What’s the best way to earn money as a teen? What are the best business ideas for teens? Is there anything more exciting than working from home, making your own schedule, and earning cash?

You’re probably figuring out which career path you want to take, and that’s great!

But if you want a little bit of extra money or just something on the side, an online side-hustle business might be a good idea.

Maybe you want to boost your resume with something more than just retail experience. Or maybe you want to get creative and try something new.

In this post, we’ll discuss some ideas for the top online business ideas for teens.

These business ideas are perfect for teens because they power on with minimal supervision, provide plenty of independence and flexibility, and require little or no capital.

Are you ready to start your own online business? Check out these online business ideas that might be perfect for you!

What is an Online Business?

An online business is a business that operates over the internet. This type of business can offer convenience, flexibility, and independence to teens.

Not only are these businesses available 24/7 without any time restrictions, but they also offer a lot of freedom to teens who might enjoy the benefits of working at home or on their own schedule.

What is are the Best Business Ideas for Teens?

Run an Instagram Advertising Campaign

best business ideas for teens - instagram ads

Instagram ads can be used for anything from a small business trying to increase brand awareness, to an individual looking to gain more followers.

Businesses have been using Instagram Ads as a way to drive traffic and sales since they first started popping up in users’ feeds back in 2016.

As long as you stay within your budget, it’s easy to see why so many businesses love these types of ads—they’re quick and effective at driving results. If you want some inspiration, check out these awesome resources:

Write Reviews of Products

One great business idea for teens to make money online is to write reviews of products. As a student, you have a lot of friends and family who may be in need of buying new products.

You can get free stuff from companies if you give them a review of their product. It’s also one of many online businesses for teens that don’t require an initial startup cost or spending money on ads.

Just start writing!

 

Stream Live Videos

Whether you’re a student interested in becoming an Instagram influencer or just want to help out your favorite content creators, it’s never been easier to stream live videos and make money.

Platforms like Twitch, YouTube Live, and Instagram are all popular ways for students to make extra money while they sleep.

Companies love working with social media influencers because they can spread their brand message to large audiences at little cost.

In fact, Influencer Marketing Hub estimates that companies save $1+ billion annually by hiring social media influencers.

Source: influencermarketinghub.com

If you can cultivate a strong enough following on one of these platforms, you could get paid up to $200 per hour for simply talking about brands during your broadcasts!

 

Start a Blog

While blogging isn’t a new concept, it has become far more mainstream in recent years and is now seen as a viable way to make money online.

With millions of blogs out there, yours doesn’t have to be unique or mind-blowing.

What you do need to offer is something useful or engaging enough that people will choose to read your content over what’s available elsewhere on the web.

This means, at its core, you just have to build an audience and make sure they come back again and again for more information and entertainment.

One of the best online business ideas for teens is blogging. Blogging requires two things: writing skills and content generation skills.

In order to blog, decide what type of blog you want to write (fashion? sports? finance?) and then generate the content that fits that category.

Once you start getting regular readers, it will be easy for your blog to generate revenue through advertisements or sponsored posts.

Check out this guide to learn how to start a blog

 

Dropshipping Business

One of the biggest business opportunities that teens can take advantage of is a dropshipping business.

You don’t need to be some sort of eCommerce expert, in fact, you just need to know how to operate and use a computer.

A big bonus is that you are leveraging other people’s money, so as long as you get a good product at an even better price, there isn’t much risk involved.

I will warn you though; running your own business is not always easy, but it can definitely be rewarding! To start up a dropshipping store check out Oberlo from Shopify!

 

Start Affiliate Marketing

Another one of the top online business ideas for teens is affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing is a referral marketing strategy in which a business rewards affiliates for each customer or visitor brought by their own marketing efforts.

In other words, if you refer someone to a business and they make a purchase, that business will pay you a percentage of that sale.

There are two main types of affiliate programs

  1. pay-per-sale
  2. pay-per-click.

In pay-per-sale programs, an affiliate receives money from sales made through their unique link.

This is sometimes known as performance or pay-per-action advertising because it focuses on measurable actions performed by end-users after viewing (or clicking) an online ad or email message.

