Business ideas for kids (safe, with a grown-up)

A first business teaches things school rarely does: work out what something costs, choose a fair price and see what is left. Here are safe ideas for kids aged 8 to 12, to do with a grown-up.

Ground rules

• A grown-up is always in charge, especially of money and safety.
• Sell to people you know or at supervised events.
• No online selling by children without a parent managing the account.
• Check local rules if you are selling food or at a public place.

Ideas

• Stickers and cards: design them on paper or with a drawing app and sell at a school fair
• Lemonade or baked goods stall: with a grown-up handling food safety
• Bracelets and crafts
• Plant cuttings or seed packs
• Pet-sitting or dog-walking for neighbours, with a parent present
• Garden help or car washing
• Digital art or game design for a family pitch day

The three numbers

Before selling, do the maths together:

1. Cost: what does each item cost to make?
2. Price: what will you charge?
3. Profit: price minus cost.

Example: a sticker costs 20 cents to print and sells for 1 dollar; the profit is 80 cents per sticker.

Make a plan

Write one page:

• What are we selling, and who for?
• What do we need and what does it cost?
• What price will we charge?
• When and where will we sell?
• What will we do with the profit?

Pitch it

Practise a 30-second pitch: the problem, who it is for and what is special. The Pitch Day job in Bip works this way.

Handle money

Use a cash tin, count it before and after, and write down sales. Decide in advance how profit is split: save, spend and share.

What to learn

Cost, price and profit; handling customers kindly; dealing with a day when nobody buys; and the pride of selling something you made.

Keep it fun

Children's businesses should be short and playful. Stop when it stops being fun.