A thirteen-year-old’s guide to making money

When Timothy Olsen was 13 years old, he was an investor and author of The Teenage Investor: How to Invest Early, Invest Often and Build Wealth.

Technology entrepreneur Hilary Yip founded MinorMynas when she was just 13 years old, and it now includes students from over 50 countries!

Early teens who want to make money online or through hustles face a lot of challenges.

It is easy to feel hopeless when your household finances are poor, your peers are unsupportive, or you share your big ideas with people who generally belittle you.

Now that’s a good idea! Do not let your dreams of juggling a day job as a student with a night job as a CEO go unfulfilled. A minimum age requirement does not exist when it comes to making money or even getting a grasp on basic financial literacy.

It is in your best interest to start as early as possible! And you’ll be pleasantly surprised by it.

We’re going to share some important tips and tricks about making money as a 13-year-old in 2022, along with some other helpful information. This article is also intended for teenagers who are generally 13 years old. Perhaps you’re more entrepreneurial and would like to start your own online business instead. You can make serious money operating a Zero investment business idea.

Taking the Easy Way 

Taking such a big step into making money might be waiting for you just yet. That’s totally fine!

Making money online at a young age is easier and breezier than ever before.

1. Survey Junkie allows you to complete surveys.

• Paid survey scams abound on the web, so it may not sound real. It’s still possible to make money just by doing surveys!

• You earn points for taking surveys with Survey Junkie. There can be anywhere between 5 to 90 points per survey, depending on its length and complexity.

• Surveys typically take between one and twenty minutes each.
• $1 = 100 points. Your extra money can now be withdrawn once you reach $10. Get paid by completing 2 – 8 surveys for an estimated $1

Test websites with Testbirds

• It’s a platform where you are rewarded for saying what you think about digital products and finding bugs. They have already worked with BMW, Audi, and DHL.

• From websites to online stores to mobile apps to games, developers and designers all strive to create end products that are error-free for their users.

• The site relies on testers like you (as well as the other 400,000 testers). You will be required to use a website, complete specific tasks, and give your overall opinion.

• You make money from your discoveries, too, if you uncover any nasty bugs!

• You get paid anywhere between $8 – $50 depending on the difficulty of the test

Review websites with Userlytics 

• In addition to Userlytics, another 100% legit website that pays you to review websites, you can also review websites on TripAdvisor.

• Testers will be asked to complete some basic tasks such as evaluating advertisements and comparing websites while being recorded by their webcams and microphones. Doesn’t that sound creepy?

• The reason Userlytics does this is that you will actually be giving spoken feedback! You’ll be able to tell whether you’re angry, frustrated, or satisfied by their response.

• You get paid $10 and above for each completed test
• Humanatic allows you to review recorded calls.The majority of us know that any conversations we have with our mobile service providers or banks are recorded.

• It is usually stated that quality assurance recordings are made? What are the responsibilities of the people who listen to and review these calls?

• In reality, anyone can earn money by reviewing calls through Humanatic. Even though the pay isn’t great, the work itself can be rather straightforward. Recorded calls should be categorized.

• Before you can cash out, you must have a PayPal account and a minimum of $10 in your account. Earn anywhere from $1 to $4.50 per hour

2. Within the school

Tutoring students

• Possibly you’re good at science, or maybe you’re good at algebra.
• You can tutor other students in your subjects of expertise if you want and at the same time keep grounded in your studies at the same time.

• Start by identifying your strength and focusing on them. You want to be known as a math whiz or as the person to ask for help with maths if you need it.

• The unfortunate thing is that most online tutoring platforms do not accept tutors under the age of 16. However, you do not need to make use of them! Within the school’s property, start small. If you’ve mastered the art, begin promoting your services online.

EX. Here are some questions to ask yourself before you proceed:

• How old are the students I will be tutoring? (E.g., 5th – 8th grades) Is my knowledge of these grades’ syllabus and examination criteria sufficient?

