Making Money As a Teen is Easier Than You Think

In 2019 there are many ways for ambitious teens to make money. They all require hard work and perseverance, but they work incredibly well and will help you make more money. Here I have compiled 3 of the best, easiest, and most lucrative ways to make money as a teenager. I am also adding in tips and tricks to make them even better for you. All of these options require little to no experience or initial investment and will turn a profit quickly. Let’s make some money

Method #1: Flipping/Selling on Ebay

Selling on Ebay is an incredibly lucrative and takes very little effort. Sell items you already own and don’t use anymore or buy items from garage sales and Goodwill to flip. I personally started by selling a few items that I haven’t used in months or even years, I made over $300 in 7 days selling these items on Ebay. After I received the money from these sales I wen to Goodwill and local garage sales to find items to flip. Handbags, shoes, bakeware, mugs, and even stuffed animals are all highly profitable. The key to flipping items specifically on Ebay is to be picky about what you buy. it is also important to do your research so you know what sells well.

Here is my best advice for success with Ebay selling:

Tip#1: Research, Research, Research

Research is the single most important factor when it comes to making a profit on Ebay, this Is because it allows you to be picky and know what is going to sell and what is not. On the Ebay home page search for a product you would typically find at a garage sale. I will use coffee mugs as an example. Once you search for “Coffee Mugs” click on “Advanced” to the far right.

In the “Advanced” section make sure you select “sold item” and then sort by “price highest to lowest”

by looking only at the highest selling items for the search “coffee mugs” I will look at the first few pages and start to find patterns about what is selling for a high price. in this case it was “Hermes” brand coffee mugs which will be very difficult to find at garage sales, but this coffee mug by “Death Wish Coffee co.” was sold by many people for up to $275 dollars!

The research involved can be time consuming, but it will pay off in the end when you know what to look for and happen to see a coffee mug like this one at a garage sale for $5.

Tip#2: practice your negotiation skills at garage sales. Do not just assume you have to pay the price listed instead ask for a lower price and then make even more from selling it because you paid half of what the person wanted.

Method #2: Have a Garage Sale

Garage sales are an incredible way to get rid of junk you don’t need and make money in the process, they are easy to set up, profitable, and you can practice your negotiating skills here as well. I do not have many tips for this method other than DO NOT underestimate garage sale, everything sells and you can usually get a decent profit.

Method #3: Start a Serviced Based Business

It is hard for teens to start companies that sell products for many reasons, but a service based business is easy to start and very, very profitable. A serviced based business is anything that sells someone the service instead of the product.

• Lawn mowing
• Pressure Washing
• Weeding
• Walking Dogs
• Dog Poop Removal
• Shoveling/Blowing Snow
• Trimming Bushes
• Car Washing
• Car Waxing
• Car Vacuuming

This is a VERY short list of some of the available services based businesses you could start. I have been mowing grass since I was 11 years old for my neighbors, people I know, and even my own parents. I generally make an extra $1,000-2,500 per year by mowing 1-2 yards twice per month. I used to have 3-5 yards , but I am much busier now than I used to be.

Tip#1: Bundle services together

If you decide to mow lawns and one of your customers has a dog, offer to remove the dog poop for an extra fee. If you mow lawns offer to trim bushes as well (if you have the equipment of course.) Many different things that you wouldn’t realize can be bundled to increase profits.

Tip#2: advertise on your neighborhood’s Facebook group.

Many neighborhoods have their own private groups on facebook, make a post describing your service, and a good way to reach you. this will put your business infant of a lot of potential customers, who are all very close to you.

Tip#3 advertise at your yard sale, hand out flyers or just set up a table with some information.

Hopefully these methods help some of you make more money. I did not include anything about drop shipping or selling Redbubble because they do not work very well. the reason I chose these three methods over more “modern” approaches is because my methods actually work and they are reliable. I have been selling on Redbubble for over 6 months now and I have only made $.66 even though I have put many hour into making designs and setting up my page. if I had been mowing grass in the time it took me to set top my Redbubble store I could have made hundreds of dollars.

Work hard, be patient, and these methods will work for you, I know it