25 Business Ideas for Teens – That Won’t Make You Yawn

Let’s face it, waiting tables and babysitting your neighbor’s demon toddler are not the only ways to make cash as a teen. You’ve got talent, time, and a smartphone. Boom, you’re already halfway to being a teen CEO. Whether you’re saving up for college, a new gaming rig, or just want to flex on your friends, here are 25 business ideas that are fun, flexible, and don’t require a mortgage to start.

We’ve even sorted them by startup cost, how much brainpower they need, and how fat they can make your wallet. Let’s dive in like it’s a pool full of money.

Low Startup Cost Ideas For Teens

Broke Teen Friendly

1. Blogging

  • Skill Level: Can you write? You’re in.
  • Income: Slow grind but pays off with ads and affiliate links.

Write about high school drama, fashion fails, or your secret Minecraft strategies. Free platforms like WordPress make it easy. Just don’t expect to go viral overnight, unless your cat starts writing posts for you.

2. Tutoring

  • Skill Level: Must be smarter than a 5th grader.
  • Income: Solid cash for teaching others not to fail math.

Help kids ace algebra and feel like a genius in the process. Bonus: Parents will love you. And hey, you might finally understand that one geometry concept you faked your way through.

25-Business-Ideas-for-Teens-tutoring

3. Pet Sitting / Dog Walking

  • Skill Level: Like pets? Got legs? Perfect.
  • Income: Medium, plus free cuddles.

Walk dogs, feed cats, and avoid stepping in mysterious puddles. Easy money. Also doubles as your daily workout, because Fluffy doesn’t care that it’s raining.

4. Social Media Manager

  • Skill Level: If you know how to TikTok better than your parents.
  • Income: Surprisingly good.

Run Instagram for a local coffee shop and make reels that don’t suck. Yes, you’re being paid to scroll and post memes. Dreams do come true.

5. Sticker Shop

  • Skill Level: Mildly artsy.
  • Income: Low to decent if you hit the VSCO girl vibe.

Design funny stickers (“I Paused My Game to Be Here”) and sell them on Etsy. All those doodles in your notebook? Time to monetize ’em.

6. Greeting Cards (Digital)

  • Skill Level: Funny or heartfelt—pick your poison.
  • Income: Not millions, but hey, it adds up.

Create cards that say “Happy Birthday, You Old Potato” and sell digital versions. Sarcasm and snark can finally earn you money. You’ve trained for this moment.

7. Affiliate Marketing

  • Skill Level: Must know how to link stuff.
  • Income: Low to mid depending on how persuasive you are.

“Omg I love this phone case” adds link gets paid. Warning: may cause addiction to checking your stats every 5 minutes.

8. TikTok Creator

  • Skill Level: Be funny, weird, or just really into skincare.
  • Income: Can go from ramen to caviar real quick.

Start a niche channel. Post consistently. Blow up. Brag later. Also great for developing elite lip-sync skills and becoming a household name in your house.

9. Podcasting

  • Skill Level: Can talk for hours? You’re ready.
  • Income: Slow but builds.

Talk about teen drama, pop culture, or the existential dread of homework. Invite your friends for chaos. If you’ve ever said “we should totally have a podcast”, do it. Just don’t forget to hit record.

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10. Birthday Party Assistant

  • Skill Level: Kid-wrangler energy.
  • Income: Low, but great for weekend hustle.

Help with party games, clean up cake explosions, and don’t get glitter in your eyes. Bonus: you become a balloon animal pro and master of the limbo stick.

Medium Startup Cost

All your savings ($50–$200)

11. YouTube Channel

  • Skill Level: Intermediate, but you’re already watching YouTube all day, so…
  • Income: Big potential.

Make funny vlogs, gaming vids, or how-tos. Monetize when the views roll in. Pro tip: thumbnails with your shocked face get more clicks. Science.

12. Car Washing

  • Skill Level: Know how to use a sponge? Done.
  • Income: Surprisingly solid.
  • Example: Offer mobile car washes. Be the hero their crusty SUV didn’t know it needed. Plus, you get to dramatically spray water in slow-mo like you’re in a movie montage.

