When it comes down to starting your own first small/mini business, you might feel stuck, or in a position where the business you think of isn't suitable for your age and financial budget. So below are a few ideas for starting your own first mini business for teens.
1. Professional game streaming:
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Ninja- One of the most popular video game streamers in recent times |
2. Reselling used goods and throwaways
This small business idea includes buying used goods or throwaway goods for cheap prices and sometimes even free and then reselling them to make a profit. Sometimes it can even include recycling/upgrading the goods for a higher profit. Some of the items that can be bought include used electronics such as phones, laptops, gaming consoles etc, sports equipment such as footballs and gear, paintings and portraits, books, bottles and jars and some useful throwaways. These items can be resold for a profit online via apps like Dubizzle and Cartlow or even through activities like garage and yard sales. This kind of business can be done once a month and you can make a quick small profit.
However this method of business isn't a very safe and constant way of earning as yard sales are a thing of the past and other than electronics, everything else sells slowly on Dubizzle. This method of business is only recommended to earn a few extra bucks for teenagers. To be successful in this kind of business there are also a few do's and don'ts. Some of the things you should do is purchase electronics as they sell very quickly, advertise your yard sale in public places near your house, find interested customers and inform them about your next sale and sell for a good profit. Some of the don'ts in this kind of business are to never ever sell a product at a loss unless it is not being sold at all, to not negotiate to a very low price, not to buy very old or damaged products and last but not the least do not buy useless junk.
This small business idea includes buying used goods or throwaway goods for cheap prices and sometimes even free and then reselling them to make a profit. Sometimes it can even include recycling/upgrading the goods for a higher profit. Some of the items that can be bought include used electronics such as phones, laptops, gaming consoles etc, sports equipment such as footballs and gear, paintings and portraits, books, bottles and jars and some useful throwaways. These items can be resold for a profit online via apps like Dubizzle and Cartlow or even through activities like garage and yard sales. This kind of business can be done once a month and you can make a quick small profit.
However this method of business isn't a very safe and constant way of earning as yard sales are a thing of the past and other than electronics, everything else sells slowly on Dubizzle. This method of business is only recommended to earn a few extra bucks for teenagers. To be successful in this kind of business there are also a few do's and don'ts. Some of the things you should do is purchase electronics as they sell very quickly, advertise your yard sale in public places near your house, find interested customers and inform them about your next sale and sell for a good profit. Some of the don'ts in this kind of business are to never ever sell a product at a loss unless it is not being sold at all, to not negotiate to a very low price, not to buy very old or damaged products and last but not the least do not buy useless junk.
3. Selling Customized Goods
This method will include purchasing cheap basic goods and then selling them for a higher price after customizing them. Some items you can buy to customize include basic white shoes, PlayStation 5 faceplates, accessories such as wallets , earrings, watch bands, apple watch straps, rings, bracelets, iPhone cases etc. You could also buy vinyl stickers for applying on items such as laptops, gaming consoles, cars, phones, tables etc. You can then sell your customized goods and vinyl's online, or via a small shop or a yard sale. You can also advertise your products through social media like Instagram and once you have an interested customer ship it to them or arrange for a pickup. Some advantages of this kind of business include high profit ratio, cheap purchasing of goods, being able to target a wide range of customers. Some disadvantages include customers might be reluctant buying expensive items from an unknown retailer, sales will be slow at first, you will have to advertise online a lot especially on Instagram and there will be a high chance of your business being unsuccessful. To prevent your business being unsuccessful and incurring loss a slightly different approach can be followed. Instead of customizing the goods as soon as you receive it you can instead prepare sample designs online and save pictures and forward them to customers. When you get a specific order you can then customize the product in that specific way. |
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A sample design of a nike customized shoeSome sample designs of customized accesories
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4. Teaching other people a skill
Let's say you're really good at chess, you could use apps such as Fiverr to monetize your skill by teaching it to other people. This not only applies to chess, but any other skill you posses or an activity you are good at such as sports, online gaming etc. All you need to do is post an ad on Fiverr stating your skill you will teach and describing it and stating the price you will charge for a duration of time. You will soon start receiving requests from people depending on the activity/skill you are ready to teach. Regarding payment, you can receive it via PayPal or it could be wired to your bank account. Note this activity is only recommended as a proper job for teens and very young adults as this isn't a reliable source of consistent income. Some advantages of this is you can earn money to teach something basic or something you learnt easily a long time back, it has no investment in terms of money so everything you earn is profit and it can be used to make a few quick bucks for teens with some extra time on their hand. However some disadvantages include that it isn't a reliable source of income, not all activities and skill you know are in demand and sometimes it take a lot of time for a customer to contact you.
Let's say you're really good at chess, you could use apps such as Fiverr to monetize your skill by teaching it to other people. This not only applies to chess, but any other skill you posses or an activity you are good at such as sports, online gaming etc. All you need to do is post an ad on Fiverr stating your skill you will teach and describing it and stating the price you will charge for a duration of time. You will soon start receiving requests from people depending on the activity/skill you are ready to teach. Regarding payment, you can receive it via PayPal or it could be wired to your bank account. Note this activity is only recommended as a proper job for teens and very young adults as this isn't a reliable source of consistent income. Some advantages of this is you can earn money to teach something basic or something you learnt easily a long time back, it has no investment in terms of money so everything you earn is profit and it can be used to make a few quick bucks for teens with some extra time on their hand. However some disadvantages include that it isn't a reliable source of income, not all activities and skill you know are in demand and sometimes it take a lot of time for a customer to contact you.
Sources:
https://media.wired.com/photos/5d43581662f8060009722d51/1:1/w_1800,h_1800,c_limit/culture_replay_ninja_1054462188.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Yard_Sale_Northern_CA_2005.JPG/1200px-Yard_Sale_Northern_CA_2005.JPG
https://www.whatisvinyl.com/
https://floweraura-blog-img.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/personalised-travel-accessories/passport-cover.jpg
https://www.schuhe.net/images/w/nike-customized_air-force-1_cartoon-rot_cartoon-red.jpg
https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/side-gigs/how-to-make-money-on-fiverr/