Affiliate marketing works by commission-based selling—you refer people who click on your links and then make purchases at various eCommerce sites like Amazon or J Crew and get paid when they do so!

The best part about this business idea is that there’s no initial investment required because both parties are working off of the same company’s products already—no need to worry about inventory!

For those with lots of time on their hands

 

Become an Influencer

One way to make money on the internet is by becoming an influencer. This can be done through content generation, social media marketing, and advertising.

There are many different types of influencers you could become, but it all depends on your unique skillset.

One thing that is common for influencers is that they have a large following on social media platforms like Instagram or YouTube.

It’s important to note that influencers can earn a lot of income from this career path because they often get paid per post/video.

The biggest downside of being an influencer is that you constantly need to be posting new content regularly or risk losing followers.

 

Start Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is a great choice for teens because it’s easy to do with no startup costs. You don’t need any kind of certification, and you can set your own hours.

Plus, there are literally thousands of online platforms where you can apply for freelance jobs.

If you want to write full-time, this might not be the best option, but it’s a great way to make money on the side.

Freelance writing is generally low-paying, but if you have a blog or other website and offer additional services like SEO or social media marketing, then you might start earning more.

A quick way to get started is by checking out Upwork. They have tons of jobs available in all sorts of industries, so there are likely people looking for writers right now!

 

Manage a Social Media account for a Local Business

If you’re looking to gain experience in customer service, managing a social media account for a local business is a great way to do it.

A lot of small businesses don’t have the time or personnel to manage their social media accounts, so they would be happy if someone else stepped in to help!

You can get started by asking around your neighborhood for referrals and seeing if other small businesses need help with their social media.

 

Create and Sell NFTs

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are a type of cryptocurrency, this is one of the great business ideas for teens in 2022, especially if you have no experience.

You can create these tokens and sell them on exchanges like OpenSea and Rarible. These tokens are essentially digital assets that have even more value because they’re limited edition.

If you want to start an online business, this might be the best option for you as it’s easy to set up and doesn’t require a ton of money or effort.

You can also make NFTs yourself!

 

Start Photo Editing Business

So you have an interest in photography and editing. This might be the perfect opportunity for you to start your own online business.

There are many people who would love to hire a photo editor, but it’s not always easy to find a good one. With this type of business, you can control how much work you want to do on any given day.

And if you choose, you can work from home on your days off!

 

Become a Proofreader

If you have a good grasp of grammar and spelling, becoming a proofreader might be the best online business idea for you.

You’ll get to read content from clients and point out mistakes in their writing or text. You might also edit documents or write blog posts for clients.

If you’re interested in this idea, check out sites like Digital Nomad Academy, which has a course on making money as a proofreader from home.

 

Sell Web Design Services

One of the best and most popular ideas is to sell web design services. This is an especially good idea if you’ve got a talent for web design or know someone who does.

Websites are becoming more and more important in our society, with more businesses relying on them than ever before.

If you have experience and expertise in web design, then this is the perfect opportunity for you to step in and start making some money.

The thing about this online business idea is that it can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be.

There are many different types of web design services that you can offer, such as site audits, content management system integration, e-commerce development, etc.

 

Become a Portrait Artist

 

You may have seen the popular website, Fiverr.com, where people offer their services to complete tasks for a fixed fee.

 

If you’re artistic and love working with people, this might be the perfect business for you! There are lots of different styles that portraits can take on.

You just need to figure out what style speaks to you and matches your personality.

 

Start a Podcast

Podcasting is a great idea for an online business because it’s relatively inexpensive and easy to set up. You can set up your own podcast and upload episodes with your own voice.

Don't miss out!
Subscribe To Newsletter

Receive top notch productivity hack, time management tips, and more! Straight to your inbox

Invalid email address
Give it a try. You can unsubscribe at any time.

All you need is a microphone, Skype, Audacity, and some time to produce podcasts.

 

Start Data Entry Business

One of the fastest-growing online businesses is data entry. If you’re a good typist and can type at least 50 words per minute, this might be a good opportunity for you.

With data entry, you’ll be taking raw data and organizing it into spreadsheets or databases. You might also be transcribing audio files or text messages.

All of that typing will give you plenty of time to check your social media accounts!

