Making and Managing Money

Transcription

1 Making and Managing Money Advice and Inspiration for Teens and Their Parents By Olivia K. Brodock 1

2 Table of Contents Making and Managing Money Percentages: Dividing your money wisely. Tithes and Giving Savings: The importance of planning ahead. Long Term Savings Short Term Savings Spending Wisely The Danger of Debt Resources 2

3 Home Businesses for Children ages 12 & up Home Businesses for Young Adults ages 15 & up Lemonade Marketer Neighborhood Hired Hand Trash Transit Bake Sale Baby-sitter\Mothers Helper Yard Sale Pet Sitting Car Wash House Keeping Service Elderly Assistant Clowning Pet Grooming Vegetable Garden Herb Gardener Calligraphy Candle Maker Greeting Cards Bird Houses Walking Sticks Lawn Service Shovel Snow Candy Maker Aluminum Can Recycler Bath Products Musical Entertainment Cake Decorating Web Design Gift Baskets Tutor Service Tailor / Clothing Designer Quilt Maker Costume Maker/ Designer Alterations Live Arrangements Jewelry Photography Freelance Writing Giving Music Lessons Nanny Culture Farmer Worm Farming Dog Breeding Balloon Artist Get Paid to Take Surveys (You may need to be 18 for some of these) 3

4 Introduction Dear Parents, Because you have bought this book you have made a statement. You want your kids to know how to make and manage their money. You want them to be better off than the majority of Americans who spend money foolishly. You want to encourage your children to be productive and resourceful. This journey to good money management is difficult and your kids will need your help. Guide them, help them make good choices. Although I wrote the book, YOU are the parent. It is your job to teach them the way they should go. This book is just a tool. The suggested businesses in this book may be the beginning of a huge corporation one day with your entrepreneurial child at its helm. At the very least they will learn skills to equip them for their adult life. Use every opportunity to teach them all you can. Teach them things that can only be done by living them out, even beginning on a small scale. Let them learn, invest, experiment, and explore new things. They can even be successful through failure, as long as they are learning and persevering. True failure is trying nothing, doing nothing. These are the years to train the businessmen and women of the future, men and women with integrity! Respectfully, Olivia K. Brodock 4

5 Hello Future Business Owner! Have you ever wanted a job? Wouldn t it be nice to make your own money? It isn t impossible! Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, started his first business when he was 8 years old. If he could do it, you could too. Do you lack inspiration? You won t after reading this E-Book! I am so glad you are pursing the responsibility and freedom of working for yourself! In this book I give you forty-five ways to make money with a business of your own. There are countless other ways to make money too, you just have to be thinking and looking around you. Never take on anything without carefully talking through the details with your parents. They are older and have a lot more life experience than you do. If you are providing a service, always make work agreements with people when there is a parent available. It is ideal if you type up a contract spelling out all the details; what you expect and what they expect, work to be done, pay, days, etc Ask the people you will be providing the service for to sign it, and then you sign it. This way there is no room for misunderstandings. If you are providing a service for someone at their home, never go alone, even if it is someone you know. NEVER, NEVER be alone in a house or outbuilding (shed, garage, barn) with an adult. This is for your safety and your good reputation. Welcome to the life of an Entrepreneur! Fellow Entrepreneur, Olivia K. Brodock 5

6 % Percentages Before you get started making money you need to be prepared to manage it. It wouldn t make much sense for someone to buy a cattle farm and know nothing about cows would it? No! Learning to manage money is very much like playing a game, only the stakes are much higher. If you don t learn to manage your money as a kid it will be ten times harder to learn it as an adult. If you can t manage your money now, your future could be pretty dim. It is not about how much money you make, it is about how well you manage what you make. All money you earn should be divided into three parts: Tithe (10%) Savings (50%) Spending (50%). To make this easier to understand, here is a pie chart. It s a ten dollar pie. 6

7 Tithe (10%) and Giving When you make money the first thing you do is take out your tithe. Tithe is ten percent of what ever you have earned. If you make $10, 10% of that is $1. Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year Deuteronomy 14:22. Ultimately all money is God s. We are only stewards. Tithe is given to your church to help with ministry, church upkeep and the salary of the pastor. This however doesn t mean you can only give 10%. Let s say your church is collecting a special offering to purchase a play ground. You can take money out of your spending money to give. God is generous to people who are generous. Here is an excellent overview of tithe through out the bible: If you still have issues with tithing please talk to your parents or your pastor. Consider giving to someone less fortunate, whether it is to an elderly family member that needs help (we take care of family first), a missionary, or to a sick person who needs help to cover medical bills. Perhaps you could save a percentage of your income until you find a worthy cause to give to. There is a big difference between someone truly being in need and someone who is suffering because of laziness. Before you give make sure it is truly a need. If you want to make money just so you can have cash in hand or to buy yourself a lot of stuff, you will probably end up with a lot of nothing to show for your hard work later. Geed is sin. Greed will eventually make you an ugly person because money and things become more important to you than people. There is nothing wrong with being wealthy, but there is something wrong with being selfish. Always be willing to give to care for family members first, and then look for ways to give to others in need. God blesses a cheerful giver. 7

