What are easy ways for teens to make money? I want to break this down in easy to understand chunks so you get a ton of value and doable ideas from it. The 6th grade Science teacher in me is coming out in this post. I want you to think about money in terms of “what you like to do” instead of focusing on the gurus who tell you to “hustle and grind”. That hustle game will wear you out; so it's best that we create something around what you already like.
You'll grind at first, but it doesn't always have to be a 24/7 grind.
Simple Activity to Help You Find Your Side Hustle
I recommend getting a sheet of paper and drawing a line down the middle. On one side, you'll list all the “ways to make money” slash “money-making hobbies” that you're attracted to. This is just everything that peaks your interest. Have you noticed you're pulled to certain topics and specific interests? This could be anything from real estate to cars to stocks to teaching to acting to dancing to arts to crafts to collecting. List as many as you can on the left side and pick your top two.
Then, on the other side, I want you to list mentors on TikTok/YouTube who are ONLY teaching about this topic. Find mentors who are making money with THIS topic only and then, learn from them. There are many teachers who will show you how to make money from your topic/interest. Make sure that the bulk of their money is coming from this ONE topic and not from a secret course or an old “I sold my business for ten million dollars” trust fund.
How to Create Cashflow as a Teen
This is the first part of finding your side hustle. While you're spending your time learning and putting into action what you learn, you will need cashflow – money coming in right now. Right? So we have to get a job or create a side hustle that will bring in cashflow WHILE you learn to earn on part one.
Use your spare time to learn from your mentor and develop a gameplan to put together when you're ready.
Combo Side Hustle for Teens
I recommend doing a combination strategy to build income. Did you know that you can become a freelancer when you turn 13?
- Freelance on Fiverr (see below for examples)
- Flip for Profit (see here for example)
Fiverr allows you to sell your service & people pay you to do tasks and random gigs. Before you start thinking you have “no skills” that people would want, let's create a list…
@thebusinesskid What can teens do to make money right now, right now? I would do a combination of freelancing and flipping while saving to invest in real estate.
♬ original sound – thebusinesskid
The way this work from home strategy works is we take your strengths and we put them to work for you. Think about all the skills you have right now? Let's create a quick, go as fast as you can list:
- Proofread
- Create Powerpoints
- Create Goofy TikToks
- Design Logos and Graphics
- Design Pinterest Graphics
- WordPress Installation
- Copywriter
- Write Blog Posts Like This One
- Create PDF's
- Manage Company's Social Media
- Edit Resumes
- Write Emails
- Create Speeches
- Write Press Releases
- Manage Social Media
- Write Sales Copy
- Help Write Grants
- Do Voice Over Work
- Create Intro's for Podcasts
- Upload Podcasts to Podcast Distribution
- Create Graphics for Podcasts
- Create Transcripts for Podcasts
- Virtual Assistants
- Data Entry
- Tech Support
- Support for Zoom Calls
You can even do shoutouts and charge people from $90 to $700 (as seen in my recent TikTok). Click here to see how much TikTok's are charging on Fiverr. My last freelancing gig paid $36,000 for ONE easy gig. (that gig took 8 weeks to finish)
I'm pretty certain I can do all these, right? Now, pick one that you're certain you can do within a fast period of time at a high-quality, customer will be satisfied. (example, blog post writing)
Great. Now, let's create a “start promoting your service” via Fiverr.
Start Promoting as a Freelancer
Step 1: Create Your Fiverr Selling Account
Click here to setup your Fiverr account. After you successfully post your job & complete your first gig, Fiverr will give you a $100 bonus. That's bonus money.
You'll see a “Become a Seller” at the top because now, you're selling your skills to small businesses who desperately need your help. Do you see the “Become a Seller” in the top menu? Click that.
Step 2: Create a Username & Password
Create your username and password that will be used throughout the site. The username is what people will see when they hire you. Make sure you name that something around your skill like: ExpertProofReader. TopEditorinChief. PodcastDistribution. DesignerPro. BlogPostWriter.
I've been hiring people on Fiverr for the last 16 years and have spent over $8,000 with Fiverr. The reason you want to create a brandable username is because you're going to get repeat business. Three months later when I scan for my Podcast editor, I am going to see that username and immediately click on it to rehire you.
Step 3: Activate Your Account & Become a Seller
After you activate your account, click on the become a seller button to reach this page.
This will break down how to make a successful profile, how to create your seller profile and publish your first gig. The way I like to think about this is “I'm not perfect” and I'm going to make mistakes. Awesome.
As long as you know you're going to make mistakes, then you can make a ton of money with Fiverr. Money is an exchange of value. You give value, you get money. That's it.
If you can leverage podcasts, TikTok and YouTube to give unlimited value then you can make unlimited money. And if you can figure how to leverage this process where you give value -> direct people to your gigs -> upsell and add extra streams through affiliate marketing then you can make bank doing this.
Pro Tip: Fall in love with the process. The process of connecting with clients, the process of delivering value to your clients and the process of marketing your services. These are the day to day process that if you love the process, then it doesn't feel like a job.
What Makes a Successful Fiverr Profile
Create a Fiverr profile that stands out from the crowd on Fiverr. For this, I use a free online graphic creator called Canva. That's free to use and the graphics are professional.
- Spend some time creating your profile and getting the design elements looking sharp.
- Add credibility by linking to your professional networks like Linked In.
- Put a close-up of your face to your name. That is what people are going to be talking to through their computer & iPhone. Make that face appear professional, kind and easy to work with.
Avoid These Fiverr Mistakes
- Do not open a duplicate account. You can add more gigs within one account.
