Easy ways to make money for kids

[Note: Avoid curb painting; curbs generally do not belong to the homeowner and are usually prohibited from being defaced in any manner]

Vacation Home/Pet Care ServiceSummertime is vacation time for many families. This is a terrific opportunity to put them at ease about their home and pets while they’re away, and for you to earn some cash.

Advertise in your neighborhood. Services provided can include:

• Pet care/sitting
• Watering plants
• Taking in mail and newspapers
• Cutting the grass
• Taking out the trash or recyclables
• Checking outside perimeter, doors, rooms and windows

Prepare a fee schedule with charges listed for each service. First establish a reasonable hourly wage for yourself; i.e., $6 to$8, calculate how long each service would take, and then charge accordingly.

Storytime for Young ChildrenInstead of going to other people’s homes to babysit, why not start your own weekly storytime in your own home? Children love storytime. Moms love it too because their children get to discover that books are fun, learn to participate as a group member, and hopefully a lifetime pattern of reading enjoyment will develop.

Advertise by distributing flyers in your community. The optimal age for this enterprise is three to six-year-olds. If moms want to come along, they should be welcome, but of course only charge for the child. Keep storytime simple but entertaining. Use large books with bright and colorful illustrations. Recruit a younger sibling or friend to entertain along with the reading with puppets, flannel boards or finger plays. Attention spans are short at this age so limit your storytime to two hours or less. Charge $2 to $4 per child.

Car Wash ServiceWhy would anyone drive to a car wash when they could have someone come to them and do a great job for less money? That someone could be you. Be sure also to promote the fact that machine washes may be harsher than the manual cleaning you’ll be doing with mild detergent.

Check out some local car washes for prices and services provided. Charge a little less and you should be in business. When you do an exemplary job, repeat customers can keep you busy all summer.

Materials you may need include portable vacuum, bucket, sponges, chamois towels, mild detergent, and paper towels or clean soft towels. Go to sdsd.essortment.com/howtowashyo_obz.htm to read and learn “How to really wash your car.”

“Pooper Scooper” ServiceHomeowners have dogs. Dogs poop. Can you figure out where this is going?

OK, OK … this isn’t for everyone, but it can be a very lucrative business. These types of businesses are increasing rapidly; there’s now even an International Directory of Dog Waste Removal Services. This is because overloaded (excuse the pun) dog owners are thrilled to pay a small weekly fee for this type of maintenance.

For just a few minutes of your time per property, you can expect to earn between $8 and $15 weekly, depending on the number of dogs. For a first-time yard that has not been maintained, charge accordingly with a higher fee.

Supplies needed include a scoop or shovel, and plastic trash bags for waste removal. Many communities allow disposal in residents’ trash cans, but be sure to check the rules in your area before you get started. A helpful website to learn everything and anything you ever wanted to know about “poop scooping” is www.pooper-scooper.com.

Tailor-Made Enterprises“You have to love what you’re doing, because then it won’t seem like work to you and you will bring the necessary energy to profit from it.” –Billionaire real estate developer Donald Trump

Just about everyone has their own special skills and talents; something they love to do.

Convert and customize that gift into a business. If you excel at and love Math, consider tutoring children in your community. If you adore kids and art, start a face-painting business. With a little imagination, research and fortitude, success will surely follow.

Whatever business endeavor is pursued this summer, keep in mind “studies show that people who dabble in business as teens are more successful as adults.” –Entrepreneur.com

To get more ideas for summer jobs, you might want to go to your public library and check out “101 Summer Job Ideas for Teenagers” by Bruce Kienapfel Ed.D.; or “Fast Cash for Kids” by Bonnie and Noel Drew.

Copyright 2005 Attard Communications, Inc.