It may be difficult for you to find ways to make money easily at a young age, depending on your age and work experience. However, there are still plenty of opportunities available to you as long as you know the right place to find them. As a kid, to make easy money, try doing homework so you can earn extra pocket money. You could also be a babysitter, mow the lawn, find a part-time job with low age requirements, or even be self-employed (eg opening a lemonade stand or roadside crafts). By finding creative ways to earn money, you don't have to always ask your parents for money. Plus, multiple job options can provide valuable experience and help you build a compelling resume.
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Method 1 of 4: Running a Business in a Residential Neighborhood
Step 1. Open the lemonade stand
In summer or hot weather, lemonade stands are usually quite crowded. In addition, by opening a lemonade stand you can also get quite a lot of money. Gather your friends and make lemonade to sell in your neighborhood.
- There are many factors that influence the success of a lemonade stand business. The first factor is the location of the booth. You need to set up your booth in a place where there are few competitors, lots of people walking by, and clearly visible from the surroundings (eg street corners).
- Make your booth as attractive as possible. If you're feeling really creative, set up a classic-style booth and decorate it using ribbons and banners bearing your “company” name.
- Record the funds spent to buy ingredients, then set the right product price so you can get a profit. Make sure you don't set the price too high.
- Make a menu of the products you offer, and try selling other products (not just lemonade). Maybe you have cookies or brownies to sell, or want to offer lemonade in a different flavor. Create a website to advertise your business. Make sure you get permission from your parents to do business and create a website. To create one, try visiting Wix.com.
- Assign a different task to each person. Make a poster and ask your friends to walk around and post the poster, or stand at the end of the street promoting your lemonade stand. Make sure someone makes lemonade so you don't run out of product.
Step 2. Sell drinks and cakes on the street
As with a lemonade stand, you can apply the same idea to selling drinks or snacks at community events. Set up a cooler and sell produce or bottled water in the garden when the weather is hot.
- If you have a sibling who follows a baseball or soccer game, you can come to the game and offer your product to the players and parents in attendance.
- Make banners for your products and set up your booth with tables and coolers.
- Try selling water and juice for extra cash.
- Make sure the price of the product you charge is reasonable.
Step 3. Make and sell jewelry or other similar products
Gather your friends and create masterpieces together. You can make jewelry from beads, boondoggles (accessories made of woven), and more. After that, you can sell them at mobile cars, market stands, yard sale events, and even the internet. Of course you need to ask for help and permission from your parents before selling your product.
Step 4. Sell items you no longer need on eBay or similar sites
Make sure you have asked your parents for permission to sell these items.
Step 5. Organize a car wash business group
Get together with friends in your neighborhood to earn quick money and offer car wash services.
- Set the right date and create a poster to promote your business. Put the poster in your neighbor's mailbox and ask each of the friends involved to invite each of their families to try the car wash services offered.
- Determine the right place to wash the car, such as a wide/long driveway.
- Prepare a bucket, water, rags, sponges, and other supplies. After that, provide car wash services on the specified date and collect the money earned.
- Make sure you only provide this service to people in the neighborhood you know. Also, ask an adult to supervise your work.
- Make sure you always ask the car owner's permission before using any cleaning products on his car (other than water).
Step 6. Mow the grass and clear your neighbor's driveway from snow
Lawn mowing services and snow-clearing parking areas (if you live in a four-season area) can be great ways to earn some easy extra cash. Think of the service as a business you run, and come up with a name for that “business”.
- Post posters around where you live to promote your services (including a contact number where you can be reached). You can also offer these services directly to neighbors who live next door to you.
- It's a good idea to provide your own equipment, although there may be some customers who have already prepared equipment that you can use.
- Offer a price that is commensurate with the size of the yard or driveway, as well as the time it will take to complete your work.
- For lawn mowing services, set a fixed service schedule (days and hours) for each week. For cleaning the driveway from snow, it's a good idea to be able to finish your work on time.
