How to Make Money in Middle School

Selling Goods to Friends

Decide what you want to sell. Food items or crafts, such as handmade jewelry, are two great options. Snacks, such as baked goods or beverages can be fun to make and often only require ingredients that are already in your pantry. If you are an aspiring artist or enjoy making crafts, you can earn money by selling your handmade items. These custom made crafts also make great gifts which add to their appeal. Materials for crafts and jewelry making are often cheap and easy to buy at hobby shops.

Make the initial investment. If you don't have money to spend on your first batch of food ingredients or crafting materials, then ask your parents or someone else to lend you money (but be sure to pay them back).

Spread the word. Let your friends and others know about your plans. Generating excitement beforehand is a great way to gather potential customers. If you’re allowed to, you may even want to make signs to hang up at school to let as many people as possible know about your new business. Just be sure to ask a teacher for permission first.

Pick a place to sell your items. You could sell your items at a physical location, for example, at a local farmer’s market or even online. If you would like to sell your goods at a farmer’s market, search online or ask in person at the market to find more information about how to become an official vendor. Look for websites, such as Etsy, that will allow you to set up an online shop. Etsy and other websites often require parents or legal guardians to manage the account, so enlist the help of your parents if you choose this route.

Start selling your goods. Be sure to clearly label the prices of what you’re selling and have a friendly, approachable manner to attract customers.

Track the money you make. One simple way to this is by writing down your income and expenses in a notebook. Keeping track of your budget and income is essential to make sure that you are actually making money. For example, if you are making and selling jewelry, figure out how much you are spending on materials and keep that in mind when deciding how much to charge for each piece. You don’t want to end up actually losing money by charging too little!

Finding Informal Jobs

Decide what kind of work you would like to do. Opportunities to make money are often right in your neighborhood, from mowing people’s lawns, washing cars, dog walking, or babysitting. Think about what your strengths are. Do you have experience watching over younger siblings? Are you an animal lover? Do you like getting out and being active? Reflecting on these kinds of questions will help you pursue a job that not only pays but is emotionally rewarding for you.

Decide what a fair asking rate would be. Ask your friends or parents to find out what average rates are for each job. For example, babysitting can bring in anywhere from $10-25 per hour so be sure to do your research before telling customers! Feel free to negotiate with your customers if you feel like your services are worth more than they are offering.

Start advertising. Tell your friends and parents and ask them to spread the word that you are available and looking for a certain type of work. Most people find jobs through words of mouth but you can also reach more potential customers through other advertising means. Printing out fliers offering your services and putting them up around your neighborhood with contact information can be a great way to reach people who might not otherwise know about your offering. You can also advertise online by posting on social media sites.

Be a hard worker. Always be punctual, respectful, and try your best. If you have any questions, it’s always best to ask sooner than later. For example, if you become a dog walker, make sure to ask lots of questions about the dog’s behavior so you don’t have any nasty surprises or accidents while on the job.

Ask for referrals. After completing jobs, ask your customers if they will be willing to refer you to others. Referrals are the best way to increase your profits as people are more likely to hire you once someone else has vouched for you.

Using a Specialized Skill

Brainstorm what your skills are. Just because you are in middle school, that doesn’t mean you don’t already have specialized skills to offer. With some creative thinking, you might discover you already have a skill you can profit from. Write down a list of your skills, hobbies, or interests. Maybe you are an aspiring barber, enjoy fixing broken electronics, are great at taking photos, or like to code in your spare time. Even activities that you consider to be hobbies, such as using Photoshop to edit your photos, could be a service people are willing to pay you for. If you are feeling stuck, go and ask a parent or someone else who knows you well. They might surprise you by pointing out a skill you didn’t even notice you had.

Help older people with technology. A lot of skills you might take for granted, such as the ability to navigate the Internet and other programs such as Word and Photoshop, are actually very difficult for older people to pick up on. You could offer to help older people learn how to use their computers more effectively or how to use certain programs for an hourly fee.

Offer to clean or organize. Did you know that there are professional organizers, who work to clean or organize homes, office spaces, and more? If you are a neat and detail-oriented person, de-cluttering other people’s living spaces could be a perfect side job.

Become an event photographer. If photography is a hobby of yours, you could offer to be an official photographer for a birthday party, wedding, or other kind of celebration. Many people hire photographers for special events and pay well for it too. If you know any professional photographers, ask them to take you along on their next photo shoot so you can watch and learn.

Offer to help advertise for a local business. If you know how to make logos or fliers, these are great skills you could offer to help out a local business. Don’t be afraid to walk into a store and ask to talk to the manager. Be sure to emphasize what specific skills you could offer to help their business grow.

Find an internship. Maybe you have a specific interest but know that you don’t have the necessary experience to find work in that area quite yet. A paid internship could be a great opportunity because, not only will you earn money, but you will also be getting paid to learn about your passion and gain valuable work experience. Ask at your school, local businesses, or online to find internships. For example, if you’re interested in botany, you could try visiting different florists, botanical gardens, and the like to see if they would be willing to take on an intern.

Work as a translator. Did you grow up speaking two or more languages? If so, you’ve already got an incredible skill others have to spend years learning. You might be surprised to learn how many people need help translating bills and other documents or even in everyday conversations.

Advertise your skills. Again, word of mouth can work wonders along with hanging up fliers and advertising online.

Start working. Once you have found someone interested in your service, negotiate a fair rate. Ask around or check online to find out what the average going rates are. If you are just starting out, you may want to charge less in the beginning. Getting exposure and experience are more important at the beginning stage. Once you have a satisfied customer base, you can start charging more for your services.

Ask for referrals. Once you start getting clients, ask them for testimonials or if they would be willing to serve as references. As a middle schooler, you may run into people who doubt your abilities because you are young. Having references will be extremely useful as they prove that you are serious about your work. The more experience you have, the bigger your network of clients will get and eventually you may even start getting people coming to ask you for your services.