According the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, only 60% of teens were employed last summer compared to 75% in 1983. Without a job, where will they get the money to buy a car, save for college or even have a little spending money? Entrepreneurship is the answer.
Take a look at some of these ideas and see if they would be a good fit for your teen.
Pet Sitting:
This job involves caring for pets and includes: giving fresh food and water, walking dogs and cleaning out litter boxes. Pet sitters need to be early risers and have the ability to get to the pet’s home three or four times each day. They may also get the mail, water plants or take the garbage to the curb.
Summer Nanny:
Babysitters are needed for both working and stay at home parents during the summer months. For parents who work at home, they need a Mother’s Helper to entertain the children. Babysitting is not only for teenage girls. Mothers of boys often look for an older boy who can relate to their sons’ interests.
Tutor:
If your teen plays an instrument, he can work with younger students to keep up their skills over the summer and improve their technique. Teens who play sports can share their talents with younger athletes who need to improve their throwing, hitting or dribbling techniques. And of course, academic tutors are needed to help with math, reading or ACT prep.
Yardwork:
Yardwork goes beyond just mowing. Spring is the time to cleanup flower beds and fertilize. Fall is the time for raking leaves, cutting back flowers and planting bulbs for spring. In winter, extend the services offered to include snow shoveling. Customers with dogs may also need pet waste removed. Make a list of the things you can do and hand it out to friends and neighbors that include washing the dog, painting or cleaning the garage. These jobs can be a good match for busy schedules.
Online Jobs:
Fiverr – Teens can sell their product or service for $5 ($4 after Fiverr takes their fees). Use your skills to proofread papers, design a logo or provide SEO analysis. Check out what others are doing and set up your own shop easily.
Slice the Pie – Get paid to rate music. This is perfect for the teen in your life. The starting pay is terribly low (2 cents per review), but your rank and pay increases with the quality of your reviews bringing you up to 20 cents per review. Payout to PayPal when your account reaches $10.
My Survey – Give your opinion and receive points that can be converted to PayPal or gift cards. After filling out the application, emails will be sent to you containing a survey. Answer only the surveys you want to and points will be added to your account.
Swagbucks – Receive points for using this search engine. As teens are researching for their homework, they can earn points. Convert points for payout in the form of gift cards like Amazon, Starbucks or a variety of gas cards.
Parents: Please read several reviews and search for scams before allowing your teen to sign up for an online job. Never pay for membership to start working for an online business.
Student Accounts
Your child can receive money for their services through PayPal and access it from a PayPal debit card. If you’re already a member, you can set up an account for your child who is 13 or older by clicking “Get a Student Account” under the Products and Services tab.
Your child will not be able to spend more than the account balance. As the parent, you can add money, make transfers, set spending limits, as well as monitor all transactions.
Once your teen has started earning money, it’s a great time to talk to them about money management. Our guide to keeping a family budget can help, not to mention the top money apps for kids.
Written by Pam Molnar