• Where can my students find the materials that I will provide?

• What is the location of my lessons?

• What should my hourly rate be? As a 13-year-old just starting out in tutoring, price your services on the lower end first. (ranges either $15 or $75 per hour.) Remember to include travel, marketing, and materials costs when setting your rates! 

• You are now ready to announce your services to the world. Your classmates are probably already tutoring you on a casual basis.

• Obviously, we’re not advocating fee-based charging for friends’ questions. You should continue to provide the best possible instruction to your students when they come to you for help. After that, pass them a brochure and tell them you can assist them in more ways than just answering questions.

Business of preparing lunches for schools

Student appetites are either not sufficiently satisfied, or the food is not tasty enough, healthy enough, or both. The majority of the time, it’s all three!

It is possible to earn extra income prepping meals for schoolmates as a side hustle. You already have a group of hungry and unsatisfied kids, and you already know what they want, so you aren’t even concerned about logistics.

Here is a brief step-by-step guide:

• Ask your students about the types of food they prefer. In general, what is healthier? What is tastier in general? Obtain information about what meals or cuisines, in particular, are highest in demand by sending out surveys.

• Create your menu from there. In order to minimize ingredient waste and simplify cooking, it’s best, to begin with, a weekly rotating menu.

• Calculate the cost of each meal and charge accordingly. Keep in mind that aside from ingredients, there are also overhead costs for cooking and packaging fees.

• Raising capital is key to your meal prep company’s success. You will have low startup expenses if your customers pay on a pre-order basis. Alternatively, your parents might be able to investing with your savings here.

• Provide your customers with a convenient way to view your menu online. In addition to our website promotion tips, we have a few cool ideas.

The forlorn mystery meat your schoolmates have come to rely on is finally over!

3. It is located within a neighborhood.

Business of pet-sitting

Doesn’t it sound cliche? As a side hustle for middle-schoolers, pet-sitting, lemonade selling, and babysitting seem old hat.

However, with a busy schedule, time spent with fur babies gets shorter as well as busier. Your pet-sitting business will benefit from this!

In the traditional sense, pet-sitting involves taking care of someone’s pet while they are away from home. You will have to keep the pet in your home during this time, or your client is welcome to stay there as well.

Now that you know a little bit more about pet-sitting as a side business let’s answer some of your questions.

What should I do to start pet-sitting?

Plan a poster to be printed out as a flyer (Canva is a great tool for this). In addition to giving out the flyers to neighbors and friends, you may also post them in your local veterinary clinic and a nearby pet store.

An agreement on pet care is of utmost importance before you begin working with any clients. Here is a free template you can use.

In addition, there are plenty of platforms that accept pet sitters 14 and older, such as Rover and Petsitter.

Can you tell me how much I should charge?

Rates for pet-sitting vary greatly based on their inclusions, but on average, they cost $10 to $20 per hour. 

What is the best way to make myself stand out?

Embrace a pet-sitting service that is free from the traditional boundaries. In addition to the usual duties, you can offer grooming and obedience training either as part of the package or separately. Would you consider opening a bakery that sells healthy pet foods?

If your clients recommend you to friends, you might want to consider offering an incentive. Providing pet-sitting services requires word-of-mouth advertising.

4. Easily and comfortably at home

A drop shipper

• Is it so impossible for a teen to own a business?(Ways to make money as a teen) We’re not responsible. Early adolescence is a great time to start learning and experimenting – assuming that the startup cost is low. My first online business was set up when I was 14!

• Unfortunately, I didn’t have much knowledge at that time. I had the products shipped to me instead of directly to the customer, where I repacked them and delivered them to each customer individually.

• During those two shipping rounds, I often barely broke even because I was shipping in batches. You wouldn’t call that a smart move, would you?

• It turns out products can be shipped directly from suppliers to their customers without ever touching your hands. Dropshipping is the term!

• Ecommerce offers a variety of opportunities for making money online, and dropshipping is one of them. But, you should not be discouraged since starting a business costs almost nothing for a young hustler like you.