8 Savings (50%) The Importance of Planning Ahead The second amount you take out of your total earnings is savings. Half of all you earn should be saved. Why? Because, if you don t save, when it comes time to buy something big (i.e. car) you will be forced to go into debt. Debt is bad, very bad. We ll cover debt later. There are two types of savings, Long Term and Short Term. Short Term savings is half of your savings (25% of your total income). It is used to purchase things that are too expensive for your average spending money and not important enough to come out of long term savings. For instance; you see a beautiful red bike in the department store window. You want it really bad and it is $100! Your Dad says, Save up and buy it with your own money. You can use your short term savings on the bike. If you don t have enough in your short term savings wait a little while and keep saving, adding your spending money to your short term savings will help you reach your goal of $100 faster. Long Term savings (25% of your total income) is money you put aside and don t touch until you are much older. It is used to buy really big things, like a house, medical services and retirement (money you live on when you can t work anymore). It is best to keep long term savings in a bank, other wise the temptation to use it might make you lose it! Don t carry your savings in a purse or wallet. You might lose it or worse spend it! 8

9 Spending Wisely 40% This is the fun part! 40% of your income as a teen can be spent at your discretion. On what ever you want! Spend it wisely however, because as soon as it s gone, that s it. You can t take it out of your savings or tithe, it s gone! A wise man or woman will use his or her spending money on things that will last. An occasional treat is one thing, but blowing all your money on candy and video games is not wise. Once you have eaten the candy and played the game all you have left is a cavity. You will work hard for your money, is that what you want to show for it? A CAVITY??!!? Don t be too strict however. One time my family and I were on a road trip to New York. My brother, sister and I all started out with $50. Emma and Josh bought snacks at almost every stop. I bought nothing at almost every stop. They were very gracious to share with me, but also got very aggravated with me for eating their goodies and not buying any of my own to share. All of us were wrong; I was being stingy and they were being careless. Don t worry, Dad pointed out my stinginess and I bought everyone lunch at McDonalds. "We should consider ourselves unauthorized to saddle posterity with our debts, and are morally bound to pay them ourselves." -Thomas Jefferson

10 The Danger of Debt Did you know the average American has over $20, in debt? Our government is 8 TRILLION dollars in debt. The majority of said debt we owe to China, the communist capitol of the world. How did we get in this mess? It is mainly because individuals were not taught personal responsibility. We discovered the Credit Card; most people believe the thinking, I can have this now and pay for it later???!! NO! My mother is always reminding me, Don t count your chickens before they hatch. Proverbs 27 says, Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what the future may hold. Don t buy things and say, I ll get paid next Friday, I ll pay for it then. You don t know that; what if you are in an accident and can t work? What if your job ends? What if you get the flu? What if??? Example: Again, I ll use the bike. You see a beautiful $ bike in the department store window; you have $50.00 in savings and $25.00 in spending money. Mrs. Jones owes you $20.00 for painting her fence. You run home Dad! May I borrow $25.00 and pay you back when Mrs. Jones pays me? Dad in an ill-founded sense of good will lends you the money. You buy the bike, you ride the bike, and you grow tried of the bike. When Mrs. Jones pays you for painting her fence you have to put half of it away in savings ($10.00) and another 10% in tithe ($2.00). You have to pay your dad back with all of your spending money, $8.00, but that s not enough. So the next time you earn money guess where it goes? It goes to your dad to pay for the bike. Do you know what happens to that bike? It becomes a burden, something you don t like because all the money you make is used up by your debt. 10

11 As you get older the bike gets bigger, figuratively speaking. It turns into a car, only Dad doesn t have $ to lend you to get a car. So you go to a bank and repeat the process as you did with dad. Only now you have to pay interest. By the time you pay off your car it will be old and you will want a new one. Because you had to pay interest, your car cost a lot more than $5000. How do you avoid this outrageous cycle? Save your money and buy a bicycle outright. Pay cash. Use self control and patience. Maturity is pleasure delayed! ~Dave Ramsey Rather go to bed supper-less than rise in debt. ~Benjamin Franklin Debt is like any other trap, easy enough to get into, but hard enough to get out of. ~Henry Wheeler Shaw Avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertions in time of peace to discharge the debts which unavoidable wars have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves ought to bear. ~George Washington 11

12 Home Business for ages 12 & up All of these jobs can be done by a twelve year old, some are tougher than others and with a few you may need some parental assistance. Lemonade Marketer Cost to start: $5.00-$10.00 If life hands you lemons, make lemonade! A classic! What you need to start: Lemonade, cups, a table, a sign, trash bag and change. A bright colored umbrella draws attention, as do little siblings and happy music. A great time to have lemonade sales is when there are yard sales. Watch for signs in your neighborhood. Give a discount on refills, 25 cents per cup. Average charge per cup of lemonade: 8-12 oz for $