 

Etsy Business

Etsy is a great place for teens to find a unique way to make money. The website offers a platform where sellers can sell their handmade goods, vintage items, and craft supplies on the site.

You can join the site as either a seller or an Etsy affiliate. As an affiliate, you get paid for referring Etsy members to the site in order to buy items from other sellers.

If you have some talent for making crafts or other creative materials, this could be a great way to earn money!

 

Making Money with Facebook

One of the easiest ways to make money online is with Facebook. Setting up a Facebook fan page for your business is easy and doesn’t take a lot of time.

You’ll want to start by choosing a professional-looking profile picture, which should ideally be your logo or company name.

Next, you’ll want to add important information about your business, like the web address and contact info.

Once your Facebook profile is set up, you can start taking advantage of the power it has for marketing your business!

Facebook offers many ad types and settings that can help you promote your business and reach more people.

One thing you might want to include in your ads are pictures of what it’s like to work at your company.

For example, if you’re looking for qualified applicants, post pictures of where they’ll be working as well as what their day-to-day tasks will look like.

Maintaining an active Facebook page can go a long way in helping customers find out more about what it’s like to work with you.

 

Make Money with YouTube

Have you ever thought about making money with YouTube? With over a billion users on the site and billions of hours watched each month, it’s no wonder that so many people are using YouTube as a way to make money.

There are two main ways that you can make money on YouTube.

  • The first is through your YouTube channel- when viewers subscribe to your channel, they’ll be notified every time you upload a video and can watch it right away.
  • The second is by creating sponsored content, like ads or product placements in your video. You can do this either by joining Google Adsense or by becoming an affiliate for a company like Amazon or Udemy.

The best way to get started making money with YouTube is to start uploading videos regularly and optimizing them for search engines.

Put some effort into the quality of the videos and give them compelling titles, descriptions, and thumbnails to draw more viewers in!

 

Selling Clothes Online

One of the best online business ideas for teens is to start a clothing store.

It’s easy to start a clothing store. All you need is an idea, maybe some sample clothes, and a site like Etsy or Zazzle where you can sell your products.

With these sites, you don’t have to worry about storing inventory – they will do that for you! It’s also easy to scale as your customer base grows.

If your small business becomes more popular, the company will just ship out more products for you!

Selling clothes online is perfect for those who want independence and flexibility. As long as you have wi-fi, there are few restrictions on when or where you work from home.

You also don’t need much in the way of capital! With only a few hundred dollars and time in between school/sports/activities, many teens can easily get started with this type of business.

 

Selling Digital Products

One of the best online business ideas for teens is to sell digital products. If you have a skill, hobby, or passion that other people would be interested in, turn it into a digital product!

For example, if you love photography and want to start an online business selling your photos as art prints, you’ll need photo editing software.

In order to create a digital product, all you need is access to a computer and the internet. This gives teens the opportunity to work from home and earn cash on their own terms.

If you’re looking for more inspiration or instructions on how to start your own online business selling digital products, check out this blog post.

 

Creating Mobile Games or Apps

Another idea for an online business is to create mobile games or apps. These are also perfect for teens as they provide plenty of opportunities for creativity and flexibility.

For example, you can monetize your app by charging users a fee to download it. You can also increase the revenue on ads by using Facebook ads.

If you want to learn more about creating mobile games or apps, there are many places you can find information online – like Udemy!

 

Start Live Stream Games

Streaming games online is a great business idea for teenagers. There’s a lot of money in the gaming industry. In fact, it made $108 billion in 2017!

If you want to get started with an online business, why not consider live streaming games?

You can either do this by doing what’s called “Let’s Playing”, which is sharing your commentary while playing games and posting those videos to YouTube, Facebook, or Twitch.

Or you could do something like live video game commentary on YouTube or Twitch. Either way, you’ll be able to make some really good money and maybe even turn it into your full-time career.

 

Become An Online Tutor

Tutoring is in high demand and has been for generations. And this is another good business idea for teens.

So, if you are an excellent math student, English teacher, or any other certain subjects, you could make a little money on the side by teaching people what you know.

It’s important to note that before you start tutoring others in your home, make sure that it’s legal in your state. Some states require that tutors be certified before they can do their work.

 

Promote Other People’s Product

If you want to make money online, one great way is to promote other people’s products.

