Work for yourself. Treat it like a program or
business. You can work by yourself, or you can
start a mini-company by joining together with your
friends. Yes, group work means splitting up the funds,
but it also means you can get a lot of jobs done quickly
and, more importantly, safely, which means you will also
be able to go more places.
When working with your friends, divide the tasks
fairly and equally (rotating if it keeps everyone
happy), take your group around the neighborhood
after school or on weekends, and offer to get
various tasks done quickly for a set price.
A lot of people will turn away a lone teenager
knocking at their door for fear that it will look
suspicious. If they see that you’re working as a
team, however, they’ll know you can get in and out
quickly without concerning the neighbors.
If you are raising money toward a specific goal (ex.
buying an instrument, being able to go on a school
trip), let people know; they’ll be much more likely
to buy stuff from someone with a purpose and may
even give you extra.
Consider the basics. Babysit , walk dogs, wash
cars, or even record videos and put them online,
with the right partnership company, there is a lot of
money in it. Or mow lawns for your neighbors. You can
make a lot of money, but it's hard work and could take
up much of the weekend. If you get distracted or
depressed, remind yourself that your hard work will lead
to very real results.
Team up to do odd jobs like landscaping: One
person mows, one cleans the gutters, one clips the
hedges, one rakes up all the debris. Ask your
parents and your friends' parents for all the
necessary tools, or rent them from a supply store.
Shovel snow. Go to every house in a good sized
neighborhood charging 10-20 dollars per driveway,
or 30 dollars a week for shoveling the snow. (Charge
extra when shoveling snow that has been driven on,
which is packed down and very hard to remove.) Do this
every time it snows. Someone may pay you in advance
for a month if they know you, or if they like your work!
Do work around the house. Negotiate fees with
your parents for extra chores around the house. Try
to pick things they might hire a professional to do, like
cleaning the toilets, and charge them half price. Ask
your parents if you can clean the house each week. Do
your laundry and the dishes .
Be sure to do the chores properly or your parents
might not think it's worth their money.
If there isn’t much work to be done, you might
even be able to work out some other kind of
arrangement (ex. "If I work really hard to save
water and electricity, will you pay me the amount
of money we saved on the bill since last month?").
Parents are sometimes more willing to help out if
they know what your plan is, so share all the
details with them.
Run errands for an elderly person. Get groceries, do
heavy lifting, troubleshoot the computer, or do any
other tasks they might have trouble with. Try to have a
good relationship with the person; remember that they
might be lonely and probably enjoy spending time
around younger people such as friends. (It makes them
feel younger.) The better they feel around you, the more
they'll be likely to give you for your services.
Take trash to the curb. On the day before trash
pickup, hit up all the houses on your street and ask
for a dollar from each house to take all the bins out to
the curb. (Don’t ask for any more than this; it’s a super
simple job, so you have to maintain a reasonable cost-
to-laziness ratio to get anyone interested.) If it works on
even twenty houses, that’s twenty bucks for almost no
work.
You might have even better luck in a retirement
community or an area where you know a lot of
elderly people happen to live.
Don’t do this in sketchy areas or go into anyone’s
house for any reason. You might be better off
working with a partner in some situations.
Start a car wash. Car washing and detailing is
another great money-making idea. This is done
most easily with several people: one person rinses and
scrubs, one does windows, two detail the inside.
Remember to thoroughly vacuum the inside, hit the
wheels with wheel wax, rub the inside with vinyl scrub
(if the surface is vinyl), and do a thorough job .
Remember, if people don't like your work, they can
probably go to a professional and get the job done
cheaper. Keep in mind who you're competing against.
Sell items at a yard sale. Even if you don’t think
you have anything lying around that anyone will
want, you’d be surprised by how quickly a lot of little
sales can add up. Empty out your closet, attic, or
basement and gather together everything you don’t
want. Put all the small-ticket items into a group to be
sold at a yard sale, which you can advertise with street
signs and Craigslist. (Often, clothes in nice condition will
sell at a yard sale. Worthless clothes, especially simple
tees, can be cleaned and sold in bundles as shop rags.)