13 Neighborhood Hired Hand Cost to start: Free! What you need to start: A good attitude and a willingness to work. This a great job for those who live in the suburbs or heavily populated areas. Get the word out that you are looking for a few hours work after school or Saturdays, pulling weeds, painting fences, making flowerbeds, ect Older folks will be your main market. Average charge per hour of labor: $5.00 Trash Transit Cost to start: Free What you need to start: A good pair of legs and strong arms. Here is how it works; you offer to take up your neighbor s trash on the night before the garbage truck runs and take it back down after he takes the trash. To get your clients go door to door down your street. People will gladly pay a fellow $2 for the convenience of such a service. Line up 5 houses and you make $10.00 per week, which equals $40.00 per month or $ per year! Charge more if a house has a long driveway. Average Charge per house: $

14 Average price list for breads & cookies: Loaf of Yeast Bread Lg. $5.00 Sm. $3.00 Loaf of Quick Bread Lg. $4.50 Sm. $3.00 Bake Sale Cost to start: $20 Cookies $3.00 per dozen Or 3 for $1.00 What you will need: Ingredients for the things you want to bake, packaging (baggies, plastic wrap, little boxes, ect ) Don t think a one day sale, think weekly. Some friends of ours do this for their home business, and have had quite the success. The girls bake bread and cookies and bring them to their dads work, a corporate place. Your best market will be places that have career women, women who don t have time to bake. Real Estate offices and your local courthouse are two of the best places to find such women. Baked goods sell very well during the holidays. You could make up some samples and a price list to take to potential costumers, then call to get their order and set a date for delivery. Always take extras when you deliver. There are health department regulations in most areas, but you may be able to sell to people you know without this becoming an issue. Another option would be to use a church kitchen or a small restaurant s kitchen that is health department approved. There may be a rental fee involved. *Nice Bags to put your goods in and make it look professional are called Coffee Bags. Here is one resource, always compare prices online (copy and paste link): 14

15 Babysitting \ Mother s Helper Cost to start: 0.00 This is another classic! Word of mouth is the best way to get moms that need some help. Let everyone you know you are looking for some work babysitting. References are very important but don t sign people up to be your references without asking permission first. It is safer and easier to keep children at your home. Don t babysit at homes of people you don t know and trust. A Mother s helper is similar to baby-sitting only you are not alone with the children. Mothers usually have a hard time leaving their kids with an 11 or 12 year old, but they really appreciate the extra set of hands while they do house work or rest for an hour or two. If your parents feel you are not ready for the total responsibility of babysitting, you might want to consider being a mother s helper. It s more than a job, for a mother with small children it s a huge blessing! Clearly define what the parent expects from you and what hours you will need to be available. Be sure to know any allergies or health issues before you are left with a child. Ask the parents how you should discipline if the need arises. Many hospitals and Red Cross chapters offer a babysitting course; this would be good to take. Average charge per hour Baby-sitting: $5.00 Mothers helper: $

16 Yard Sale Cost to start:$5.00 You + Old Stuff+ Saturday = Money A yard sale can reap high profits, if done right. Advertise in your local paper. Search to see if there is an online forum for local yard sales, check for Yahoo groups, they are out here. The first or second weekends are usually best for a yard sale. Check to see if your area requires a permit. All the stuff you are getting rid of needs to be clean and in working order. Does the toy need batteries? Buy the cheap ones to show that it works; be sure to tell your buyer it will need new batteries. Clothes need to be hung up or neatly folded, don t put out anything stained or ripped; you can put those in a rag bag and sell it for $1.00. It is ideal if you can categorize clothes by sizes. Clothes sell best if hung up. Try to make shopping easy for your costumer. Don t try to sell anything you wouldn t buy. Price everything the night before, better yet, days before, or have a poster stating that all shirts are 1.00, books 50 cents, etc Remember people that shop yard sales want CHEAP prices. Sell things at half price after noon. Ask your relatives if there is anything they d like to donate to your yard sale, they may be glad to get it cleaned out of their house! You could even offer to do a yard sale for them for a percentage of the sales. Tell your neighbors and friends about your upcoming yard sale; see if they want to participate. The more people involved the more people will come. Bright signs are a must. Keep them simple, no more than: Yard Sale, Saturday, 8am-2pm 123 Yellow Brick Rd. Hang up signs so people can find you easily. A yard sale is a perfect time to have a Lemonade Stand, try to get someone else to run it for a portion of the profits, like 50%, so you can focus on the yard sale. If you are really good at this and decide you want to do more of these, people hire other people to come and manage their yard sales, for 50-60% of the profit. Not only do you make money, you get first dibs on everything! How many yard sales can you manage at different locations in a summer? $$$ Average profit: The possibilities are endless! 16

