Help kids start a side hustle

So many people have started a side hustle during the pandemic. Extra time at home or even a layoff in these uncertain economic times has forced us to rethink our careers and pursue new passions.

It’s also the perfect opportunity for kids and teens to pick up their own side hustle. You might automatically think lemonade stands, but those kinds of interactions just aren’t possible in the new reality of the COVID-19 pandemic...and there’s easier, cooler ways to make money these days.

It’s time to teach kids how to harness the digital tools at their disposal. This is the best opportunity to teach them about responsibility, finance, sticktoitiveness and taking pride in their work.

Here’s just a few ideas to help you and your budding entrepreneur get started.

SELL THEIR OLD STUFF

All the toys and books they don’t use anymore are cluttering up your house. You could donate them, but you could also let your kid spearhead the selling of them on Facebook Marketplace, eBay or other apps like Barcode Scanner. This teaches them about pricing, engaging with customers, writing SEO-friendly copy for their online ads, photography/video skills for creating the post as well as, coordinating and scheduling safe item pickups.

START A YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Your kids spend all their time on YouTube anyways so they might as well start to build their own brand and profit from it in the process. They could do product reviews of new toys, share tech tips, baking instructions or DIY craft ideas. Even if they never actually make any money, they will still have honed their skills in video production and digital engagement.

DOG WALKING/PET SITTING

If your kids are bothering you to get a dog during the pandemic and you’re not feeling it, this is the next best thing! They just walk or babysit other people’s dogs to get their fill and you’re not having to walk Spot at 4:30am during a freezing rain storm. A lot of people are overwhelmed with the new responsibilities or working from home or in some cases supervising their kids' online learning, so they need help with our four-legged friends. Try checking out SpotWalk.ca or Rover.com.

TUTORING

This is probably the biggest moneymaker on the list. Tutoring has actually never been easier and more lucrative. Gone are the days when you might have to commit to helping one or two kids a night. Now you could set up a group Zoom call and teach five kids the same subject, all from the comfort and safety of your own home! Get paid by e-transfer. It’s a totally socially distanced job. You can even still have debriefs with the parents. The pandemic has permanently changed the way we communicate with each other so your teen might as well be refining those skills for the new reality. Again, it will also teach them about invoicing, managing income and scheduling appointments. Teens could also pre-record lessons and charge a fee for students to access and download them. The same lesson could live for months and even years and be constantly generating new revenues.

RUNNING ERRANDS

Between the pandemic and winter weather, the elderly population is going to need help doing basic errands like grocery shopping, paying bills, picking up prescriptions, getting the mail and more. Consider signing up on a service like Taskrabbit to see what opportunities are out there.

GETTING CRAFTY

Is your kid crafty? There are plenty of COVID accessories going around including masks and hand sanitizer holders. Your kids could easily sell these types of projects on Etsy and Facebook Marketplace.

Use this extra time with your kids to connect with them on an entrepreneurial level and watch them grow into budding business tycoons, thanks to a little help from mom and dad.