Method 2 of 4: Become a Tutor, Babysitter, and Pet Keeper
Step 1. Be a tutor for your friends and neighbors
If you think you're very good at one subject, or can play a musical instrument like the guitar or piano, you can earn extra money by offering to teach that skill to your friends or neighbors. However, keep in mind that even your friends may not have much money, so make sure you're generous and don't set your friends too high a price.
- If you are in the same class with a friend and have a better understanding of a particular subject, you can offer to teach him and help him with assignments or study for exams.
- If you have a younger sibling, you can offer to teach your younger sibling so that your parents don't have to check their grades and homework all the time.
Step 2. Be a babysitter for your parents' neighbors or friends
One of the most lucrative ways to earn easy money at a young age is to become a babysitter or babysitter. For starters, offer to babysit your sibling, and once you gain experience, you can offer babysitting or babysitting services to your neighbors.
- Take a babysitting course. Some institutions (eg Red Cross) offer courses and training that give you the skills to deal with children, as well as teach you what to do if a child has a medical problem. Having a certificate will make it easier for you to get a job, and set a higher service fee.
- Get referrals from others. Ask your parents to tell their friends who need babysitting services about the services you offer. You can also put posters around where you live to promote your services.
- Think of this as your own business. Find a name for your business and determine the fees for the services offered.
- Try joining an online babysitting network like Sittercity.
Step 3. Offer child care services
When school holidays start, you certainly don't have to go to school, but your parents still have to go to work. You can take advantage of this moment to earn extra money by providing child care services for people who live in the neighborhood. This method will be more effective if there are several friends who can help you.
- Keep in mind that not all parents want to leave their children with you all day. However, if you have previously taken care of a baby or child and can be trusted with the task, there may be some parents who are willing to entrust their children to you.
- This method is also considered more effective if you are older and there are some friends who can help you.
- Promote child care services in your area and offer fun activities for the kids. You also have a trip to the park for activities (eg playing ball). In addition, you can also make handicrafts or art products at home.
- You can combine child care services with tutoring.
Step 4. Be a pet sitter or take your neighbor's dog for a walk
If you are comfortable with pets, babysitting or taking your dog for a walk can be a great way to earn easy money. Usually, dogs and cats are pets that need to be looked after or nurtured, but people are also sometimes interested in fish, amphibian, reptile, and other care services. However, make sure you don't accept an offer to take care of a pet that you can't take care of or take good care of.
- Make a poster to promote your business. Put the poster in a mailbox or bulletin board that is near where you live.
- Record the schedule in the agenda book. This way, you can find out what animals need to be looked after or cared for at certain times. In addition, also note the type of food and the schedule for bathing the animal (if necessary).
- Make sure you manage each house key properly. Tie luggage tags with the homeowner's name on each key, but don't include the address on the label. If at any time you lose the key, chances are someone else can do something bad and come to the house with the address listed on the label.
- Set a price that is balanced, but competitive with other pet sitter or sitter services. For starters, the cost range of 50-150 thousand rupiah for each visit can be the right choice.
Method 3 of 4: Earning Pocket Money
Step 1. Ask your parents for pocket money
Try asking your parents to pay you to complete certain homework each week. If your parents don't want to give you an allowance for the job, try to explain that by giving you an allowance, you don't have to rely on your parents so much every time you go out for a walk.
- Earning pocket money will feel like a job. By getting paid for the services you provide, you can build a good and useful work ethic as you grow older.
- Give a proposal to your parents. Make a schedule for one week and write down the jobs you can do, as well as the exact cost for each job. After that, you and your parents can negotiate the pocket money you get.
Step 2. Clean your house
Cleaning rooms at home can be a great way to earn some pocket money. There are many tasks that you can complete to earn extra money, from cleaning windows, wiping furniture, to vacuuming.
- Keeping your room clean is not enough to earn extra money. It's possible that your parents feel that you have to take responsibility for keeping your own room clean. Therefore, bid higher to clean other rooms in the house.
- Discuss with your parents the fees for each room or assignment. Maybe the salary you get for cleaning the hallway is not as big as cleaning the restaurant because the hallway is not as large as the dining room, and cleaning takes less time.