17 Pet Sitting Cost to start:0.00 What you need to start: A love of animals and some flyers. Pet sitting can be lots of fun and very lucrative! The average kennel charges $25.00 per night to keep a dog or cat. Pet owners would much rather leave their little Fluffy with someone who will give them personal attention and love. Don t limit yourself to dogs and cats, I once kept a fish for a week and made $25, all he did was swim around! Another option is to feed/walk pets while the owners are out of town so the pet stays at home. Be sure to ask if the pet has any special diet or exercise routine. Ask if he/she gets along with other animals for when you are out walking him. Here are a couple examples of a professional Pet Sitters: Average charge per pet per night: $5.00 Car Wash Cost to start: $10.00 What you need: Windex, paper towels, Car Soap, rags or sponges and a garden hose. Get your siblings and friends to help with this one. Be sure people can see you from the road. Bright signs are really eye-catching: CAR WASH TODAY!!! Don t forget to ask family members if they want their car cleaned. Here is a neat site with some good tips: Charge per car: Outside only $5.00 Clean Inside and Outside: $8-$

18 Housekeeping Service Cost to start: $10.00 This one is pretty self explanatory. Mopping, dusting, wiping base boards, cleaning mirrors, washing windows, there are all sorts of housekeeping jobs that moms hate to do or simply don t have time to do. They would gladly pay you to do it. It is best if the homeowner supplies the cleaning supplies. Get the word out, and pretty soon you ll have to turn down customers! *Never be alone in the house with someone of the opposite sex, this is for your safety and your good reputation. Have the home owner write down what she/he expects you to do to make sure you clearly understand each other. You could present the homeowner with a check off list, and then keep the list with you as you clean to make sure you did not forget anything. See the suggested list at the end of this book. Average charge per hour: $ Elderly Assistant Cost to start: 0.00 When people start getting old many things get harder, for instance, grocery shopping, pet walking, pumping gas, and much more. Your youth makes this job perfect for you! They also fear being alone, your joyful company will not only help them, but cheer their day. Once again this is more than a business opportunity, it s a ministry. Some people are naturally good with older people. My little sister is great with our elderly neighbors! Get the word out that you are willing to help any older people that need an extra set of hands. Again, only do this with your parent s approval. Average charge per hour: $

19 Pet Grooming Cost to start: What you need: a good dog brush, dog shampoo A pet grooming business would be easy to tie together with a pet sitting business for the ambitious entrepreneur. However, pet grooming isn t as easy as giving Fido a bath. You need to read up on Pet Grooming before plunging into this business. Here are some sites I recommend: and Average charge for a bath and brush: Lg. Dog $15.00 Sm. Dog $10.00 Please remember, all of these businesses can be done on a small scale or a large one. If you don t want to get into doggie hair cutting, advertise doggie baths and brushings. Don t get in over your head, take it slow and build up gradually. Clowning Cost to start: $30.00 What you need: A clown suit, funny personality and be able to enjoy children. This is every kids DREAM job. You get paid to act goofy! A classic clown suit can be found on Amazon for around $ You could also check out local party stores and department stores after Halloween and get one very cheap. Your market will be moms that are looking for wholesome party entertainment for birthdays and such. Memorize some funny jokes and a neat act like juggling or balloon art. The more you can do, the more in demand you ll be. Check your yellow pages for local party planners; send them a little pamphlet about what you can do. Average Charge per hour :$ $15.00 depending on what your skills are. Cool clowning instructions (copy and paste link): 19

20 Vegetable Garden Cost to start: $10.00 What you need: Good dirt, vegetable seeds or starter plants, water. There is a big movement in the restaurant business to use locally grown vegetables and fruit. If you love to garden, you might as well make a profit from it! Growing a vegetable garden can be a great business! If you live in a rural area you could even set up a little vegetable stand. The honor system works fairly well if you live in a place with lots of neighbors. But if you don t feel comfortable with that, set up your stand where you can see it from your house and run out when someone stops by. Put up a sign that says: Blow Horn for Service. If you have an abundance of produce, take some around to the local restaurants, (NOT FRANCISES like McDonalds or Burger King) and offer samples to the chefs during the slow hours, between 2:00 & 3:00 in the afternoon. A good chef wants good produce! Check into selling at your local Farmer s Market, this is usually a great way for costumers to come to you! Make sure your prices are reasonable. You can charge more if you don t use pesticides or fertilizer, the organic movement is in full swing. If you decide you really like this you might want to consider building a greenhouse and keep your business growing. You can start with raise beds: Start out with just a couple items and learn how to grow them efficiently. Check your local Cooperative Extension for tons of information concerning your region. You can find them in your phone book or online. Here is Alabama s: Prices will vary due to seasons. 20

