Home Business Ideas For Teens

girl-with-braceletsIt can be difficult when you are teen to find the work you need when you are not in school so you can earn a little extra money to pay for whatever expenses you may have.  Fortunately, in today’s world, there are many home business ideas and opportunities for teens to make money without having to punch a clock and be at work at certain times.  Starting a home business is one of the easiest ways for you as a teen to earn the income you need part time and it will allow you to continue your class schedules while you do it.

Start a Website

Perhaps one of the easiest ways a teen can make money is by starting a website.  While it may take a little while to gain a large following, almost anyone can set up a website with minimal coding knowledge.  Your website can be an online store or a blog. 

Whatever it is, be sure it is on a subject that you can passionately write about and one that you have at least some knowledge about as well.  With a website you can place advertisements on your site and get paid each time these ads are clicked.  In addition, you can become an affiliate marketer and make a commission on the products you recommend to your visitors.

Sell Your Creations

Do you enjoy working with your hands to craft beautiful creations such as jewelry?  Maybe you have learned to sew over the years and would like to use this ability to make a little extra income?  In today’s world selling your own creations has never been easier. 

There are many sites available such as eBay and Etsy that allow you to list your items for sale and even create your own store that you can market to attract customers.  Using these sites and your talent you can easily make a little extra income while you are not in class.

Sell Your Services

Another one of the options available is selling your services.  Selling your services to others is an easy way for you to find work after school or on the weekends.  For example, if you have access to a car you could run errands for people who are short on time or simply can’t run the errands themselves.  If you are a little more technically minded, you could offer to repair computers or smartphones for an hourly fee. 

Before you begin this type of home business idea, take a few minutes to examine your skills and what you enjoy so you can provide the best service to your customers.  Utilize family members to find some of your first jobs and branch out using your social media accounts to attract business.  If you are able, create a great looking business card that you can print yourself and give your customers several copies to hand out to their friends and family.

But don’t take any risks. That includes not going into customers’ homes or getting in cars with them. Those rules don’t change just because you’re trying to make money.

Leverage Your Social Media Knowledge

The world of social media has been growing by leaps and bounds and it’s showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.  However, many business owners are older and not quite as social media savvy as your generation. 

Use this knowledge to your advantage and offer your social media knowledge to small businesses.  Help them create the pages they need and teach them how to properly use various social media sites or offer to take over their social media needs entirely and watch the money roll in fast as more and more businesses look to gain a larger following on sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Become a Designer

Just because you are young, doesn’t mean you don’t have something to offer the design world and if you are already experienced in computer design, you can easily market yourself to individuals and small businesses who need small design jobs completed such as business cards, logos and even full websites. 

Many businesses will work with your schedule so you can complete their jobs on your time away from school and if you do great design work, you can easily expect to begin receiving repeat customers as there is always a need for excellent graphic design work.

These home business ideas for teens offer the flexibility that is needed by any young person.  However, while these opportunities are a great way to earn extra income, they do take work and dedication in order to be successful.  The hard work can most definitely pay off and earn you the money you need while allowing you to create the schedule that meets your needs and the needs of your classroom.

Plastic or Wooden Toys – Advantages and Disadvantages

child-with-ballFor many years, there has been more and more debate when it comes to plastic or wooden toys for kids. Plastic toys are usually cheaper but there are some people who think that they are unsafe and they are not eco-friendly. However, plastic toys are still very popular in stores nowadays in comparison to those wooden toys.

Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of both kinds of toys to give parents a guide when planning to buy either one of them.

Advantages of Wooden Toys

The major advantage of buying wooden toys is their extreme durability. Most wooden toys have been tested and proven to last for a very long time and there are even some wooden toys that can last almost for eternity and there are a lot of people who have passed their wood toys from generation to generation.

Aside from durability, they are also eco-friendly and generally considered safe to play with since they don’t contain any kinds of toxins.

Finally, playing with wood toys can encourage your child to enhance his or her imagination since they need to create scenarios and they can even make their own rules on how to play with these toys.

Disadvantages of Wooden Toys

Wood toys are certainly harder than plastic toys which will make your child prone to hurting themselves or others or damaging things if they throw the toy around when playing with it.

Also, your child might chew on their wood toys and this could lead to splinters or accidental swallowing of wood pieces.

Advantages of Plastic Toys

Most plastic toys are cheap which is why a lot of people choose to buy them compared to other types of toys. Also, plastic toys are washable thus, they are easily to clean and disinfect.

The one thing that children love about plastic toys is that they are available in various colors and they can be twisted or bended in to different shapes. Fortunately, there are toys which are BPA free and this makes these toys healthier for children today.

Disadvantages of Plastic Toys

Plastic toys are not as sturdy or durable as those wood toys thus, they can break easily especially when handled roughly. If they break off, tiny pieces of plastic can be accidentally swallowed by your child and this will cause choking hazard for him or her.

The best choice that you can decide for your child is to pick those toys which are safest to your child and will suit your budget. When your child gets older, there will be more choices available to choose from. Always check the labels as to what a particular toy is made of and if it is suitable for the age of your child.

Want to know more about family life? See how to rekindle the spark in your marriage here.