This can be a great option for teens because everyone has a social media account and it looks good on your resume (for potential employers).

Here are great resources with tips on how to get started:

Sell Pictures Online

This is a great business idea and one of the best business ideas for teens if you have a digital camera and love to take pictures, you might want to sell your photos online.

You can upload your photos to sites like ShutterStock or iStockPhoto and make money off of each photo.

In addition to photography tips, these sites also offer advice on how to start an online business in other areas.

For example, if you want to start a blog, they will give you helpful tips on how to make money blogging.

To find out what other business opportunities are available for teens, just type the word “online” into the search box at the top of this page and see what comes up!

 

Get Paid To Test Website and App

Features

One of the best ways to make money from your own online business is to test website and app features. In this kind of role, you would be expected to visit a website or app and find errors or bugs in their design.

You might also be asked to fill out forms or click on certain things to see if they work.

It’s a great way to make a little extra money on the side, but it can also be a way for companies to get feedback that may improve their products.

As an added bonus, you may even be able to work for both sides. For example, you could start off testing websites as an independent contractor and then move on to become a designer yourself!

For more information about how this type of work works, check out sites like Craigslist and Upwork.

Become A Transcriber

One of the best online business ideas for teens is to become a transcriber. No two days are the same in this position, and the work can be done from home.

As a transcriptionist, you’ll listen to audio recordings and type up what you hear on the recording. Any one with good typing skills and a reliable internet connection can do this job.

Write and Sell Your Own E-books

Another business idea is writing and selling an ebook.

If you’re an aspiring author or blogger, you know that the advances for traditional publishing are pretty small.

You can write and sell e-books to earn some extra money or to build a portfolio of work.

There are many sites on the web that provide helpful tips for how to start your own online business by writing and selling your own books.

If you want to try something more offbeat, consider starting an online bookstore. You can set up shop on Amazon, but the process is different than self-publishing an e-book.

Become a Virtual Assistant

Another online business idea is becoming a virtual assistant. As technology advances, more and more people are taking on remote positions that don’t require them to be in the office.

This can be perfect for some people, especially if you want the flexibility of working from home. It is really one of the best business ideas for teens

Becoming a virtual assistant is a great way to start building your own skills and work experience while also making some money in the meantime.

It’s important to note that you might need some type of training before starting this type of work, but it will give you valuable skills to use in future career paths as well.

 

Greeting Cards

If you’re not into the whole making-things-from-scratch idea, you can use sites to find digital greeting cards to sell. This is one of the best business ideas for teens

Greeting card sites offer templates for all occasions, so you can make a bunch in advance and then set up your own site. You just have to invest in an email list or pay-per-click ads, and you’re off!

The best part is that greeting cards are timeless. Digital or physical, they’ll always be around because people will always want to send someone a kind word.

 

Online Survey

Online survey sites are great ways to make money. Some of the most popular are Survey Junkie, Pinecone Research, and Survey Spot.

All three of them offer different perks and payment methods, so you’ll want to find one that suits your needs.

Survey Junkie

  • Surveys typically pay out $1 – $5 per survey.
  • You get points for every survey (which can be turned into cash) which is dependent on the length of the survey and how much information you’re willing to provide.

Pinecone Research

  • They offer a $3 sign-up bonus and surveys usually pay out around $10-$100 per survey.
  • Pinecone Research offers a referral program where you can earn an extra $1 for every friend you refer who completes a survey with them!

Survey Spot

  • Survey Spot pays out in points which can be redeemed for Amazon Gift Cards or PayPal Cash.

Once you earn a certain number of points, they deposit directly into your account without any waiting period!

Final Thought

Deciding how to make money as a teen can seem overwhelming.

When you’re just out of high school, the thought of going to work every day and dealing with bosses and co-workers who are much older than you can be scary enough to put you off the idea of ever working in an office environment again.

However, there are plenty of ways to make money online that won’t require you to get out of your pajamas or meet anyone face-to-face!

 

Recommended Articles

Lincleon is a productivity expert and coach, helping individuals and teams reach their goals. With decades years of experience and a unique system, he has a proven track record of success. Stay tuned for practical tips and insights on GripRecap's blog.

Similar Posts