{"id":562728,"date":"2021-10-04T17:06:17","date_gmt":"2021-10-04T21:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abetterlemonadestand.com\/?p=562728"},"modified":"2024-08-20T10:06:21","modified_gmt":"2024-08-20T14:06:21","slug":"online-business-ideas-for-teens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.abetterlemonadestand.com\/online-business-ideas-for-teens\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Online Business Ideas for Teens: What Can Teens Sell Online?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Entrepreneurship isn\u2019t just for adults. It\u2019s for anyone who has an online store idea<\/a> and wants to bring it to life. If you\u2019re a teenager with a passion or interest in starting an online business, you absolutely can make it a reality. In this post, we\u2019re sharing some great online business ideas for teens so you can start an online store of your own.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s get into it.<\/p>\n

5 Reasons Why Teens Should Start an Online Business<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s more to be gained from starting a business than just a flexible lifestyle. Navigating the world can be challenging as a teen (and frankly, as an adult too!), and starting your own online business is a truly enriching experience that can boost a teen\u2019s confidence and skills.<\/p>\n

You may even unearth hidden talents, all the while putting money in your pocket. Needless to say, this is good news for teens and parents!<\/p>\n

That said, here are some of the critical skills and attributes you could develop by starting your own business.<\/p>\n

Learn Lessons in Adaptability & Resilience<\/h4>\n

Failure at some point is inevitable. It\u2019s a frustrating part of life that we have to face head-on. However, we can use how we navigate and recover from our mistakes and disappointments to shape our future selves.<\/p>\n

Operating an online business puts opportunities to fail in an entrepreneur\u2019s path, and teens will likely benefit from the practice of handling and bouncing back from failures. Teens will soon learn that not everything goes your way, and it\u2019s okay to fail, try again, fail again, and try once more.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, failing helps build resilience and can boost confidence when recovered from it.<\/p>\n

Foster Communication Abilities<\/h4>\n

Communication skills are an essential part of business and life. To be successful as an entrepreneur, one needs to communicate effectively with their customers, suppliers, and followers at large.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just verbal communication either; \u201ccommunication skills\u201d<\/em> encompass non-verbal communication, collaboration, written communication, and public speaking as well. As you go about running your business, you\u2019ll naturally have to put many of these skills into practice and the practice will benefit you both personally and professionally.<\/p>\n

Develop Finance & Accounting Skills<\/h4>\n

When operating your own business, you\u2019ll need to stay on top of your finances in a variety of different ways. Whether it\u2019s managing cash flow, purchasing inventory upfront, invoicing suppliers, handling your business\u2019 bookkeeping, working with an accountant, etc. there\u2019s a lot to learn \u2014 and learning it will provide you with valuable skills.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need to be an expert by any means, but familiarizing yourself with the basics and getting help from reputable bookkeeping, accounting, tax, and financial experts will benefit you greatly both personally and professionally.<\/p>\n

Learn Real-World Skills Not Taught in School<\/h4>\n

When operating your own online business, you\u2019ll likely learn a lot of things along the way that you may not learn in school like inventory management, customer service, financial management, delegation and outsourcing, marketing, website management and so much more.<\/p>\n

Even if your business doesn\u2019t last forever, the skills you learn along the way will. They will also likely make you stand out as a valuable candidate if or when you apply for jobs in the future.<\/p>\n

Build Savings for the Future<\/h4>\n

Even if it\u2019s just a couple hundred dollars per month extra, the profit you earn from your business could benefit your savings goals.<\/p>\n

And if you automate your business to the point that you don\u2019t actually have to spend a lot of your time managing it, the passive income you earn could be some of the easiest money you\u2019re making each month! You don\u2019t have to spend a lot of time to earn a decent profit once you get up and running, so make your business work for you and benefit from the return-on-investment you get, not only monetarily but also for your time spent.<\/p>\n

These Teens are Already Running their Own Online Businesses<\/h2>\n

Looking for some inspiration? Look no further! Check out these teens who have turned their passions and ideas into businesses.<\/p>\n

Ben Pasternak<\/h4>\n

One day, Ben Pasternak<\/a> found himself bored in his biology class. His solution? To build a mobile app.<\/p>\n

Yes, it may be an unconventional strategy to mitigate boredom, but it became the catalyst for Pasternak\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

Since then, he\u2019s created several successful online projects \u2014 most notably, Flogg, the buy-and-sell platform for teens (which ended up flopping), as well as the video chat platform Monkey which raised $200,000 and was eventually sold.<\/p>\n

His third startup \u2014 food tech company SIMULATE<\/a> (known for their \u201cNUGGS\u201d) \u2014 raised $50 million dollars \u2014 and he\u2019s only 21 now!<\/p>\n

Langston Whitlock<\/h4>\n

Langston Whitlock<\/a> is the co-founder of Safe Trip, a US ride-sharing app that aims to help the homeless and the elderly access medical transport without insurance.<\/p>\n

Patients, carers, and health care providers can book medical transportation through the app for emergency and non-emergency use. Users are offered cars, vans, wheelchair-accessible vehicles, and ambulances.<\/p>\n

Plus, if users do<\/em> have medical insurance, they can use the app to pay for the service.<\/p>\n

Unbelievably, Whitlock co-founded the app when he was 16, and since the app\u2019s conception, it has gained a staggering $2.3 million in funding!<\/p>\n

Phoebe Cosgrove<\/h4>\n

While on furlough during the first Covid-19 lockdown, Phoebe Cosgrove<\/a> started learning how to sew. A friend asked her to stitch a picture of her pug onto a jumper, which marked the beginning of Cosgrove\u2019s business Pretty Paws.<\/p>\n

Cosgrove set up her own marketplace on Etsy, and soon after, her living room became her production line. To gain customers, she uses social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube to share her products and business journey.<\/p>\n

Cosgrove is only 19 years old, and her business continues to grow from her efforts!<\/p>\n

Ashley Qualls<\/h4>\n

When she was 14, Ashley Qualls<\/a> started a website called WhateverLife.com.<\/em> She provided free MySpace layouts and HTML tutorials while her website was supported entirely by advertising revenue, like Google Ads.<\/p>\n

In the first few months of business, she made a massive $70,000, and by age 17 she\u2019d earned her first million.<\/p>\n

After that, Qualls was approached by numerous people wanting to buy her company, but she denied every offer. In 2016, she then created the website SickNotDead.com<\/em> which provides resources to chronically ill individuals.<\/p>\n

The Pros & Cons of Starting an Online Business as a Teen<\/h2>\n

The examples above are proof that it\u2019s possible to start an online business as a teen and be successful at it \u2014 whether you run it as a side hustle to your school or work or turn it into your full-time income is up to you!<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re an aspiring teenage entrepreneur, keep these pros and cons in mind before you get started.<\/p>\n

Pros of Starting a Business as a Teen<\/h4>\n