Subscribe to OCE's weekly newsletter on tech, business and higher education...curated for the ambitious youth.
Small business ideas for non-engineering teens to get you started
|
Not everyone’s a brilliant tech founder.But even for us – non-technical folks with very little capital, there are extremely profitable business opportunities. The community needs small businesses to serve us every day and I am here for it. So if you are intrigued by starting small and starting local, let me tell you what really gets me snoring. But FIRSTIf you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks: Starting with things to consider when looking into a feasible business model:
Now it doesn’t mean that every business that follows this rubric is great but it means that any business in this category could be great. Ok Y’all ready? Oh - and if you want to read until the end, you’ll like what I have there for you. What I’m actively investing in right now as we speak. 1.Sell downloadable digital products Did you know you can make $2000+/month by selling downloadable sticker designs on Etsy? Wild. Other digital goods include: downloadable journals, templates, art prints, designs… Some people prefer to print these at home instead of paying the full price of the paper and design. Downloadable digital products can be a profitable small business idea for those who are already design-savvy or willing to learn an online design tool. 2. Education Consultant Crimson Education is the world’s leading college admissions counseling company charges upward to $60,000 for their service. Leverage your college admission essay, scholarship, and extracurricular sources to build a consultancy of your own. 3. Interior Designing Sure, there are many people who have the ability to buy the furniture and home decor to fill their rooms, but few who knows how to style under a tight budget. You can charge ~$2500/room by designing layout and sourcing furniture/décor for clients. 4. Event Planning We talked about the emergence of AI and redundancy of various occupations. Well, event planning is not a gig that can be easily replaced, so this small business idea is set to thrive regardless of the digital landscape. To start, you’ll want to look for a platform that will easily allow you to advertise your availability, such as event planner directories like Eventective and WeddingWire. If you’re highly organized, are detail-oriented, and have experience planning large events, it might be time for others to benefit from your skills. 5. Packing Services I recently moved and paid $400+ to have someone help me pack since I wasn’t onsite. Unlike moving biz, you don’t need a permit or insurance to start a packing biz. You can even partner with moving companies and offer to do their packing, or have them refer clients to you You might want to bookmark this one, we’re going to add to it. Keep searching, keep adding links and resources as we go.The beautiful part to me is the breadth of possibilities here. Doesn’t it give you that little tingle too? Money aside, the skills you build while running a biz will be a huge asset on your resume. My current investment allocation:
Think globally, act locally. Lena |
Tinkering with OCE
Subscribe to OCE's weekly newsletter on tech, business and higher education...curated for the ambitious youth.
I believe we are entering an economic inflection point. Not with tanks or drones — but with policies, debt, and trade flows that will shape your future more than any classroom ever will. You don’t get to sit this one out.If you live in a country, use its roads, drink its water, and dream about your future in it — you carry a responsibility: To understand the rules of the game shaping your future. And right now, one of the biggest and most controversial battlegrounds is tariffs. Here's how it...
After crossing six figures, here are the things I wish I knew when I started... But FIRST If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks: 📈 Why No One Successful Wants to Mentor You Read More → 🎨 Best tools for building your passion project Read More → 📘 The Future Belongs to Borderless Thinkers Read More → No one wants to cold call — that’s why you should do it. Figure out how to build without a lot of...
They don’t tell you this part about building a business. They’ll tell you how to “collaborate.”How to “be a team player.”How “partnerships” are built on trust and shared vision. That's cute. What they don’t tell you is that business relationships are a constant dance of territory.Everyone’s testing boundaries.Everyone’s pushing.And if you’re not grounded, someone else’s vision will quietly swallow yours. I learned this the hard way—working with multiple partners and clients, trying to juggle...