Make a little extra at a yard sale by offering
simple, cheap beverages or snacks. If it’s nice
weather, offer lemonade, individual baggies of
popcorn ( stove-popped , not microwave-popped,
which is way more expensive), or other sunny day
refreshments; if it’s cold or blustery, offer hot tea
or cider. You can either sell these at a very low
rate (it’s a yard sale, after all), give them away
(making people more likely to buy out of niceness
and good will), or offer them for free but accept
donations (some people will blow you out of the
water with their generosity).
If you have the time, you can also make or build
things to sell. Just make sure that there’s room for
profit! You have to keep in mind things like
materials cost.
If you're serious about selling things, learn how to
haggle.
Advertise your services. Place a cheap ad in the
newspaper or online for something like babysitting,
house-sitting, pet-sitting, etc. You can also pass out
flyers and business cards for people who need help
advertising. Craigslist is a great place to offer your
services, but plan on having a parent or guardian
accompany you when you scope for work; it's probably
not ideal, but there are people out there who could try
to take advantage of you, and you want to be prepared.
It's nothing to worry about, but it's something to be
aware of. Whatever you end up doing, do an excellent job or they
might not pay you. People are skeptical of teens’ focus
and dedication as it is; don’t prove them right.
Don't lend money to friends unless you’re prepared to
lose both the money and the friend. Just because
someone gets along with you doesn't mean they’re
automatically trustworthy or reliable.
Try to dress sensibly. This will help you look
responsible and dedicated.
Money adds up, so don’t focus so hard on big-ticket
projects that you miss out on all the little ways of making
money. For example, even if you only make $2 a day,
that’s $14 a week, over $56 a month, and $630 a year.
If you are able to make a product, sell the product for
about 10-20% more than price of production.
Make a special box for the money of the item you want
to buy or save up for. This can help remind you that the
money is for that reason and not just to spend randomly.
Work for more than money; work to learn. Even flipping
burgers presents opportunities; watch who they pick for
management, how the workers are organized, anything.
Rich people own businesses, they don't work for them.
Money is temporary, knowledge is permanent.
Make a poster to say that you are donating 25% to a
good cause (like charity). This way people will want to
buy more. But donate the money so you don't rip them
off.
Don't just go putting fliers under a door. Instead, try
going house to house introducing yourself. Example: Hi,
I'm [your name]. I live on the court just down the street,
I'll walk some dogs for money.
Sometimes you can get work at a summer camp. This
is useful because it's rewarding and doesn't interfere with
school at all (unless you have a year-round school).
Try making flyers on your computer and, if it’s legal
where you live, hanging them on telephone poles. Some
places (ex. many supermarkets) will allow you to hang
ads on a board of some kind. Be sure to add in your flyer
how much you charge for each service; that way your
customers know what to expect, and there aren't any
surprises when it's time for you to be paid.
You can also search the Internet for websites where you
can watch "free" step-by-step videos about how to make
money from the Internet. Look for any way that will work
for you.
Always do your best. If you're saving up for something
always keep your goal in mind, if it's a new car or
computer or anything else just keep it in your mind.
Add
Tips
Selling at school may be frowned upon or even be
illegal; please check before trying this.
Make sure you have permission for everything you
choose to sell. You don't want to sell something your
parents still want! Also, consider an object's personal
value before you sell. It might only be worth $10, but if
you would rather have it than the $10, then you should
definitely keep it.
Be careful about using eBay. PayPal will charge you for
selling equipment, and since funds will be moved to your
bank account, be careful as parents look at your accounts
all the time.
Be careful when doing online surveys; some are scams
and will give you junk e-mail and/or viruses!
Posting flyers on power poles is illegal in the USA, and
carries heavy fines. Get permission before posting flyers.
Putting fliers directly in mailboxes is also illegal, and so
too carries heavy fines. [1] Instead tape the flyers to the
front door of the house, a door, or a window. You may put
your flyers in the boxes intended for newspapers since the
federal government does not regulate these.
How teens succeed