• Our comprehensive guide on dropshipping contains a lot of information on it already, so check it out if you want to read more.

Transcription

The conversion of audio files such as recorded interviews and speeches to text is necessary for many industries like medicine and journalism.

Transcribers serve this purpose. Audio files are listened to and then typed to create text files.

Those who are transcribing should be:

✔ Detailed-oriented

✔ Listening skills and typing skills are excellent

✔ Be able to transcribe flawlessly in the language they are transcribing

According to freelance transcribers, the going rate is $1 per minute of the audio file for transcribers. Transcribing an hour of audio can take you anywhere from five to ten hours for a beginner.

What you hear, you type – right? You might think transcribing isn’t quite as complicated as it seems.

Not really. Poor audio quality, accents, and multiple speakers are some hurdles that professional transcribers face.

The context of the file is also extremely important. There may be situations where hard-to-understand technical terms are used, and this will create a significant barrier to your workflow when the topic at hand is unfamiliar.

To help you get started, we have provided you with some resources below:

Listed below are some helpful resources:

Here are some handy tools:

Freelancing

You may also want to consider freelancing if none of the positions on this list seem to fit your needs. 

The term “freelancer” refers to someone who works for more than one company simultaneously, rather than being tied down to a specific company for a fixed period of time. This is generally done remotely.

Freelance work could be your perfect side hustle. In summary, freelancing holds immense potential as a side business, as long as you’re good at it, are passionate about it, and (most importantly) are willing to develop it continuously.

These are some of the most in-demand skills:

Freelancing: What’s the best way to get started?

1. The first step is to decide what service you will offer, and then you can narrow your selection even further! Do you specialize in business headshots, for example, if you’re a photographer? Could you take pictures of weddings?

2. Do you have samples? We get it – getting paid for your work is probably your first attempt. You’re welcome! You do not necessarily need to receive orders from clients in order to create your own sample. It’s important to demonstrate your capabilities to prospects.

3. Make a killer portfolio. Create a website to serve as your portfolio now that you have your samples. The most valuable option is to make your own WordPress website rather than using one of the many portfolio sites like Behance.

4. Get started with your marketing! Now comes the hard part. You’ll be amazed at how much easier everything gets once you’ve overcome this initial hurdle. Your first few clients can be found in one of two ways:

• Pitch directly to companies

• Apply on job platforms

• Use freelancing platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork

We didn’t mention rates yet, as you may have noticed. The reason for this is simple: for a new freelancer without samples to support them; money shouldn’t be the top concern.

Don’t worry about placing a lot of emphasis on your portfolio; you should first focus on your learning. Afterward, do more research in your niche to identify the rates you think are most appropriate for the value you are providing.

Etsy is a great place for selling handmade goods. 

Take advantage of your artistic side by selling handmade items on Etsy. 

Whatever your hobby is, you can make money from it, whether you make needle-felted items, goopy slimes, or phone cases out of dried flowers. Couldn’t we all benefit from turning our hobbies into side businesses?

However, one drawback of Etsy is that it takes 5% of every sale you make as a transaction fee.

Moreover, listings and payments have a cost.

Our recommendation is to use Etsy to market your small craft business to the world despite the added costs.

Associated with local craft communities and advertising your store at the same time, craft bazaars are also a great way to get involved.

Flipping stuff on online marketplaces

You’ll make much larger profits on eBay flipping furniture than your peers flipping burgers as a side gig after school.

Flipping refers to the business of purchasing a website, a business, or a property for resale. 

The definition of flipping is to buy something for a low price and sell it off quickly for a higher price.

However, the process isn’t just about selling and buying. In order to succeed in maximizing gains, you must identify items with a higher value than their selling price.

Flipping items can be a good side hustle that generates a side income with very little effort. We provide you with:

Find undervalued items with a keen eye

• Capable of taking decent pictures

It is important, to begin with, enough capital (keep in mind that you have to buy the items first and that you will require capital to repair and polish them)

What are some items that are highly “flippable”?

