While many children get their first taste of what it’s like to run a business by selling lemonade at a makeshift stand or by going door-to-door in hopes of building a client roster for their lawn care business, by the time kids reach high school, there’s a whole new world of opportunities for business-minded youth. That isn’t to say that gigs babysitting for neighbors aren’t worth the money. Rather, advances in technology have opened up a host of other opportunities unavailable to previous generations. If you’re looking for some of the greatest business ideas for young entrepreneurs, here are some to consider.
Coding
You’ve probably heard that younger people’s brains have the ability to learn a foreign language quicker than the average adult brain, but have you ever stopped to consider that the same can be said about coding languages, too? With a host of free, online coding resources like freeCodeCamp, it’s never been easier to get experience writing code. Best of all, websites like freeCodeCamp even source their coders to other projects to help them gain certification in fields ranging from responsive web design to quality assurance and even JavaScript. Since starting their online resource, coders from freeCodeCamp have gone in to receive jobs at Amazon and Google, so if you’re a young entrepreneur with a mind for tech, getting started in coding is a great path to success.
Virtual Work
One simple way to get virtual work and start making money is to work in the support field. While some companies handle their customer service issues themselves with a cloud-based software approach like Bright Pattern’s virtual call center platform, others outsource work to third-party agents. Many of these companies use the same kind of enterprise-level software designed by Bright Pattern, which are omnichannel solutions allowing you to field customer inquiries via chat, email, text, and over the phone. This cloud-based, omnichannel approach allows you to perform your customer service work anywhere you have a web connection and a computer.
Investment Trading
If you’re under the age of 18, you can still get into the world of investing, as long as you open a custodial account with a legal guardian. However, just because it’s a custodial account doesn’t mean you can’t be the one calling all the shots. If you aren’t sure where to begin, take a look at some online guides from websites like Trading Strategy Guides. These sorts of websites will walk you through a series of trading strategies that work, including methods like high probability swing trading strategies and concepts such as how to read and leverage trade indicators.
Sell Handcrafted Goods Online
Of course, if you’re young and crafty, there’s no reason that digital technology can’t help you turn those skills into a business either. Websites like Etsy, as well as eCommerce platforms integrated into website builders such as Wix and Squarespace, make it easier than ever to get your hand-crafted goods in front of potential customers. Rather than waste hours at a craft fair every weekend competing with hundreds of businesses at once, you can market your wares on websites where consumers are already looking. Best of all, this approach eliminates overhead, since you only need to make a few of each item to showcase on your profile or website. Rather than spending time, money, and labor creating enough items to bring to a craft fair, you only have to build something when a customer orders the item. This helps keep you in business since it lets you test new ideas without committing a lot to their creation.