Summer is just around the corner, and soon teenagers will be looking for summer jobs. If you’re the parent of a teen, and you don’t want to see her spending the summer mindlessly flipping burgers and running a cash register, take the time now to think up some business ideas. Or if you’re a teenager who needs to make money quickly (maybe for that new iPhone?), here are a few ideas…
3 Jobs for Teens
1. Lawn maintenance. If those in your neighborhood are busy, see if they would like to hire your teen for lawn maintenance. She could offer a variety of services from mowing the lawn, to weeding, to watering flowers. Clients can pick which service they prefer.
2. Child care. Take the time now to have your teen get certified in CPR, and then she can begin to advertise to find child care jobs. Best of all, she may be able to keep many of these jobs when she goes back to school in the fall. The hours are flexible, and the pay is great.
3. Web designer. If your child loves all things computer, she may be a whiz at setting up websites. Why not find part-time work as a web designer? It might be a good idea for your teen to take classes in web design to give her some basic knowledge. She may want to volunteer her time for the first project, and then charge for her services after she has gained experience.
How to Find Customers
1. Word of mouth. Tell everyone you know and have your teen tell everyone she knows about her new business. She should get several clients this way.
2. Set up a website. The web is now like the yellow pages used to be. Have your teen get web hosting from a company like InTechnology, buy a domain name and create a site. Make sure to optimize the site for search engines and to include customer testimonials.
Your teen could spend the summer mindlessly doing a rote fast food job, or she could hone her skills as an entrepreneur by running her own small business. Sure, getting the fast food job is easier, but the skills she learns as a business owner will stay with her for life.