Your teenage years are a fantastic time to learn a new skill, garner some experience, or even start a business and make some extra money. This is a great opportunity to try your hand at something new and earn some extra cash during your spare time. Side hustles for teens usually aren’t technical and don’t require investment, which makes them perfect for after-school hours.
Attaining some form of financial independence at this age is a great way to pad your savings account while in school or during the summer months. If you are looking to earn some extra money, you should consider our list of ideas for the best side hustle for teens.
What Is a Side Hustle?
Side hustles are part-time jobs or personal businesses that afford you extra income during your spare time. They could include serious gigs like freelance writing, social media management, or casual jobs like pet-walking and tutoring. Teenagers can be of service to people and make some additional income while still attending school.
Jobs for teens don’t require higher education. As such, higher positions are usually not open to teenagers. A 2016 report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that teens don’t usually occupy technical and professional roles in food-related services, sales positions, and office administrative support.
How to Turn Your Hobby Into a Side Hustle
The easiest way to start your side hustle is to consider what you are naturally drawn to. You should think of your hobbies as more than just leisurely activities, as some can provide potential job opportunities. If you love writing or making videos, you can earn extra income as a blogger or Youtuber.
Additionally, being a pet sitter or babysitter requires no formal training. While they may have to develop specific soft skills, they can easily transform their passion to a part-time job for cash. These lucrative hobbies are great, as they have no age restrictions and are legitimate businesses, which look great on a resume.
How to Side Hustle From Home
Working from home is common, especially in this digital age. There are numerous opportunities to make money right from the comfort of your home. As long as you have the skills and the willingness to learn, you can secure a remote job and earn an impressive amount of money.
You can make extra money from selling artwork or other digital products, managing social media accounts, affiliate marketing, or proofreading articles. Also, if you have technical skills like programming or graphic design, consider harnessing them to make additional cash while offering valuable services.
How to Start a Side Hustle as a Teenager
The beginning of every venture requires adequate planning to be successful. It isn’t enough to just want extra money because the steps you take towards your endeavors determine your success. The following practical steps will help you develop a thriving side hustle as a teenager.
Identify Your Reasons and Define Your Goals
It is always safe to determine the endgame before you begin. Whether it is for “going out” money or a long-term goal like a college fund, you should consider the reasons you want a side hustle. It’ll give you a clearer picture of the route to take towards your destination and will save you the stress of taking on jobs with little reward or satisfaction.
Conduct Research Around Your Passion
Take time to research side jobs while keeping your interests in mind. It doesn’t make sense to make money, even as a teenager, and not gain satisfaction from it. Whatever your option is, ensure it complements your passion. You’ll also want to make sure you are well equipped with the relevant skills so that you can offer a valuable service to people.
Consider Your Availability
You need to identify how much time you can invest into a side gig. Since your studies take a massive chunk of your time daily, you want to ensure that you can do both effectively. Finding balance is crucial and will afford you success in both endeavors. Succeeding with your side job should not cause your academics to suffer. A summer job is great in that regard, as you can even make some full-time income.
Seek Advice
Your research can extend to seeking advice from experienced people in your field of choice. Since they have more experience, they can give you proper guidance and assist you in making a feasible plan. These people can even be members of your household. As long as they have relevant experience, their input is always valuable.
Start Small
With the information you’ve collected and the measures you’ve put in place, you can now take steps to launch your idea or apply for a job. Try starting small and enjoy the process. Get out of the mentality of making quick cash and getting rich overnight. Instead, be diligent and consistent with your plan. Remember that the journey of a thousand miles always begins with a step.
Best Side Hustles for Teenagers
There are various options for teenagers looking for a side job. These options allow you to use your hobbies to create a decent income stream. Below are the best side hustles for teenagers that are flexible and can offer impressive rewards.
Etsy Seller
Etsy is an online marketplace that provides room to sell crafts and a variety of digital products. Teenagers from 13 years and above are welcome to trade but must follow specific policies on their website. Having an Etsy shop is a great business opportunity that will expose you to the ecommerce sector and teach you effective marketing strategies.
Social Media Manager
Teenagers can make money through social media. Besides being an influencer, you can also manage and moderate the activities of social media accounts. By employing specific strategies, you can increase the social media presence of brands. Major apps that facilitate such side hustles include Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants offer administrative services to businesses from remote locations. Thankfully, this job requires minimal training and qualifications. Your discipline and willingness to learn are of priority, making it a good fit for teenagers. Its remote structure also allows you to take on other jobs, all while increasing your hustle money.
