by Adam Toren 27 May 2012

With summer vacation here or around the corner, the thoughts of Kidpreneurs turn to… creating a summer business! If you’re ready to do more than play this summer and would like to earn some extra money, here are a few ideas that may work for you.
Doing web development or creating WordPress websites for local businesses: There are so many online courses and books that teach WordPress design, and there are so many business people that don’t have time to update their website or blog. That means for a relatively small investment of time and money, a Kidpreneur could make $20 to $40 per hour helping with web development projects and updating blogs.
Crafts: If you are the creative type, you can quickly set up an online shop with sites like Etsy and eBay and start selling your creative artsy ideas!

T-Shirts: We all seem to like cool T-Shirts. Sites like Threadless have enabled several creative T-shirt designers to make some money. You simply submit a design which then gets voted up or down by the rest of the community. The T-shirt designs that are most popular get printed by Threadless to sell online and in their Chicago shop. If your design is successful, you will get paid for your creative work! There are several easy to follow tutorials on Threadless to walk you through the process.
Dog walking/Pet sitting: When people are working, away on holiday or simply busy with other projects, the opportunity opens up for their pets to be taken care of and, of course, taken for walks. If you love dogs, this may be a great $10/hour summer job!
Online social media marketing: Most teens these days are pretty tech-savvy. With your Facebook and Twitter knowledge, you could approach local businesses with the idea of updating their online presence. This can be a nice money maker for teens who know their social media!
Computer set-up and troubleshooting: Many parents and grandparents aren’t as tech savvy as their kids or grandkids. This opens up the opportunity for teens to help with things like setting up anti-spam and anti-virus upgrades and other easy-to-do services. You may even be able to do a little technology tutoring!
Print-on-demand publishing: Teens can use print-on-demand websites such as Lightningsource.com or even a FedEx/Kinkos location to produce and sell everything from books to scrapbooks to fun magazines. Consider offering to organize family photos and create an album for the aunts, uncles, grandparents or others far away. Most adults don’t have time to do that and would really value the help.
Lawn mowing and yard care: This one is an oldie but a goodie! It’s one of the more time-tested teen business ideas. You can charge per yard and also rake leaves and maybe even do easy landscaping projects. Another option is helping to set up and maintain gardens for fresh produce.
Babysitting services: Another traditional arena for teens, but why not expand your thinking? Pool your efforts with other teens and provide a babysitting resource for parents in the area. Look into training such as basic first aid from the Red Cross. Have each teen put together a bag of games and activities that are fun and also promote learning during the summer months to use when babysitting. Offer to provide one or more babysitters to entertain the small ones at parties or other events so that the parents can relax. Create a fun name and logo and advertise your business in the community, stressing the extras your babysitters offer. With premium sitters, you can charge a higher price!
Errand-running: If you have access to a car or even with just a bike, in many neighborhoods you can easily reach various stores or other places of business. With their kids out of school, moms and dads will often appreciate having the option of making a call and having you deliver that forgotten gallon of milk or loaf of bread. A basket or saddlebags will enable you to easily manage most errand items on a bike.
These are just a few possibilities to think about – some traditional and others more out-of-the-box. If you want to earn money with your own business this summer, maybe these suggestions will help. And if you have business plans of your own, be sure to share them with us in the comments section. We’re always excited to hear about your ideas!