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Help your child earn some extra cash – and have a ton of fun in process – with these great creative jobs. By Amanda May Dundas Kid Job: Jack Of Unpopular Trades Recently, my dog was sprayed by a skunk and desperately needed a tomato bath. I called a teenager who lives down the block to see if he wanted to make $50 – a nice sum for less than an hour of work, and half of what the groomer was asking for. I’ll often need someone for small jobs like this, such as helping my husband move heavy furniture or shoveling snow off our walk. If your child is interested in such jobs, have her tell your friends and neighbors that she’s available to help out. Make it big: To really drum up business, have your child create her own business cards for free online at Vistaprint.com (cards are free because they carry a Vistaprint ad on the back; you can get them ad-free for a minimal cost) and distribute it around the neighborhood along with a letter explaining what kind of jobs she’s available for and how much she charges per hour. Kid Job: Fashion Designer You don’t have to be Madonna and Lourdes to start your own clothing line. Like the Material Girls, you and your child can design and sell your own line of T-shirts. Buy low-cost shirts at a craft store, and embellish them with felt appliqués or iron-on pictures. Hint: Iron-on photos are a great way to sell to groups; approach local Cub Scout or Brownie organizations about creating T-shirts with a group shot. Make it big: Once your child starts building an inventory, you can help her create her own “store” on Etsy.com, an online market where people sell their homemade goods. Kid Job: Lemonade Maker It may be a clichéd way for kids to earn extra money, but done right, lemonade stands can be really profitable. Take the standard instant-mix lemonade stand up a notch (and charge more money) by garnishing your lemonade with fresh mint. Or, make homemade lemonade, which can fetch up to $2 a glass as opposed to a quarter for the powdered kind. Make it big: You can contact your town’s chamber of commerce about securing permits to sell at nearby fairs or parks. Or consider “franchising” – hire other kids to man stands at nearby towns. Your child not only learns about earning money, but will get a crash course in management! Amanda May Dundas is a freelance writer living in the lower Hudson Valley in New York. |
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