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Kids-in-Biz Recommends
Helping Small Businesses with Tech Needs
It’s not big news that teens are often much more tech-savvy than many adults. Truth is, many small business owners don’t even know where to begin and therefore will not be advertising that they need help in this department. Why not check out some of the local businesses in your town? You can begin by doing a search to see if they even have a web presence. Grab your home-town newspaper and see who is advertising. Read local articles featuring small businesses in your area.
Start with a local restaurant - perhaps your favorite pizza joint. Does it have a website? Was it easy to find? Can you easily get a phone number, hours, directions, and a menu? Does your town have it’s own website? If so, is there a listing of local businesses? Is it listed there? If not, you may have a golden opportunity awaiting you.
Web designers can charge thousands of dollars to create a website, but with today’s technology, spending that much money may not be necessary. Buying a domain, inexpensive web-hosting, and creating a simple site or blog can be well-worth the investment.
You don’t have to know everything to begin, but you do have to have some basic skills. If you’ve never done a blog or site before, summer is the perfect time to try! Remember, starting a business is going to take some work on your end but if you put in a little work up front, you won’t have to be fighting for the few-and-far between camp jobs that every other teen in town is applying for.
What Are You Going To Sell?
Sales.
For many, it is a scary word. Most people hate to be cornered by a pushy salesperson. Nobody wants to be convinced to buy something. Why the fear? Most likely, you are afraid of rejection. Afraid that someone will say no. A good business is built around a product or service that people want or need. When you truly believe in your product, the fear lessens. With each sale, you will become more and more confident and selling becomes easier.
What are you going to sell? If you don’t want to sell anything, then you need to find a job where someone will pay you to work for them. You can then do your work and not be bothered with sales.
If you want your own business, you are going to have to sell something. It might be a product that you’ve created. It might be someone else’s product that you buy and mark up. You could also sell someone else’s product and be paid a commission (a percentage) for bringing in the sale. Another option - sell your services.
Selling can be really fun, especially if you are a kid or teen. Honestly, kids like to buy things from other kids! The truth is, adults also like to buy from kids. Grown-ups love to see kids that have energy and enthusiasm enough to try to earn money. They respect a good work ethic. Try offering your services to an adult and watch what happens. Think of those times when you have purchased something. I’m sure you’ve seen a friend selling candy for a team fundraiser - how hard is it to make a sale? What can you sell and where?
- Are you going to sell your own product?
- Are you going to sell someone else’s product?
- Are you going to sell your services?
Once you’ve chosen a business, you can then work on how you can sell…and have fun doing it. What do you have to lose?
Teen Turns Job Hunting Into a Business!
Choosing a business idea often comes from frustrations in your own world. We started Pre-wrap.com because we couldn’t find colored pre-wrap in our local area. Seventeen-year old Celeste discovered that finding a job is not an easy task for a teen. She learned that lesson quickly when she ventured out to find work. She realized that she didn’t even know where to begin! The whole job world was open to her, which was a bit overwhelming and even intimidating. She sought help from her older brothers who have earned paychecks doing everything from mowing lawns to serving ice cream, but soon expanded her questioning to a broader circle of acquaintances.
Celeste decided to help her friends by passing on what she learned about first jobs to others through myfirstpaycheck.com. It is a slow process but Celeste and Austin are constantly trying to make the site better. Along with job, internship, and volunteer opportunities, Myfirstpaycheck.com provides advice and resources, including a dynamic resume builder, to help young people have a more successful job application process.
Myfirstpaycheck.com is also a valuable resource for companies searching for an online outlet to hire temporary, seasonal and part-time employees.
Keep checking myfirstpaycheck.com for job advice and job postings for teens like you, and please feel free to pass on any suggestions you have. You can get some tips about your first job and help a teen entrepreneur grow her business! Check it out today!
Finding Summer Jobs For Teens - Fast
By Brad Rhoton
Before you and your teen start looking for a job, you’ve got to find out if they can legally work as a teen. Every state has child labor laws, which may limit the jobs they can do, based on their age, and the number of hours they can work during the school year or summer break. In most cases, they’ll be required to fill out a student work permit in order to work as a teen. Check with their school or a local government office for more information.
If your teen is legally able to work, the first step is to set aside a Friday and a Saturday to dedicate to finding your teen(s) a job. Friday evening you need to map out 50 to 60 shopping centers and/or fast food restaurants in your chosen area.
Let your teen know that it’s best to apply for lots of jobs, including ones they really want and ones they would just be okay with, since they won’t get every job they apply for. Let them know to always look their best and be polite with everyone they talk to when they’re applying for jobs.
The next morning at 10:00 am tell your teen to visit, personally, each company while you wait in the car (make sure to bring lots to read because it will be a long wait.) Your teen should then go in and ask for an application, the manager’s name and phone number. Be sure to give your teens a break or two and lots of encouragement because they are going to need it!
After you have visited each company, your teen should fill out the applications at home then call each manager and ask to set up an interview when they bring back the applications.
Your teen is in big demand so you’re going to need voicemail so you can receive the many phone calls your teen will be accumulating.