13. Lawn Care / Snow Shoveling

  • Skill Level: Yard work is cardio, right?
  • Income: Great seasonal money.

Mow lawns, shovel driveways, and charge more if you’re the only one up at 7 AM. It’s like a gym membership that pays you instead of draining your wallet.

14. Video Editing

  • Skill Level: If you know what a jump cut is, you’re set.
  • Income: Can be $$$.

Edit for YouTubers or TikTok creators who can’t figure out CapCut. Make their videos pop and maybe sneak in a hidden frame of Nicolas Cage. For fun.

15. Photography Services

  • Skill Level: You know the difference between blurry and banger.
  • Income: Weddings? Senior pics? Ka-ching.

Shoot portraits or pet pics. Bonus: say “fierce” a lot. Tip: Golden hour lighting = Instagram magic. Always.

25-Business-Ideas-for-Teens-lawn

16. Custom T-Shirts / Merch

  • Skill Level: Canva wizard or meme genius.
  • Income: Medium if your design goes viral.

Sell shirts that say “I Can’t. I Have Homework.” Yes, people will literally wear your sarcasm. Proud moment.

17. Digital Art Commissions

  • Skill Level: Can draw cool stuff? You’re golden.
  • Income: Very decent.

Custom avatars, pet portraits, or anime versions of people’s cats. Finally, all those hours sketching dragons in class are paying off.

18. Handmade Jewelry

  • Skill Level: Beads and good vibes.
  • Income: Great side hustle.

Make clay earrings shaped like tiny pizzas. Etsy will eat it up. Your friends will want to buy everything. Even the ones who had never worn earrings before.

19. Print-on-Demand Store

  • Skill Level: Canva strikes again.
  • Income: Passive-ish income.

Upload designs, slap them on mugs, and let the machines handle the rest. You could be earning money while sleeping, napping, or pretending to do homework.

20. Short Story eBooks

  • Skill Level: Creative brain required.
  • Income: Niche but solid.

Write teen dramas with plot twists on every page. Sell on Amazon or Wattpad. Bonus points if your plot twist makes someone drop their Kindle.

Higher Startup Cost

($200+) but Big Rewards

21. Sneaker Flipping

  • Skill Level: Sneakerhead alert.
  • Income: High if you know your Jordans.

Buy limited releases, sell to hypebeasts. Flex responsibly. If you’ve ever waited in line for shoes at 6 a.m., this hustle is calling you.

22. Tech Refurbishing

  • Skill Level: Part nerd, part wizard.
  • Income: Very high.

Fix phones or game consoles. Sell them like a tech-savvy Robin Hood. Also helps you earn the honorary title of “Family Tech Support” forever.

23. Flipping Thrift Finds

  • Skill Level: Must love thrifting.
  • Income: Depends on your treasure-finding skills.

Buy cool clothes or vintage items and resell on Depop, eBay, or Poshmark. You’re basically Indiana Jones, but with flannels and grandma lamps.

24. Online Marketplace Seller

  • Skill Level: Can take pics and not sound scammy.
  • Income: Medium.

Sell used books, toys, or games on Facebook Marketplace or Mercari. It’s like digital spring cleaning, with profit.

25. Collectible Trading

  • Skill Level: Know your Pikachu from your Charizard.
  • Income: Potential goldmine.

Buy low, sell high. Pokémon, Funko Pops, retro toys, you name it. If you were born with the collector gene, this one’s your destiny.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be 30 with a degree and a fancy tie to make money. Teens are crushing it with side hustles that are fun, creative, and sometimes downright ridiculous, in a good way. Try something small, keep at it, and don’t be afraid to fail, every flop is just a funny story for your future TED Talk.

And remember: money you earn yourself tastes way sweeter than cash from your parent’s wallet. It’s like the difference between a microwaved burrito and a gourmet taco, you made it, and that makes it awesome. So what are you waiting for? Go make some money, boss.

Author: Big Digital Bear