Business Ideas for Kids: Simple Jobs for Your Little Ones to do on Summer Vacation

Does your child have an entrepreneurial bent? Has he outgrown the stereotypical lemonade stand? If your child is ready to move on to bigger and better things, you might want to take a look at this list for a few great ideas.

Mother's Help. This is the ideal job for kids who are still too young to take on the full responsibility of babysitting. Instead of being alone with small children, they entertain them while the mother gets things done around the house. This doesn't pay as much as babysitting, of course, but it is a great introduction to the world of child care, with the safety net of the parents.

Pet sitting. Many people prefer to leave their pets at home where they are comfortable, instead of putting them into a kennel while the owners are traveling. Kids are perfect for taking on the responsibility of feeding and walking these animals. The job requires a high level of maturity and at least two trips a day to the pet's house, so you will need to be shuttling your young entrepreneur or he will need an alternative form of transport.

Bike repair. Got a kid who's handy with a wrench? There is a big call for bike repair all over the country and your mechanically inclined child will no doubt find plenty of customers with just a simple ad in the paper. He will need to find a source for the parts that need to be replaced, but apart from that, the startup costs and tools are minimal.

Handmade paper products. Making your own paper isn't as difficult as it might sound. You can even buy paper-making kits that come with everything you need, and there are plenty of books with unique ideas in them. Your child can make and sell the paper as is, or create beautiful products such as notebooks, lamp shades, and more from the paper which can be sold for a higher price.

Stuffed toys. Even fairly young children can learn to sew, either by hand or on a machine and this lends itself to creating their own stuffed animals and toys. Stuffies are widely appreciated by children and your child can cash in by inventing his or her own creatures to sell.

Gift baskets. Putting together a gift basket for a special occasion is the perfect way to earn money for a creative kid. Make up different types of gift baskets aimed at specialty markets, like new moms, mother-in-laws, chocolate lovers, etc. These are fun to put together and your child could even offer a catalog of different baskets, or offer to do custom ones based on budget.

Lawn care service. Looking after the lawns and flower gardens of busy clients is ideal for kids. While it has been done before, there's no reason more kids can't get into the business. It can be a lucrative one, too, if you don't stick to simply mowing the lawn. Kids can offer fertilizing, transplanting, and even hedge trimming services if they are willing to learn to do these things. This can boost their income drastically and is the ideal business for siblings who can develop complementary skills.

Kids are great entrepreneurs because they know no limits. They are willing to work hard to get a business off the ground and are more likely to continue onwards in the face of failure than an adult. The best thing you can do for your young entrepreneur is give him the support he needs to start up his own business.