When your teen has successfully made a numerous amount of interviews, have them dress accordingly (nothing too trendy or flashy). Interviews can be scary, so your teen needs to do a little preparation ahead of time to be ready. Most employers will want to know what your teen thinks their strengths and weaknesses are, what interested them in the position, and what kind of schedule they’ll be able to keep. Tell your teen never, ever lie to the interviewer, but to be realistic with their answers. And remember, the goal of the interview is to find out if they’re a good match for the job. Following these interview tips is sure to get your teen the job they want - SUPERFAST!
If your teen is offered a job, they will probably also want to discuss a schedule and the amount of money your teen will paid. Your teen will get an introduction to the business and be briefed on what their responsibilities will be. Let your teen know to pay close attention during training, and speak up if they have any questions.
This is sure to work time and time again, so plan it this Saturday and your teens will be raking in the cash by next week!!
About the Author: Did you know it takes 9 months for the average American to find a job? Can you afford to wait that long? Brad Rhoton has been Vice President of local and national employment agencies all over the US for over twenty years, and has used his experience to write a book called How to Find a Job Super Fast. Use Brad’s time-tested tips to find a job in days instead of weeks: http://www.JobsSuperFast.com
Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=254817&ca=Jobs
Teen Job Resources
If you have questions about what kind of job you can have as a teenager, or the hours you are legally permitted to work, check out Youth Rules!
Other online resources to help you find a summer job:
Can’t Find a Summer Job? Start Your Own Business!
School is out for many and teens are scrambling to find summer jobs. It’s nothing new. Unfortunately, many of the coveted camp jobs and seasonal positions have long been filled. Don’t despair! Why start your own business? When you work for yourself, you control your hours. You can work as many hours as you can handle during summer months, and pare them down to little or none during the school year.
Looking for ideas? Check out our Kids’ Business Ideas eBook for 83 ways for kids to make money! This guide is packed with loads of ideas to get your juices flowing. It will inspire you to look at skills you already have and encourage you to offer your services to earn some cash!
Mom, I Want a Wii
Last July, my daughter (then 13) told me she wanted a Wii.
“What’s a we?” I asked.
“A Wii, Mom. W..I..I,” she spelled out. “It’s like an X-Box or Playstation.”
“I don’t want you sitting in front of the TV all day. That’s why we don’t have those things,” I said. “How much is it?”
“I need about $300,” she said. “But I really want one. And it’s not like regular video games. You get exercise by bowling and playing baseball.”
“You have your own business,” I told her. “You can earn as much as you want.”
“I don’t want to wait that long,” she begged.
“Well, then find other work. Babysit or something.”
“You mean if I get the money, I can buy a Wii?” she asked.
“Sure. If you earn the money, you can buy it.”
Ten days later, after two pet-sitting jobs and a week of babysitting, she came to me with a wad of cash. “I have the money. Can I get a Wii?” she asked, tenatively.
“Of course you can. Would you like me to drive you to the store now?”
“You will? Really? REALLY? You really will?”
“You earned it. Great job! Congratulations.”
Even a Kindergartener Can be an Internet Marketer!
Well, of course that’s not true. But a Kindergartener can surely be involved in internet marketing. I just got off the phone Christina Lemmey from MultimediaVA. She told me that her six-year old daughter wanted her own website just like Mom! At first, Christina didn’t pay that much attention to her daugher’s request, but after repeated begging, she decided to give in.
“I decided to build a Squidoo lens with her. It’s easy. It’s free. And it’s fun for kids, too,” Christina explained.
It wasn’t hard to come up with a topic for this Hannah Montana fan! Gifts For Girls was an easy topic for this mother-daughter team! “All you have to do is look in her room!” she laughed.
Since Kindergarten typing, writing, and computer skills are limited, Christina set up the lens. She let her daughter pick and choose the products to feature from Amazon and eBay. She focused on her two favorite things - Hannah Montana and American Girl. Earning money wasn’t the main concern for this lens, her mom explained. She wanted to respect her daughter’s desire to have her own site and toss in a taste of learning about business at the same time.
“How will people know about my site, Mom?” she asked.
Out of the mouths of babes…
(Check out her lens at Gifts for Girls and feel free to leave an encouraging comment so that she knows that she’s had visitors! Who knows, maybe you might even need a gift idea!)
Above All Else, Internet Safety for Kids in Business
If your child has or is considering an online business, understanding internet safety should be at the top of your to-do list. Kids are savvy, but often naive. ConnectSafely.org is an excellent resource to learn and remind you how to keep your child safe. The site is easy-to-use and navigate and gives some great tips on talking to your kids about online behavior. See their Teen’s Guide to Safe Blogging.
Other Tips and Advice include:
- Social-Web Tips for Teens
- Social Web Tips for Parents
- Cell-phone Safety Tips
- Top 10 Safety Tips for Video-Sharing
- Chat Room Safety Tips
- What Parents Can Do About Online Safety
Please do your homework and stay safe!
Pet Sitting Business Flyer
Are you think of pet sitting as a business? Here’s a sample flyer. We recommend that you have an adult available to support you in your pet sitting business. Mom or Dad can be a great help plus give your potential clients extra confidence that you will do a good job for them!
