It’s no secret that, as adults, most people need to earn money through one or more jobs in order to make ends meet. The trouble is, people need to have a sense of what it’s like to work and manage income before they’re out on their own—otherwise, it’s more likely that costly mistakes will happen or good jobs won’t work out. This means there’s no time like now to get your kids making money. State laws regulate when and how much children can work, but kids do have options for developing as entrepreneurs on their own.

1. Being a companion – Many individuals are just below the line of being able to take care of themselves completely on their own. Many others—particularly the elderly—just need some company. As a paid companion, your child could perform tasks such as assisting with basic dressing, shopping, meal preparation or reading and writing letters. In emergencies, your child could contact help.
2. Selling online – Hosting a garage sale is an old-school way for kids to earn funds—the modern way to make money through odds-and-ends sales is to sell items on eBay, as online sales mean a global market. Kids can sell items for other people who don’t have time to put up auctions or buy items online to resell at a profit.
3. Dog sitting – Dog sitting is very similar to the standby teen job of babysitting. It includes tasks such as taking the dog for walks, handling the dog when the animal needs to go out, checking that the dog has food and water and basic grooming such as bathing. These tasks require responsibility, but not quite as much as taking care of a human child.
4. Making and selling crafts – Homemade items have an aura that typically cannot be replicated through manufactured goods. Kids can make handmade crafts such as scented candles, bouquets of faux flowers or even hats and scarves. Good places to sell these are farmers’ markets, antique shops, fairs and craft shows. By creating a website, your child also could expand, selling his crafts outside his community.
5. Recycling – Recycling plants in many communities are willing to pay for materials such as scrap metal, newspaper and plastic bottles. Other people want these items for their own craft projects and are willing to pay someone to collect the goods. This option teaches your child about environmental awareness on top of providing money.
6. Blogging – Adults aren’t the only ones who can take advantage of revenues earned through website ads. Kids can create a blog for this purpose, writing about everything from community events to books they’ve read.
7. Doing chores for others – Parents frequently provide some monetary compensation when a child does his own chores. This is a great way to learn some work responsibility, but kids can do basic chores such as vacuuming, washing dishes or folding laundry for others, too. This is a great option to try with new or busy stay-at-home parents who often struggle to find enough hours in the day to complete everything they’d like to do. Another option is to look for people with temporary disabilities such as a broken limb.
8. Doing outdoor work – Outdoor work includes tasks such as mowing the lawn, raking leaves, trimming bushes and hedges and basic landscaping such as planting flowers or grass. With more kids suffering from weight issues than ever, finding physical jobs for your kids is a sneaky way to keep them fit while getting them both money and fresh air.
9. Baking or cooking – Food is one item that people always want and need. Items such as pies, candies and cakes are fairly easy to make and sell, but your child can experiment with more advanced recipes, as well, even catering sales to people with particular needs (e.g., diabetics, organic-only proponents).
10. Tutoring – Not every kid is a genius, but most kids know information younger kids don’t. See if your child has a knack for communicating data or methods—it might literally pay off.