- Do not lie on your gig. Your goal is to provide a service that you can do quick and easy with very little stress on your end.
- Do not request to take money outside of Fiverr. This is a long-term position & you'll want to get as many five-star reviews so you can bumped up in the search & grab more business.
Now, walk through the rest of the account creation to post your jobs.
How to Price Your Freelance Gig
The best way to price your Fiverr gig is to take the amount of time your gig takes and create a reasonable per hour price you're willing to do the gig. For example, it takes a good two hours to write a decent blog post. How much would you be willing to work for two hours writing a blog post? What's a good exchange of money for this service?
What you can do is click on a few of the services to see what others are charging in the same category… let me share a few with you:
- Click Here for Writing Articles and Blog Posts
- Click Here for Logo Designers
- Look Here for Graphic Design Categories
- Click Here for Tech Support and IT Examples
- Click Here for Relationship Advice Gigs
- Look Here for Celebrity Impersonation Gig Examples
- Click Here for Podcast Gig Examples
- Click Here for Video and Animation Gigs
You can easily find gigs that match what you're going for so you can see how to position yourself, how to design your profile and start making money on the side.
How Much Money Can You Make with Fiverr
I first heard of people making half a million dollars on Fiverr when I saw a story on Forbes about Charmaine Pocek who makes money creating resume revamps for people.
Who needs a resume? Just everyone who just lost their job & are now looking for work. The demand is incredibly high & the gig is evergreen.
Once you have one gig, then, create another gig by branching out to include similar tasks related to that gig.
Related: Click Here for 3 People Who Make Six Figures on Fiverr
Two things: If you know of people who are interested in this article, please share this article with them. We need to help as many people as we can during these trying times. If you're looking for additional ways to make money, then click here.
If you have created your first gig, please drop a link below in the comments. I'll follow you back to improve your search rankings for your gig.
Related: Top Websites for Finding Freelance Writing Gigs
Easy Way to Make Money: Flip for Profit
Now, you want to combine your freelancing with a flipping side hustle to create immediate cashflow. Just like in part one of this strategy, you'll want to search TikTok for mentors who are flipping full-time as their main source of income. They are detailing exactly how they are finding items at Marshall's, Ross, Goodwill, Estate Sales and Thrift Stores and how they flip them for profit.
In the past year alone, I have seen many friends use this strategy to create a six figure income. Here are the best things to flip right now:
- Unique Furniture Pieces
- Free Couches
- Free Craigslist and Free Facebook Garage Sale Items
- Cheap Appliances
- Shoes
- Nike's
- Pokémon Anything
- Sports Cards
- NFT's
You'll need some upfront money for some of these items, and the free items you'll need a way to get there/move the items fast. For example, J Franco from TikTok documents his couch flipping business on TikTok.
@jt.franco Day 68 – $3,000 in 2 days flipping couches?? 🤭
♬ original sound – JT Franco
Once you develop a system for getting the product & advertising the product & even, delivering the product, start thinking about doubling what you're doing. As the number of jobs grows, then, you can hire a team and split the profits with them.
Additional Ways for Teens to Make Money
Here are additional ways for teens to make money. You can search on YouTube to find someone teaching these methods right now.
- Cleaning House Windows ($3 per window – post in Facebook Garage Sale groups)
- Affiliate Marketing Online
- Trading Stocks
- Pet Sitting / Pet Walking in Affluent Neighborhoods
- Power Washing Sidewalks
- Power Washing Fences / Spray Painting
- Creating Entertaining YouTube & Growing a Following
- T-Shirt Printing
- Creating Custom Nike Designs and Marking Up the Price
Money-Making Opportunities for Teens: Babysitting, Dog Walking, Yard Work, and More
There are many ways that teenagers can make money. Some options include:
- Babysitting: Parents are often in need of someone to watch their children for a few hours. This can be a great way for teenagers to earn money and gain experience.
- Dog walking/pet sitting: Many people are willing to pay for someone to take care of their pets while they are away. This can be a good option for teenagers who love animals.
- Lawn care/yard work: Many people need help with maintaining their yards and gardens. Teenagers can offer their services to neighbors and local businesses to earn money.
- Freelance work: There are many freelance opportunities available, such as writing, graphic design, and photography. Teenagers with a particular skill or talent can offer their services on websites like Upwork or Fiverr.
- Part-time job: Many businesses are willing to hire teenagers for part-time positions. This can be a good way to earn money while gaining valuable work experience.
The Key Component to Making Money is Being Resourceful
What I like about watching JFranco's side hustle channel is how he uses the available resources around him. For example, he started flipping – struggling with a tiny truck until he was able to land a bigger truck. Then, he was able to expand his couch picking up & couch dropping off business. I never knew couch flipping was a thing until I saw ten couches just sitting on the side of the road in MY neighborhood. People have couches they need to get rid of – and people need couches but want them delivered. That's an easy problem to solve and earn money.
Then, he expanded his line of trucks and now, rents the first one out to a food truck company for a guaranteed monthly income AKA passive cashflow!
To make money as a teen, you have to be resourceful. There are so many resources out there if you search for them, including small business loans, free rides from Lyft, free internet access, free books to checkout from local library, free social media advertising, and free training online.
So while you're flipping and freelancing, go back to part one. Part one is that long-term hobby that you want to turn into a full-time cashflowing operation because it's built around something you enjoy. Isn't the goal to do what you enjoy and if you find a way to monetize it, that's the chef's kiss?
If you enjoyed this article, please share it to get the word out. We have to unite and help each other during these incredibly weird times. People are desperate to make money, and my goal is to provide as much info and training as possible to help people make money from home.