• Are these items available for sale, and where can I find them?

• From your own home, you can find used items of value! Spend some time exploring your garage, your friend’s garage, yard sales, thrift stores, and auctions.

• Then give the items a good photoshoot after they’ve been repaired and polished. You should make sure that your listing stands out from the rest by making it look as high-quality as possible.

• Marketplaces like Craigslist, eBay, and the Facebook Marketplace are great places to sell items. 

•  The deals you might be able to find on these marketplaces! 

Learn how to become an administrative assistant

You want an opportunity that doesn’t require mowing lawns or filling out surveys. An office job would be better.

You’d be perfect for a job as an administrative assistant if that’s the case.

You will typically be responsible for:

• The entry of data

• Operation of relevant office machines and printers

• Document and file management

• Emails and phone calls to customers (basic customer service)

• Companies are in need of administrative assistance in large numbers. But bad news – most job posts are seeking full-time positions, and those aged 16 and above at the very least.

Here you can bring out the businessman or businesswoman within you! Get familiar with the general office software provided by G Suite and Office 365. With Youtube as your best friend, you won’t need to spend a lot of money.

• Boost your administration services’ visibility with flyers and name cards. Describe what your company offers. Could you handle simple bookkeeping (e.g., can you manage payroll?)

• Start small, and don’t be afraid to grow. You should approach local mom-and-pop shops and pitch your services (you will face a lot of rejection, but always leave your name card and flyer with them just in case).

Making money is necessary before you can start making money.

Understand that there will be many valuable lessons you’ll learn as you begin earning your own income.

As a 13-year-old, you should always make sure you have a solid foundation, so here are a few things to keep in mind before you start making money.

Lesson 1: Living within your means is always a good idea

Spending less than you earn is the definition of “living within your means.” As a 13-year-old, you might feel pressured or influenced by your peers to make large purchases that you cannot afford. 

It’s at this point you may ask your parents for more allowance if you are taking allowance from them.

You’re already living beyond your means if you do this. You could compare it to borrowing money from your parents for that purchase – it is borrowed money that you must repay on time or risk consequences.

If you need money for expensive things like a house or a car, you should only borrow it. Toys and entertainment are less necessary things that you should only buy if you can afford them.

Lesson 2: Don’t put your eggs all in one basket

Do you know what it means not to place all your eggs in one basket? You should not concentrate your efforts and time solely on a specific area. In the event that things do not work out, you’ll lose everything.

The side hustles recommended in this list require no capital to start, which is why all of them require 0 to minimum capital as well.

Lesson 3: We should learn over earn

In this article, we mentioned that you should focus on learning and building your portfolio before worrying about how much to charge when just starting out as a freelancer.

Making money fast is what we’re all about. At the beginning of earning side income of your own, it’s easy to get sidetracked into working just for the money.

Always remember – learning is the surest way to earn money.

Here is a brief overview

Wow! There’s a lot there, wasn’t there? How to make money in 2022

The Easy Way 

• Completing surveys on Survey Junkie

• Review websites using Userlytics

• Review recordings of calls with Humanatic

• Testing websites on Testbirds

• Early teens should learn about money(Ways to make money as a teen)

Within the school

• Tutoring students

• Business of preparing school lunches

It is located within a neighborhood.

• Pet-sitting Service

A Comfortable Place to Stay

• Dropshipping

• Transcribing

• Freelancing

• Sell Handmade Goods on Etsy

• Flip Stuff on Online Marketplaces

• Become an Administrative Assistant 

FAQs

Conclusion

A thirteen-year-old explains how to make money in this article. It is suggested that you start with smaller, easier tasks and work your way up to bigger ones that will provide you with more income. Saving money and setting goals are also tips included in the article on how to earn an income from home while staying motivated. Have any other tips or tricks for making extra money when there isn’t enough coming in