Step 3. Do work outside the home
Seasonal outdoor work can also be a great way to earn some extra money because your parents are too busy to do it (or maybe just reluctant to do it themselves).
- Offer to sweep the leaves, mow the lawn, and weed the lawn. If you live in a country with four seasons, you can offer to scoop snow from your driveway.
- If you consistently do seasonal work, such as mowing the lawn or scraping snow from the driveway, you can talk to your parents about the flat fee each time you complete the job.
- If you want to sweep the leaves in the yard, try negotiating an hourly fee with your parents.
Method 4 of 4: Getting a Part Time or Summer Job
Step 1. Try working in a retail store or restaurant
Usually, retail stores and restaurants set an age limit for their workers. However, if you're old enough, getting a part-time job or summer job can be a great way to make easy money and develop a resume.
- Today, more and more teenagers are taking part-time jobs as waiters in restaurants, or working in hotels. Even though it's not a prestigious job, you can get a job like that more easily.
- Other retail stores such as teen clothing stores (distros) or large stores such as Ace and Yogya can be great places to work. Try visiting the company's website and looking for available positions.
- When applying for jobs and (especially) taking interviews, make sure you dress neatly and politely, unless you are asked to wear certain clothes to the interview session. If you don't have a resume, make sure you can tell about past accomplishments. In addition, it would be better if you have referrals from other people.
Step 2. Become a pool keeper or park manager
Another way you can get easy money (and tan charm) is to become a pool keeper or garden manager. Visit the manager of the pool or park in your city and ask about the available vacancies and what is required so that you can be accepted to work in that place.
- Pool keepers must undergo special training and be certified. If you are determined to become a pool keeper, it's a good idea to take the proper training.
- Once you get a certificate, keep in mind that you won't just get the job you want. Therefore, it's a good idea to find out in advance whether the pool or beach manager in your city is indeed opening a job vacancy. You can also ask your coach for tips on getting a job.
- You can also contact the park management in your city to find out if there are special jobs (especially during the holiday season) that you can take. Sometimes, these jobs include managing weekly children's events or sporting events.
Step 3. Work in the family business
If your parents run a business, find out if your parents allow you to work part-time in the business. This can be an alternative option for earning pocket money and is easier to do than looking for another job, especially if you have no work experience or are too young.
- Ask if you can clean the shop and get paid by the hour.
- There may be certain tasks that need to be done, such as filing letters, filling envelopes, or even going around town simply handing out posters or coupons.
- This can also be a good opportunity to develop a resume. Surely this development will help you when later you have to leave the family business and find another job.
Tips
- Always charge a balanced and competitive cost. Don't set the price too high or too low.
- When looking for a job, contact people you know first. There's a chance they can help you get a job.
- Be creative. Brainstorm with your friends.
- If you make money online, create a PayPal account. The PayPal site provides a secure service for sending and receiving payments.
- Always seek permission from your parents before taking on or doing any work.
- Show a friendly attitude to the people who hire you.
- Make sure you have all the equipment needed to run your business.
- When selling drinks, make sure you also provide a wide selection of flavors and set a cheaper price for mineral/fresh water.
- If you can make your own handicrafts, you can sell them online or at lemonade stands.
- Try interacting with your customers so that they feel warmly welcomed and want to come back to buy your product.
- Tell me why you need money. If the reasons are good, people will be happy to help you.
- Always finish your work on time and be polite. If you work, especially for someone else, be a reliable worker so you can get referrals and find more job opportunities.
- Talk to customers. Many people (especially older people) enjoy chatting. Therefore, brighten their day by inviting them to chat.
Warning
- When selling products on eBay, make sure you get permission from your parents. Don't let you sell something that your parents still want or need.
- In the United States, it is against the law to put flyers in someone's mailbox. In Australia, you can put a flyer or poster in someone's mailbox as long as there is no sticker labeled "No Junk Mail" on the mailbox. In Indonesia itself, you can put your business brochure or poster in the mailbox, or even just leave it on someone's doorstep.
- Make sure you get permission from the local government to open a lemonade stand.
