your kid bring their business idea to life
Creator and commerce tools continue to emerge, making it easier for kids to experience entrepreneurship and earn extra money. It’s a meaningful way for parents and educators to connect with kids’ interests, create fun learning moments, and develop their independence. Think beyond this list for an experience unique to your child’s personality—the business ideas for kids are endless.
Illustrations by Sjoerd van Leeuwen
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Business ideas for kids FAQ
What’s a good business for a kid to start?
A few good business ideas for kids include:
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Lemonade stand
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Birthday entertainer
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Lawn mowing
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Reselling thrifted items
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Selling handmade crafts or art
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Tutoring
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Car wash business
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Babysitting
What is the best age to start a business?
The best age to start a business is a personal choice. Kids have fewer responsibilities and more energy. As they grow up, they’ll benefit from more experience, money, and a network. Jump on a great business idea when you find it—no matter your age. If your business doesn’t succeed, consider it a learning opportunity for your next venture.
How can you support your child starting a business?
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Provide startup funds: A small financial boost—one you can afford—can help them get the essentials to kickstart their venture.
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Share accessible advice: Offer guidance on key business elements like budget management, customer interactions, and marketing strategies.
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Be a cheerleader: Keep morale high by celebrating progress, no matter how small.
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Ensure their safety: Monitor their activities, especially online, to keep business practices safe.
What is the best business for an 11-year-old?
A good business for an 11-year-old is one that appeals to their interests and helps them build useful skills. Kids this age might enjoy making and selling upcycled crafts or providing neighborhood services like garden care.
What legal considerations should I look out for with my child’s business?
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Permits and licenses: Check if their business needs any official permissions to operate legally.
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Understanding taxes: Help them learn the importance of managing finances responsibly and the basics of taxation.
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Employment laws: If your child is thinking of hiring friends, you may need to check local labor laws to stay compliant.
