- Depending on the time of year and your child's skills, he may do well with a stand to sell drinks and snacks such as lemonade and cookies (summertime) or cider and donuts (fall). Find an area with high foot traffic, such as a fair, yard sale or near a pool. Make sure to get permission from the owner or event organizer before letting your child set up a stand.
- Babysitting is a reliable money-earning choice for an older child who loves interacting with younger children. If your child is not yet old enough to baby-sit alone, he could be hired as a "mother's helper" for things such as household chores or feeding and playing with younger children. Your child can expand baby-sitting into a small business if he and one or more of his friends want to offer guaranteed services to nearby families.
- Your child may offer to pet-sit and wash or walk dogs for neighbors. He could also offer to house-sit. This is especially helpful for families who will be traveling but need their animals and plants taken care of before the family returns.
- Your child could ask neighbors if they need their lawns mowed, leaves raked, weeds pulled or snow shoveled. Talk with your child about setting a per project price to offer with his services. (Consider your child's age before letting him work with yard equipment such as a lawn mower.)
- Washing cars is especially fun for children during the summer with their friends. They can create signs to put out on sidewalks, wave to people driving by, and share the car-washing duties under an adult's supervision. Encourage your child to set up a food or drink stand, too, for people while they wait for their cars.
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-Be sure your child is interested in the service he plans to offer and that he knows he must follow through with the tasks.
-Avoid letting your child go door-to-door unless you or another adult is with him.
-Help your child come up with ways to front the cost of starting his business (with allowance or paying back to you with his earnings). Give him advice on how to fairly price his services.
-Make sure your child is not overburdened by other activities or responsibilities, so he can keep his commitments to his "work."
