You want something to do all summer long AND you want to make money. We hear you. That's why we put together this little ol' list, just for you. We suspect you'll find something here that catches your eye.
Remember to talk to your folks and check with them to make sure that YOUR favorite idea is OK with them. Also, it's not a bad idea to create a little business plan before you get going.
Finally, you can do all these jobs alone. But they're more fun with a friend. Sure, you'll have to split the profits, but you'll probably get MORE done in LESS time. Now on to the jobs!
The American Red Cross actually offers babysitting classes. So if you went through the class and got the certificate you would put any parental fears to rest. They suggest you be 13 to babysit. Not 13 yet? You could offer to have a weekly storytime in your backyard or living room for the local toddlers.
There are a lot of novice computer users out there, so if you're a PC wiz, offer your services to help people learn how to use their computers. Be sure you'll be busy busy busy!
The following is a link to a special program created by the developers of GirlSense.com (Gteko Inc.) to help people find out how they can maintain and improve their computers. Use this link to help you help them:
http://www.gtwebcheck.com
Kids under 13: please ask your parents for permission before accessing this site.
Organize a neighborhood garage sale… in your own yard! Offer to help out cleaning out attics and garages, then offer help pricing, organizing, displaying for a percentage of profits. Pass out flyers about the sale to everyone in the neighborhood. Once you've got everything at your place, organize it, tag each neighbor's items in a different color and then you can put them all together. Keep track of whose items sold and for how much at a "check out table" with a notebook. Just take the colored sticker off the item, paste it into your notebook and next to it write how much it actually sold for. In the end you can tally each neighbor's "winnings" and take your percentage, giving them the rest! It's a win-win situation.
Offer for an hourly price, to run your friends and family errands. Ride your bike to the dry cleaners with the dirty clothes. Return videos to the store, books to the library. You can even do small grocery runs (like for milk or bread).
See if neighbors and friends need a fence or door painted, even a dog house, you know small things that you can do in an afternoon. Advertise that you can "spruce up" anything that needs sprucing!
If you like to get in the kitchen then how about this idea? You can sell most anything you make… trail mix to hikers? Cookies or pies to picnic-ers? Just look around and see where there is a need and then fulfill it!
And don't forget you can always sell lemonade: This is a classic. I did this when I was a kid. But now you can get fancy and make your lemonade special by adding something extra: Soak a pint of cut up strawberries in a few teaspoons of sugar for an hour. Then add the strawberries and their juice to a tart lemonade (because these are gonna add lots of sweetness) and now you're selling gourmet lemonade!
You could be the entertainment at a kids' birthday party. You could offer to DJ the party, be a clown, or even do face painting. Or just help out the mom with cake serving and game playing.
If you're good at math, try tutoring someone younger than you in the subject. Parents will pay for this great service. Think about what subjects you are best at and advertise your abilities to local moms.
If you can make something, you can probably sell it. If you don't know what to make, hit the library and look up craft books and find something that you and your friends could make…. Jewelry? Magnets? One of a kind birthday cards? Knit caps? Hair Accessories? T-Shirts? IPOD cases? Make a few up and don't forget the tags.
If you like animals and are comfortable with them (and especially if you see the job "vet" in your future) these may be good choices for you:
Dog Walker - Make up some flyers or print up some cards (and tape a dog biscuit to each) and pass them out to people you know.
Doggy Salon - Best tip I can give you here is make sure you secure the dog with a leash (so it doesn't bolt) and wash with doggy soap and hose. For fun, dry them, brush them and maybe even add a bandanna or bow!
Bird Cage Cleaner - Hey, it's not the most glamorous job, but somebody's got to do it!
Bird Seed Filler-Upper - Go one step further and pick up a few plain bird houses at the crafts store. Paint them up (non-toxic paint please) and sell them. Offer to fill them as a weekly service.
You can mow, sure, but also offer weed pulling (not super fun, but you can get a tan – but wear sunscreen) cuz really, people don't like to pull weeds. They'll be eager to pay you to do it! Also, offer to wheel out all the neighbors trash cans and recycling cans on the appropriate day and then wheel them back in after pick up. You can do this every week for a small fee!
You don't have to be on a busy corner or at a gas station to do this. Go around to all your family friends and "schedule" appointments to wash the cars at their own house! Give yourself an hour for each car so you can get it done right. Get all your supplies organized in buckets and make sure you're on time to your appointments! And don't forget to wear sunscreen!
Got a flair for fashion? Help your color uncoordinated friends match their clothes for that all-important first day of school or even more important first date. Here's a totally fun idea - offer to gather up all your neighbors' and relatives old, out-dated and un-wanted clothes and sort them for - second-hand shops, rummage sales, scrap cloth...share the profits, and maybe find some wacky outfits for yourself at the same time!