Paid Online Surveys
This is an excellent avenue for teenagers to earn extra income by sharing their opinions on various topics. Registration to survey platforms is required, and some have age restrictions. Websites like Survey Junkie offer a good hourly rate and can accommodate teenagers 13 years and above.
Copywriter
Copywriting is a lucrative business with great opportunities for anyone with the necessary skills. You’ll have to employ creativity in writing copies that compel people to take action. Copywriting is strategic in product advertisement and is instrumental in online marketing. It’s a great way for teenagers to make money while juggling school activities.
Affiliate Marketer
Affiliate marketers act as middlemen that connect consumers to producers. They earn commissions on every successful transaction that consumers make through them. After the initial automation setup, which can be complicated, the rest requires little to no intervention from you. Affiliate marketing is perfect for any age group and is an excellent way to make passive income at a high average rate.
Freelance Writer
You can take advantage of your writing skills to start a freelance writing business. With no age restrictions and if you are good enough, you can compete with older professionals in the industry. Take a tour of freelance websites like Upwork and Fiverr and discover numerous opportunities awaiting you.
Blogging
If you love writing, especially if you have interesting ideas to share, consider starting a blog. You can convert your hobby into a lucrative business. If your blog becomes popular enough, you can make money from ads and small donations. Blogging can serve as a full-time job and has helped many entrepreneurs become successful.
Tutor
If you have a knack for academia and enjoy teaching people, consider monetizing it. Your tutoring services can be physical or online, depending on which is more convenient for you. While you can teach your classmates, educating children and tweens is also an option. It’s also a great way to start if you have dreams of eventually becoming an educator.
YouTuber
YouTube allows people to make a good income for producing videos and sharing engaging content. As long as you have a minimum of 1,000 subscribers with a minimum of 4,000 viewing hours, you can earn extra income as a content creator on YouTube. Ads and promotions are a large part of how you can monetize your YouTube channel.
Side Hustle Apps You Can Use to Earn Extra Cash
These days, our mobile phones serve both as a means of communication and as a possible source of extra income. There are a variety of apps available to teenagers looking to make income from a side hustle. Below are a few mobile apps you should consider.
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- Etsy. Etsy allows users to trade a variety of items. It’s a large online marketplace with potential sellers and buyers of craft supplies, handmade products, vintage items, and even digital designs.
- Fiverr. If you are a freelancer, consider registering on Fiverr. Its community of freelancers has access to multiple side jobs and short-term side gigs. Users can browse through various job listings and make applications according to preference.
- Upwork. Upwork serves as the meeting ground for independent talents and businesses. If you have a skill or a service you can offer, this freelancing app will enable you to find potential clients for extra cash.
- Handy. With Handy, you can earn extra bucks for cleaning and offering other handyman services, including furniture installation and TV mounting. It connects customers and handymen and allows for convenient bookings and reservations.
- UrbanSitter. If you love babysitting, UrbanSitter might be your best fit. Opening an account on the app links you to people and families who need help taking care of their children. Getting good reviews on this service will increase your chances of getting more offers.
What Is the Best Side Hustle for Teenagers?
The best side-gig options tend towards freelancing or using social media. Both options are closely related, especially when it comes to content creation. Social media, however, distinguishes itself because teenagers can manage accounts on various social media platforms and earn extra money, all while learning valuable skills.
There are a few specific things to keep in mind when choosing a side hustle as a teenager. Beyond just being of service to people for money, you should consider what you are passionate about and when you’re available. As such, an ideal side hustle reflects your interests, aligns with your schedule, equips you with useful skills, and pays well.
Side Hustles for Teenagers FAQ
Teens have numerous side hustle opportunities, including freelance work like offering a lawn-mowing or dog-walking service, managing social media accounts, or working in food service. They can trade on Etsy, start blogs, become content creators, or make money as affiliate marketers.
As long as you can balance them effectively with your studies and other engagements, you can have as many side hustles as you like. Make sure to achieve a healthy work/study/life balance before taking on more than one.
Side hustles are absolutely worth it. While you can earn extra cash at your convenience, you can also use it to build specific skills relevant to your future professional career. It all depends on what your interests are.
Yes, various side hustles are potential full-time jobs. It just depends on how much time you are willing to invest in them. If you love making videos and creating content, you can become a professional YouTuber and earn as high as $82,000 annually, according to ZipRecruiter.
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