21 Herb Gardener Cost to start: $25.00 What you need: How to Grow and Use Culinary Herbs, (My E-Book ) Good dirt, herb starter plant (Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Lowes ect ) water Herb growing is really quite simple after you get started. Since most herbs are perennials, unlike vegetable gardening, they are practically self producers! Once again local restaurants will be a good market. If your town has a farmers market, use it! People that go to farmers markets are looking for fresh ways to spice up their cooking. You can also grow and harvest your plants, then bag them to sell as teas. Mint plants are great for this! Calligraphy Cost to start: $20.00 What you need: pencil, soft eraser, paper, ruler, calligraphy pen Since ancient times, calligraphy has been used in paintings, books, and historical documents. Today, this ornate handwriting remains a popular choice for things such as party invitations, formal correspondence, and certificates. quamut.com This business is diffidently for the artistic ones. Calligraphy is a beautiful art form. Once you master the art, write out beautiful verses and quotes, frame them then sell them at art & craft shows. You will have little to nothing in them and can sell them for a really good profit. Some people will pay to have their name in scripted in their Bibles or on certificates. Word of mouth is the best advertisement. A good resource to learn calligraphy from (copy and paste the link): 20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN= Average price for a framed verse: $25-$50.00 depending on size and quality of frame. 21

22 Candle Maker Cost to start:$20.00 What you need: Candle wax (local craft store, Hobby Lobby, Michaels) Candle molds, scent, wicks Another craft show favorite. Homemade candles are all the rage! The scents, colors and shapes are endless! Let your creativity run wild. If you need some inspiration, check out your local library they have some great howto\idea books. Look at thrift stores and yard sales for old candles that can be melted down and remolded. Hobby Lobby and Michaels usually run their candle making supplies on sale every few months. You can check for their sales on line or in the Sunday paper. Here are a couple of my favorite web sites for candle making: and Here is one of my mother s tutorials on how to make snowball candles:

23 Greeting Cards Cost to start:$10.00 What you need: Card stock and craft paper, pretties such as stickers & pressed flowers, glue sticks, pictures and envelopes. This would pair nicely with a calligraphy business. There are website galore about card designs and how-to s. Your local craft store should have some handy ideas and some great card making magazines. You can sell these at craft shows, on Etsy (handmade version of E-Bay) or antique shops, they love the hand made aspect. You could easily incorporate your skills in drawing, computer graphics and photography. Look on line for quotes or verses to add, although many people like their cards blank on the inside to make them fit the occasion. Look around on line for ideas! Take a look at the cards in the store, how can you re-create them with your special touch? Be resourceful using items around your home, you don t have to buy everything new. Here is a great video tutorial: Here is a tutorial from my mother: Another tutorial: Here is a good place to sell: Make sure your family and friends know you are in the card business and that you will custom design what they need. They are going to buy cards anyway, so why not buy from you?! Average price for cards: 4 for $5.00 or $8.00 a dozen 23

24 Walking Sticks Cost to start: $10.00 What you need: A sturdy, solid stick, a good whittling knife and some sandpaper. Custom walking sticks and canes are an excellent need that must be filled. Short people and tall people have a hard time finding the perfect walking stick or cane. Make several of these and take them to a local medical supply company and\or an antique shop (older people look for their unique cane). Do not make canes only, but also make walking sticks, for hiking. The more unique you can make them the better. The difference between a walking stick and a cane is length. Walking sticks are much longer; canes are designed to reach the waist of the average person, walking sticks reach as far as the head of a person. Let your grandparents and older people around you know that you are making these for sale, the word will get around. You could also set up at craft shows or flea markets. Google how to make walking canes or walking sticks, you ll get all kinds of inspiration. Average price per Cane: $15.00 Walking Stick: $

25 Bird Houses Cost to start: $30.00 What you need: wood, odds & ends, paint Several years ago, a young fellow down our street made a bunch of real plain birdhouses, and set up a display in his front yard. He sold those things like hotcakes! Every since then I ve kept an eye on the bird house market. With the big push to go green, people are more than ever getting into gardening, making birdhouses a craft show big seller. The more unique, eccentric or weird you can make them the better. Bright colors and the rustic look are big right now. If you can use old wood, great! Call it recycled! Google search unique bird houses prepare to be amazed. Here is a how-to book (copy and paste the link): 20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN= Here is a series of videos to watch on line: Ask your Dad, Grandfather or an older man to help you with cutting the lumber, then you can nail them together. You could even design your own pattern once you get the basics down. Average price per 8x8x10 bird house: $

26 Lawn Service Cost to start: Varies What you need: Lawn mower, rake or leaf blower, weed eater. Be careful with this business. Don t bite off more than you can chew. Start with small yards and easy to please people, you can build up your portfolio and reputation at the same time. While the bulk of lawn care is done in the spring and summer, you can rake leaves and mulch gardens during the fall\winter months. Be sure to do your very best and do it the way the home owner wants. This is a tough business, but it will build strong character in you and an appreciation for money earned from hard work! Practicing at home is good thing. Here is a good site and interview to listen to: Average charge per 1\2 acre: $30.00 Shovel Snow Cost to start: 0.00 What you need: A good snow shovel If you live in a place that gets an abundance of snow you probably have the know-how for this job. It works in the same fashion the Trash Transit does (listed on page 13). Line up several houses and shovel their snow, for a fee of course. People would LOVE to pay you to shovel their driveway before they have to go to work. Average charge per driveway: $5.00 and up. 26

27 Candy Maker Cost to start: $20.00 What you need: A few good recipes and packaging supplies. This business works wonders at craft shows or flea markets. With brightly colored signs to draw attention and plenty of tasty candies in glass jars like in the olden days you could attract just about any crowd! Holiday time, including Valentine s Day, is the best time to sell. Find a couple simple, but good recipes and package them in a cute way. Unique packaging pushes impulse buying, meaning people will buy it because of the packaging! Martha Stewart always has neat ideas (copy and paste the link): Average charge for candy: Varies Aluminum Can Recycler Cost to start: Nothing! What you need: Some garbage bags Collect aluminum cans from your house, the side of your street, your dad s workplace, anywhere you can think of. You are actually doing a community service while making money with this job! After you have several trash bags full take them to a local scrap metal recycling facility and they ll take it from there. They will weigh your bags and give you cash for them! Prices for scarp will change often. Call ahead and see what the current price is, if it is low you may want to wait a month or so and call again. This can be done with any kinds of recyclable metals. If you are 16 or older and have a pick up truck there are all kinds of scrap you can get cash for. Average profits: Varies 27

28 In having your own business there is one very important thing to keep in mind. However well you do your job now is how people will view you in the future. You are building your reputation, take it seriously. 20 Home Business For ages 15 & up 28

29 Bath &Skin Care Products Cost to start:$ What you need: How To Make Money Making & Selling Your Own Skin Products Get the E-Book! You will be so inspired. I bought this book about two years ago and started my own bath product business: Using some good recipes and cute packaging will get you going. How to Make Money Making and Selling Your Own Skin Products You could also search for recipes on line. E-Books Cost to start:$0.00 What you need: A computer and internet access. E-Books are one of the greatest businesses for anyone that enjoys writing. You write about what you know and sell it as an E-Book. Everyone is an expert about something. Sometimes you can get your ideas and information down and have someone else actually write the book for you. An e-book can be a few pages up to hundreds of pages. Writing the book is the easy part, marketing it, finding ways to sell it, is the real challenge, but it can be done, you bought this one didn t you! There are several great resources to walk you step by step through the process. Here is a good place to start: I strongly encourage you to join this Yahoo group, they (we) offer tons of help and answer questions: ChristianSelf-Publishing-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 29

30 Musical Entertainer Cost to start:0.00 What you need: A nice outfit and the ability to play an instrument. Put those years of piano or violin lessons to good use. During the holiday season this business can be especially profitable. Other profitable times would be for receptions and parties. Memorize some beautiful, simple music and a few classical pieces and your set. Tell you piano teacher that you wish to play for parties and social events. You would be amazed at some of the connections your piano teacher may have. Advertising in the news paper and local music schools are good places to start. Average Charge per hour:$15.00 and up. Cake Decorating Cost to start: $40.00 What you need: Teaching Good Things Basic Cake Decorating DVD This is my mother s DVD. Cake decorating is a fun way to make good money. After you learn the basics it s a piece of cake (pun intended). As with every food service business, check with your local food authorities before serving the public. The best way to do this is by word of mouth. As you gain experience you can work up to wedding cakes. Your family and friends will be your best costumers. Average price per cake: 9 x13 $20.00 or 11 x15 $25.00 Wedding Cakes: $2.00 per serving and up Go here for some ideas, my mother s Cake Blog 30

31 Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love. -David McCullough Whatever business you decide to do, be sure that it is something you love. If you don t love it, you won t stick with it. Web Design Cost to start: What you need: A computer and time to learn. I know several young men that have made a good deal of money designing websites. It is something that will grow as they do. If a 15 year old starts his business doing this now with 1-5 websites, by the time he s 20 he will have a mini empire! There are tons of free resources available! Depending on your skills you could make $10 to $100 an hour. Let s Make a Web Page: 31

32 Gift Baskets for Big Money Clientele Cost to start: $20.00 What you need: Baskets and miscellaneous fillers (cheese & crackers, chocolates, candies) Here is how it works; you make a deal with local big businesses that have big money clientele such as Realtors and Car Dealers. When they sell a house or car they or call you. You make up a gift basket and send or deliver it to their client. The car dealer\realtor pays you for the basket and your services. It s a win\win situation! The car dealer gets a good reputation with his client, you create and fill a need which is the goal of an entrepreneur and the client gets a basket! This would work best if you could start with someone you know and slowly build your reputation and references. When approaching someone, bring samples of what you offer and leave it for the office, this leaves a lasting impression, even if they don t want to do business with you right now. You will also want to leave your card and have a business contract ready. Average charge per basket: $25.00 and up depending on what you put in it and how you deliver it. Rule of thumb, charge 3 times ad much as the supplies cost. Tutor Service Cost to start: $0.00 What you need: an 8 th grade education. In the giant education system children don t always get the one-on-one attention they need. Parents usually have busy work schedules and they find it hard to get it all done ; but the child still needs help. So, what do they do? Hire you! If you are good at reading, spelling or math, you would be a perfect tutor for a 2 nd, 3 rd, and 4 th graders. Some students just need help with their homework. If possible see if you can talk with their teacher for a few minutes over the phone to see what areas they really need help with, or ask the parent to get some written instructions from the teacher. If at all possible see if there is an extra copy of their text book so you can read ahead and come up with some creative ways for them to learn. Many children do not learn just from reading, so you may need to do some research on how to teach differently. Average Charge per 1\2 hour: $

33 Tailor \ Clothing Designer Cost to start: $50.00 What you need: A sewing machine, some good patterns and quality fabric. Are you sick of having to search for hours to find a modest shirt at the mall? Why not design and make your own clothes? Take a class on clothes making and work from there. You could be the next modest clothing sensation! Christa Taylor is one of the biggest names for modest Christian clothing right now. She is only 21! Necessity is the mother of invention; the only question is whose is going to start inventing? Average charge per article of clothing: Varies Quilt Maker Cost to start: $50.00 What you need: Fabric (even scraps), scissors, and a quilting ruler. There are also other quilting tools that make quilting much easier, but buy the minimum first to make sure you will like it. Making handmade quilts can be a lucrative business. Quilting takes a good deal of time and in today s world of instant results few will spare the time. If you enjoy being crafty this may be your gold mine! For a well-made, full size quilt you can make upwards of $ to $ per quilt. Here is a simple tutorial from my mother for rag quilts: Here is another tutorial my mom has for making photo quilts: This is my mother s online class for quilting: 33

34 Costume Maker/ Designer Cost to start: Varies What you need: Know how to sew, love history Costumes are a wonderful business! Just check E-Bay, people pay for a good costume! Hobby Lobby runs their Simplicity patterns for $.99 every now and then. It would be ideal to buy the pattern on sale, make it up with a quality fabric and list it on E-Bay, Esty, or on your own website. A friend of mine, Mrs. Jennie Chancy, developed her own pattern and company Sense and Sensibility Patterns. It can be done; it just needs a diligent person to pursue it. Average retail of a costume: $ $ per dress Work while you have the light. You are responsible for the talent that has been entrusted to you. -Henri-Frédéric Amiel 34

35 Alterations Cost to start: Varies What you need: Needle & thread, sewing machine and the know-how. How many times have you bought the perfect shirt and it be just a little too big or the sleeves a little to long? You re not the only one with this problem! If you can sew well and enjoy it, this is a great home business that makes really good money. Make sure you know what you are doing BEFORE you start. Some people spend a lot of money on clothes and don t want them ruined with a bad hem job. You may even consider taking a class or two. A local tailor may apprentice you in exchange for free\cheap help. Average charge per item of clothing: Varies Live Arrangements Cost to start: $25.00 What you need: cage and oasis, live greens, berries, bows and ribbon or raffia. If you live in a wooded area this could be your hidden fortune, especially during the holidays. For more inspiration, check out some florist shops, see what is hot in floral design, it is astonishing what they charge for a basket that has evergreens in it! We made some outdoor Christmas arrangements one year and took them to a flea market right after Thanksgiving and made a very good profit. You have very little money in them. A good tutorial: You can Google for more ideas! Average price per arrangement: $20-and up 35

36 Jewelry Cost to start: What you need: beads, wire, clasps. You can work this business two ways. You can buy bulk jewelry and sell it, or make your own. When you make your own you gross more profit and get to release some of your creativity. You can also make something unique for your costumers. There are several markets for this product; the top choices are craft shows, flea markets, and internet (E-Bay & Esty). If you make especially beautiful jewelry offer them to brides for their bridal party. Inspiration should be relatively easy to find, Google how to make jewelry and find the style you like. Some craft stores have classes on jewelry making. Buy in bulk on line. Average charge per piece of jewelry: $5 and up. Photography Cost to start: $ What you need: A really good digital camera! Research what kind of camera you want and save to get a good quality one, it will be worth it! Taking a photography course is probably a good idea if you intend to professionally pursue this business. With the invention of the digital camera thousands of amateurs are going pro and making a ton of money! If you have a good eye for pictures, this may be your talent. Many camera shops offer classes. Think about weddings, birthday parties and graduations. You could offer to do the pictures for free to help build your reputation. Take pictures of everything, everywhere! Keep a good album of your best shots. This business does not grow overnight. Average charge for a photo shoot: Varies with skill level and event. 36

37 Freelance Writing Cost to start: Nothing Newspapers, magazines, websites, ect often hire freelance writers to add a fresh perspective to their publications. You might need to polish up your English skills, but if you re a blogger or political activist type person this may be a way to print your views and get paid. Associated Content buys articles, you might want to check that out to get started and work from there. Consider submitting articles to your local newspaper and your favorite magazine. Always have someone proofread your work. Average charge per article: varies Give Music Lessons Cost to start: Some books. Another way to put those years of lessons to work! Teach lessons on the piano, violin, flute, whatever you can play. Many moms want their kids to be well rounded; playing a musical instrument is part of that. You can teach lessons at your home or at the student s home. Tell your instrument teacher that you wish to start teaching. He\she will likely give you some good pointers and may even send some business your way. Advertise in your local newspaper and put up flyers around town. If you have been taking lessons for several years you can probably teach beginners. Average charge per lesson: If they come to you: $10.00 per 30 minutes If you go to them: $15.00 per 30 minutes 37

38 Nanny Cost to start: Nothing Being a nanny is much like full time baby sitting; only you are there all day. Being a nanny is great training for being a mom one day. You must be mature to be a nanny. You are there to play games, read stories, help with homework, feed everyone and change diapers; all the things children need help with. Being a nanny is more rewarding than a babysitter, you develop relationships with the kids. My mother had a nanny\ babysitter when she was young; mother credits her nanny with planting the earliest seeds of Christianity in her heart. What an amazing position, to be able like Moses mother, to help nurture the spirit of a young child. If you love kids and want to do this, be warned, it takes a lot of emotional and physical energy; you ll feel zapped at first, but it is so very worth it. Again you ll want a written contract. Average charge per hour: $6.00, plus meals Culture Farmer Cost to start: $25.00 The organic movement has opened up so many brilliant business opportunities, such as growing cultures. Yogurt (a live culture) has a cousin called Kiefer. The demand for Kiefer and Kiefer Grains is through the roof! If you know what I m talking about, this is probably the business for you. Kombucha Tea Mushrooms are another easy culture to grow. Of course the most famous culture is Sour Dough. The demand for Sour Dough is growing as the organic movement sweeps America. Research these or other cultures and start you farm in your kitchen! E-Bay is a good place to sell cultures. You may consider starting a website for this type of business, include all the health reasons you should eat\drink the cultures you re selling. Average charge per culture: Varies 38

39 Worm Farming Cost to start: $ What you need: Large Rubber-Maid containers w\ lids, dirt, anything that was once live (newspaper, old food, t-shirts) and worms. This is a boy s dream business. Worms are needed for fishing, gardening, fishing, composting, fishing, and did I mention fishing? Buy some large Rubbermaid containers and fill them with dirt. Add some old news paper or compost scraps. Order some worms and put them in your dirt. They will eat the newspaper and food scraps and leave behind perfectly composted dirt, which is excellent for gardening. You ll have to research about reproduction and local business that will let you sell your products. Average price of worms: $2.00 per worms Dog Breeding Cost to start: $200-$ What you need: A male or female dog, purebred and registered, a small kennel. This is a dog lover s business. Choose your favorite breed of dog, and purchase a female and/or male. Sell the puppies. You could just own the female and find a breeder that has a male to bread with, or vise versa. You can market in local newspapers and on-line. You will also want a good relationship with your vet. Get to know other breeders in your area, ask your vet for recommendations. This can take quite a bit of start up money and a lot of research about the bread, but it can become a good business if you are willing to stick with it! (copy and paste link) 20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN= &linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN= Average price per dog: Varies $100s!!! 39

40 Balloon Artist Cost to start: $25 This is a great business for anyone that enjoys kids and has a fun personality! The balloons and air pump are fairly inexpensive. What you need is practice. Work festivals or events for free at first. Then give out your card to people that ask for you to do a party. Have your price list ready, charging per hour. It would be best if you had a website for them to look at. There are all kinds of tutorials on YouTube.com Average price: Depends where you live $20 an hour and up. Get Paid to Take Surveys You may need to be 18 for these? Your parents may help you with this. Here is and Entrepreneur group that is great for learning how to make money online or develop and market a product. Search for money making and money saving blogs online. You ll be amazed at what you can find. 40

41 Are you inspired yet? If not look around, the one thing that defines an entrepreneur is when they see a need in the community and then they fill it. They see a problem and find a way to solve it. Problem solving and our desire to work for ourselves, sets us apart from the average worker. There are countless way to make money. Be creative, think differently. Would you be better at developing a product or providing a service? Everyone is different; don t try to be someone else. No matter which business you choose to start, give it your all. If it does not work out, move on to something different. Whether you are working on something big or small, you are constantly learning. You will learn from your mistakes, this is called life! Use your experience to make you a better person, a better family member, a better citizen and a better businessman. Be diligent to prove that you have good character. You do this by arriving on time and doing your job to the best of your ability. If your client wants the job done differently than how you are doing it, be flexible enough to make him happy. Remember you want happy costumers and you want those costumers to be telling everyone about you. Be able to take constructive criticism, you may need to improve on your skill. Learn and grow. Be able to go the extra mile with costumers that may be difficult to work with. Some people are just impossible to please, but be 100% sure that you were not to blame. This is also why it is important to have your parent s input at all stages of your business. If you have to part ways try to do it on good terms. Being in business for yourself does not mean that you call all the shots, that you have ultimate control; reality is you have a new boss with each new job you take on. You have to be able to work with people if you want costumers! I hope you have been encouraged and inspired by this e-book. Remember, our desire, our purpose in life, is not to be rich and powerful, but to serve God to the best of our ability until the end of our days. Don t love money more than you love people. Farewell, Olivia K. Brodock 41

42 Here is a list of other things you could make to sell: