Around our house, teenagers are beginning to talk about summer jobs. When I was a teenager, I appreciated encouragement to explore new ideas. In the 1990s, farm kids worked at home, usually for no pay. I would haul manure, paint buildings, and mow the lawn — lots and lots of mowing.
My sisters had actual paying jobs like detasseling, babysitting, and house cleaning for neighbors. I remember thinking I’d like to switch places, if only to get off the farm for a day.
With more than three decades to provide a looking glass on my experiences growing up, I try to parent in a way that gives my kids the benefit of my vast wisdom. Disputable.
So, with the help of everyone in our household, we brainstormed a list of summer business ideas. I like this approach because it empowers a set of thinking skills which prime the next generation for entrepreneurship. What’s more, I think this will help my kids develop the interpersonal and leadership skills that will enrich our community.
Other benefits to teens exploring entrepreneurship can be intangible and convey the hidden lessons that are worth more than money can buy. Adults, you know what things I’m talking about— accountability, confidence, communication, honesty, belonging, and community pride.
Here are some ideas our teens have been considering:
- Car wash and detail
- Window washing
- Carpet shampooing
- Gutter cleaning
- Flower or tree planting/watering
- General landscape maintenance, like mulching, raking, mowing
- Bush trimming
- Painting fences, tables, or lawn furniture
- Gardening assistance or berry picking
- Oven or microwave cleaning
- Ceiling fan and light fixture cleaning
- Toilet bowl scrubbing
- Floor polishing
- Seasonal themed or patriotic window painting
- Sidewalk manicuring
- Farmers market vendor
- Pet walking and/or grooming
- For hire grocery shopping/pick up
- Application of natural spider or bug deterrents
- Lawn fertilization
- Bicycle maintenance and repair
Some things to think through:
- What supplies will you need to perform a service?
- What will you charge customers so you can be profitable, but also competitively priced?
- Is the job an hourly rate or a fee for service?
- Is the service ongoing or a one time thing?
- How will you promote the service — flyers, Facebook, word of mouth?
- Do you need to consider your customer’s schedule — is it necessary to schedule in advance? Are they home during the day? Do they need to be home for you to perform the service?
These are starting points for teens to get their cognitive wheels turning. In our community, we’ve seen a wonderful infusion of community support as of recent for new projects such as a new city pool in Keota and an effort to organize affordable childcare, as well as, efforts to improve nature trails and parks.
Encouraging creative business start-ups, especially by youth, is an extension of these efforts to promote community.
I plan to share in a future column what the Lyle teenagers choose for summer businesses and some of their successes and challenges. If you have additional ideas or suggestions to add to our brainstorm, please comment on my Facebook page LEVILYLE and we’ll consider them, too.
