Be a Summer Kidpreneur!

May 27, 2012 By 1 Comment

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!

Filed Under: business for kids, entrepreneur kids, entrepreneurship for kids, kid business, kid entrepreneur, Kidpreneurs, Kidpreneurs Blog Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Making a Cool Thing Cooler: Greyson MacLean of BrickStix

February 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Greyson MacCleanDo you like LEGOs? Who doesn’t?! But one enterprising Kidpreneur knew that as cool and fun as LEGOs are, there was room for improvement. That kid is Greyson MacLean, and his idea for BrickStix is the best thing to happen to LEGOs since… well probably ever!

We had a chance to catch up with Greyson recently, and he agreed to answer some questions for us. His answers give some great insights into what it really means to be a Kidpreneur, and what it takes to be successful

Kidpreneurs: You came up with the idea for BrickStix at the age of 9. Did you think of the idea with the hopes of making a business out of it or just for fun? How did the business grow to where it is today?

Greyson: I actually came up with the idea just for fun. I just wanted something that could be put on my LEGO bricks to add detail without ruining them. I never expected it to grow into a company. BrickStix were something I wanted to play with. We figured out how to make it happen. It started off as a bit of a joke. But after a while, we realized we could figure it out. It took a year and a half from my idea to the first three sets. But, we did it! It was a huge team effort. I did not do it alone.

BrickStix

Kidpreneurs: What has been the biggest business challenge you’ve had to face, and how did you overcome it?

Greyson: I have to say that our biggest challenge was figuring out how to get BrickStix in the hands of kids. We had to make lots of phone calls and meet with lots of people to figure out how to make it. Then we needed to design all of the sets. Then we took it to Toy Fair. None of us knew exactly what we were doing. Mom always says, “We make it up as we go.” Luckily, we have a good family friend in the toy business who has helped us along the way. We just keep going. We don’t give up.

Kidpreneurs: Are your parents entrepreneurs? What have they taught you about running a business?

Greyson: My mom, not long before the idea for BrickStix came about, came up with Loopteeloo with my sister. They are a decorative accessory to hold girl’s tees in place. What I learned from watching and listening was all the parts that go into getting a product made. It’s more than the idea. There are legal things, testing, patents, vendors and so on, that need to be figured out. My dad has started a business, too. I have watched them work hard. I knew it would be a lot of work.

Kidpreneurs: What’s it like to have the attention you’ve gotten for inventing and successfully marketing BrickStix? Is there any pressure, or is it mostly a lot of fun?

Greyson: The attention feels kind of strange at times. I don’t feel any different than any other 6th grader. Luckily, my friends treat me the same. I have had some really incredible opportunities, and I really do appreciate them. I could not have done any of it alone. The whole team works really hard. Though there is pressure at times, most of the time it is pure fun. Sometimes I worry about deadlines and interviews, but everything always turns out fine. My favorite part is researching new themes and helping design the stix with my uncle.

Kidpreneurs: What advice do you have for Kidpreneurs interested in starting their first business?

Greyson: It pays to be patient. It took over a year to get BrickStix manufactured and into stores, so don’t expect instant results. Most important, if you don’t believe in yourself, don’t expect others to believe in you.

Kidpreneurs: What are your plans for the future? (What do you want to be when you grow up?) :)

Greyson: I’d like to be in a creative job that also uses my skills in math, science and art.  I’m thinking I would like to be an architect, or another sort of engineer.

Filed Under: business for kids, entrepreneur kids, entrepreneurship for kids, kid business, kid entrepreneur, Kidpreneurs, Kidpreneurs Blog, Kidpreneurs Interview Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Asya Gonzalez of Stinky Feet Gurlz: A Kidpreneur on a Mission

December 27, 2011 By 3 Comments

Asya GonzalezWe talk with a lot of Kidpreneurs all over the world, and we’re always amazed at their accomplishments and their desire to succeed in business. One of the things we love to see most is when a Kidpreneur takes that passion and uses it to give back, in addition to building their business.

At 14, Asya Gonzalez, the founder of Stinky Feet Gurlz, is a great example of a kid with great business sense as well as a big heart. We were lucky enough to get the chance to ask Asya a few questions recently, and the interview is below. Enjoy the interview, and join us in congratulating Asya in the comments!

1. How did you come up with the idea for Stinky Feet Gurlz? And what does the name mean?

I have always loved to draw. I draw and design every chance I can get. I saw a doodle in my mom’s journal and I thought it was so cute I redrew it and gave it some life. My mom loved it and encouraged me to draw it better and better until we now have Weezie, the first of several Stinky Feet Gurlz. The name actually came from my grandma. It was a nickname she’d call my mom and her cousins. She and her cousins would play outside really hard and when they would go inside to watch TV, their grandma would tell them they have really stinky feet! So she is the original Stinky Feet Gurl!

Stinky Feet Gurlz

 

2. Are your parents entrepreneurial? In what ways have they supported or guided you in your business ventures?

Yes, they are always coming up with new ideas for new companies and are very creative. They have supported me with coming up with ideas and they handle the financial part of this business.

3. What do you think entrepreneurship at an early age has taught you that you’ll use throughout your life?

I’ve been wanting to branch out in the fashion world and this is a huge stepping stone on how to learn how the fashion industry works and how to start your own business and get your name out there.

4. Do you ever feel as though you’ve given up anything to be a teen entrepreneur? What are some of the disadvantages of starting a business at a young age?

I don’t feel deprived of anything. I’m grateful for absolutely everything I have, and I’m very fortunate to have this company. God has given me this opportunity, and I’m glad I snagged it.

5. You also have a foundation called She’s Worth It. Can you tell us about that?

She Is Worth It! is a foundation that helps rescue these poor children from the most disgusting crime in the world: the sex slave industry, which is happening all around the world. One of our major goals is to get rid of the backlog of rape kits. It is so wrong to put a victim through extreme embarrassment of having a crime investigator swab them for hair samples, saliva samples, and other DNA; only to have it shoved away in the back of a police shelf along with hundreds or even thousands of rape kits that haven’t been processed that may even be up to or over 10 years old.

6. What are your plans for your business? Will you be expanding your product offering?

I plan to expand this company to grab more awareness for She Is Worth It! so we can save these children. That is my ultimate goal for this company.

7. Everyone has a different definition of success, and yours might change over time, but what would you say is your personal definition of success right now?

My personal definition of success is doing something that will help other people who are in need, and helping them succeed in return. I’m sure money will always follow my hard working efforts, but it is truly my desire to help others.

 

Filed Under: business for kids, entrepreneur kids, entrepreneurship for kids, kid business, kid entrepreneur, Kidpreneurs, Kidpreneurs Blog, Kidpreneurs Interview Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »