Teenage is the period when everyone dreams about a successful future, driving a Bugatti, having a big house, and much more. However, a few teenagers actually take steps to set up their business.
Today, we are living in a digitalized and tech-driven era where we have hundreds of business opportunities. As someone who hasn't done any job, I can confidently say that starting a business in your teenage period can help you set up your own business and become the successful person you dream of now. That's why I have compiled this article to present the six best business ideas for teenagers to consider in 2024. So, let's get started!
- Why Should Teenagers Start a Business Now?
- Can Teenagers Start a Business Legally?
- 6 Best Business Ideas for Teenagers in 2024
- Wrapping Up
Why Should Teenagers Start a Business Now?
Before we discuss business ideas for teenagers, it is important to know why starting a business during teenage years is important.
As a teenager, you can start a blog website, write on Amazon products, and generate income from the Amazon Associates (Affiliate) program. Similarly, you can run different types of other businesses. Such businesses can help you generate $500 to $1000 per month, and you can increase the revenue gradually as you get more experienced.
So, imagine you start generating $500 in your teenage years and getting proper business exposure. Will it not help you set up a business mindset and encourage you to try out new things and grow your business?
Once you get older, you already have some business in the loop, and now you can leverage your expertise to expand the business or keep it as a passive income along with your other professional career. Simply put, starting a business in the teenage years is the key to becoming successful in a shorter span.
Now imagine that you didn't start any business during your teenage period. When you get older, you will have bills to pay. It can be a car loan, expensive studies, rent, groceries, etc. When you get stuck with these burdens, will you be able to risk everything by starting a new business or prefer to do a job that guarantees a steady income?
Obviously, the job seems much better at that time. So, you may decide that let's do a job for a few years, make savings, and then start a business. But the fact is, this doesn't always happen.
That's why starting a business in your teenage years is the secret to growing exponentially with the passage of time.
Can Teenagers Start a Business Legally?
Now comes the second important question: are teenagers legally allowed to start a business? If you are looking to register an LLC in America, then it can be complicated. Many states require you to be 18 years of age before registering a business. However, there are now many online platforms that allow you to work online without asking about your age.
Alternatively, you can ask your big brother or relative to open a business/account where there is an age restriction and then start running a business.
Nevertheless, you should follow the rules set by your government and look for business opportunities that are allowable by the laws for teenagers.
6 Best Business Ideas for Teenagers in 2024
There are hundreds of business ideas for teenagers in today's digital and tech-driven era. However, we have below shortlisted six best ideas to consider in 2024:
- Buy cheap products from Walmart/etc. and sell on Amazon
- Buy cheap products from the Facebook marketplace/garage sales and sell on eBay
- Import products from China
- Start a website and generate ad income
- Become an influencer
- Join freelancing platforms
Let's now talk about those business ideas in detail:
1. Buy Cheap Products from Walmart/etc. and Sell on Amazon
The first and one of the easiest business ideas for teenagers is retail arbitrage. This business model revolves around purchasing new products at a cheaper price and selling them for a higher price on Amazon.
Walmart, Kmart, Home Depot, and similar other local stores are the perfect places to get cheaper products. They are known to have frequent discount offers that give the opportunity to purchase and sell products at higher prices.
To run this business:
- Download any Amazon retail arbitrage app.
- Go to the local store, look for discounted products, scan the barcode, and see for how much you can sell it on Amazon.
- Purchase and then list the products on Amazon for sale.
There are many individuals who are involved in the retail arbitrage business and generating significant revenue.
Pros
- Low-risk business
- Less capital
- Good profit margin
Cons
- Time-consuming
- Requires capital
- Need to ship items to Amazon
2. Buy Cheap Products from Facebook Marketplace/Garage Sales and Sell on eBay
Similar to retail arbitrage, this business idea involves buying cheap products and selling them on eBay. The main difference is that you will sell used products on eBay instead of new ones. You can easily find such products from Facebook marketplace or garage sales and then list them on eBay.
To run this business:
- Explore the cheap used products on the Facebook marketplace and garage sales.
- Purchase the potential ones and list them on eBay.
This business requires effort in exploring potential products, but it can help you grab prominent profits if you manage to sell cheaper products at high margins.
Pros
- Low-risk business
- Less capital
- Easy to run
- Good profit margin
Cons
- Time-consuming
- Requires capital
- Need to ship items personally
- Buy one product instead of bulk
3. Import Products from China
Another potential business idea for teenagers is to import products from China. In this business, you can import products at low cost from Chinese manufacturers and then sell them at a higher price through Amazon or other platforms.
To run this business:
- Explore the Amazon marketplace to find potential products to sell. You can use Shulex VOC for effective product hunting.
- Once you have shortlisted the product(s), search for manufacturers in China and finalize the deal.
- Once the products arrive, list them on Amazon and start selling.
This business idea has helped many individuals generate passive income by smart product hunting and then selling products on Amazon or other platforms for substantial profits.
Pros
- Easy way to sell online
- Can run from the comfort of home
- Good profit margin
Cons
- Requires significant starting capital
- Tedious legal paperwork
- Risky business model
4. Start a Website and Generate Ad Income
Out of all the business ideas for teenagers we have discussed so far, this one is completely remote-based, i.e., starting a website and generating ad income.
In this business model, you start a blog website and keep posting useful and trendy content on it related to the niche you are interested in. For example, you can have a tech news website and regularly post about new tech-related news. Once you start getting proper traffic to your website, you can monetize it by displaying ads.
Alternatively, you can promote Amazon products and earn through the Amazon Associates program, i.e., 1-5% of the product's sale price.
To run this business:
- Start a website.
- Regularly post blogs and generate traffic through backlinks and other ways.
- Monetize your website with ads or promoting Amazon products.
This way, you can easily run a small business from the comfort of your home.
Pros
- Easy business model
- Minimal business capital
- Remote business
Cons
- Requires significant time and commitment
- Requires time to get enough traffic to monetize
- Requires solid writing skills
- Low revenue
5. Become an Influencer
Influencers have become a norm in today's social media world. You will find influencers on all social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and others. These influencers are making money from views and getting paid for promoting products. Therefore, becoming an influencer is another idea to start a business as a teenager.
In this business model, you have to pick the niche and then start posting content around it. For example, you can start a YouTube channel about the latest tech products and start posting videos. Once your channel starts getting views, you will be able to monetize our content through ad revenue and sponsorships from companies related to your niche.
To run this business:
- Pick the niche and the platform.
- Start posting videos regularly.
- Monetize your account and get sponsorships from companies.
Becoming an influencer takes time and continuous commitment but can lead to long-term advantages.
Pros
- Free and easy business model
- Your reputation increases with time
- Exponential revenue growth
Cons
- Need to post valuable and consistent content
- Can take a long time to grab followers/subscribers
6. Join Freelancing Platforms
The last business idea for teenagers is to join freelancing platforms. Suppose you are good at any specific skills, like graphic designing, content writing, data entry, or any other. In that case, you can use freelancing platforms to showcase your talents and offer services to clients/businesses across the globe.
To run this business:
- Create a profile on any freelancing platform you choose, such as Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, etc.
- Clearly list what services you can provide.
- Bid on job proposals that match your expertise.
- Fulfill the orders.
This way, you can utilize your expertise and start generating passive income from the comfort of your home. Once your profile gets built up with dozens of satisfied clients, you can gradually increase your rates and start earning more.
Pros
- No capital requirement
- Remote-based work
Cons
- Take time to grab initial clients
- Competitive business model
- Low revenue
Wrapping Up
The globalization of the world has made it easier than ever to start online businesses, regardless of age group. Therefore, it is highly recommended for teenagers to set their roots in the business world today and become successful individuals as they get older. Above, we have presented a few of the best business ideas for teenagers to choose from. So, you can choose any of them that aligns with your interest and start making your first bucks with your own business.
