FORWARD | HOW TO MAKE MONEY AS A KID
This book is written for parents who realize that the world has
changed and suspect that our current system of education may
not adequately cater to the special needs of their children. This
book is written for parents who are willing to take a more active
role in their child’s education, rather than leave the responsibility
to the school system.
It is written to assist parents in preparing their children for the
real world—the world after school is over. It is written specifically
for parents who:
• Want to give their child a financial head-start without costing a fortune
• Want to ensure that their child’s natural genius and learning style
are protected so their child leaves school excited about being a
life-long learner
• May have a child who does not like school or is having a difficult
time in school.
If you have children, I thank you for taking an interest in a book
on education and an interest in your child’s education.
This book is meant to be read by children, but the financial
lessons can be used by those of any age.
– Robert Kiyosaki
SECTION ONE | MY FIRST CHILDHOOD BUSINESSS
Section One
MY FIRST CHILDHOOD
BUSINESSS
A very long time ago, I was 9 years old and working with
my friend Mike at one of his dad’s markets. I said goodbye to
the shopkeeper, Mrs. Martin, and was looking at the comic-book
stand with a longing gaze I didn’t have enough money to buy any
at the time. Suddenly, as Mrs. Martin said goodbye to Mike and
me, I saw her do something I’d never seen her do before. Mrs.
Martin was cutting the front page of the comic book in half. She
kept the top half of the comic book cover and threw the rest of the
book into a large cardboard box.
When I asked her what she did with the comic books, she
said, “I throw them away. I give the top half of the cover back to
the comic book distributor for credit when he brings in the new
comics. He’s coming in an hour.”
Mike and I waited for an hour. Soon the distributor arrived,
and I asked him if we could have the comic books. To my delight,
he said, “You can have them if you work for this store and do not
resell them.”
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SECTION ONE | MY FIRST CHILDHOOD BUSINESSS
Using a spare room in Mike’s basement, we began piling
hundreds of comic books in that room. Soon our comic book
library was open to the public. We hired Mike’s younger sister,
who loved to study, to be head librarian of our comic book library
business.
She charged each child 10 cents admission to the library,
which was open from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day after
school. The customers, the children of the neighborhood, could
read as many comics as they wanted in two hours. It was a
bargain for them since, at the time, comics cost 10 cents each,
and they could read five or six in two hours. Mike’s sister would
check the kids as they left to make sure they weren’t borrowing
any comic books. She also kept the books, logging in how many
kids showed up each day, who they were, and any comments they
might have.
Mike and I averaged $9.50 per week over a three-month
period. We paid his sister one dollar a week and allowed her to
read the comics for free, which she rarely did because she was
always studying. Mike and I kept our agreement by working in
the store every Saturday and collecting all the comic books from
the different stores. We kept our agreement to the distributor by
not selling any comic books and burned them once they got too
tattered. We then tried opening a branch office, but we could
never quite find someone as trustworthy and dedicated as Mike’s
sister.
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SECTION ONE | MY FIRST CHILDHOOD BUSINESSS
After Mike and I stopped working at the market, we closed
the business. However, that business taught us how to make
money work for us, even at such an early age. By not getting paid
for our work at the store, we were forced to use our imaginations
to identify other opportunities to make money. By starting the
comic book library, we were in control of our own finances, not
dependent on an employer. The best part was that our business
generated money for us, even when we weren’t physically there.
Our money worked for us.
I know that comic book rental is likely not the best bet for you
in today’s world, but the point is because I didn’t have money, my
mind was on the lookout for cash flow opportunities.
As a kid, you are likely in a same position. Open your eyes
for opportunities all around you and start brainstorming how to
maximize those opportunities for financial benefit.
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SECTION TWO | CASHFLOW® QUADRANT
Section Two
CASHFLOW® Quadrant
To the right you’ll find what I call the
CASHFLOW® Quadrant. It’s a simple diagram
that illustrates the four types of people that
exist and how they earn their income. The
four quadrants are made up of the world’s
Employees, Self-Employed, Business Owners
and Investors.
Employees – An employee exchanges their time and effort for
money. If you are in this quadrant, you seek a feeling of security
above all else. You want a steady paycheck for a set amount of
money at a regular job. Certainty is part of what makes you happy.
Something an employee might say is, “I’ll work 40 hours a week
doing X if you promise to pay me Y in return.” The idea of security
is often more important than money.
Self-employed – You are your own boss and like to do things
your way. You’ve mastered your craft and believe in being paid
well for it. And when you do get paid, you want to be in control of
your money. The biggest drawback, however, is when you’re not
working (vacation or get sick), you’re not getting paid.
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SECTION TWO | CASHFLOW® QUADRANT
Business Owner - You surround yourself with smart people from
all four quadrants. You delegate and hire smart people to do the
execution of your ideas so that you can focus on creating more
assets. It’s the implementation of systems (legal, accounting,
sales, marketing, etc.) that allow you to step away from the day-today operations and still run a successful business.
The opportunity to become a business owner is sometimes
harder to spot, but I’m going to give you some examples of how
you can start your own businesses shortly.
Investor - You make money with money. You do not have to work
because your money is working for you and multiplying on its own.
The money you invested into a business (not necessarily your
own) increases even when you’re not working.
Investing as a kid may seem a little intimidating but with the
help of an adult you can also earn this kind of income. There will
be more on this quadrant later in the book.
Many children start their business in the S quadrant as a
sole-proprietor. They then develop their business into a larger
cash-flowing business. Don’t limit yourself to the S quadrant,
however. Consider how Mike and I included his sister. Who
else can help you reach your goals? This will move you into the
business quadrant where you can make money much faster.
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SECTION TWO | CASHFLOW® QUADRANT
Do you think it’s too hard to make significant money as a kid?
Well, you’re wrong! Below are examples of kids who are already
succeeding as child entrepreneurs.
• Isabel & Caroline Bercaw started da BOMB® bath bomb
business at ages 10 and 11, six years later it is now a
national business worth millions of dollars.
• Alina Morse, a 13-year-old, invented a teeth cleaning candy
worth $2 million.
• Sumail Hassan Syed, a pro video game player, has earned
more than $3 million over the last decade.
• Akshay Ruparelia created a $15 million real estate business
while in high school while studying for exams.
• Ryan, of the YouTube Channel Ryan’s Toy Review, makes
$11 million+ per year in advertising revenue… at only seven
years old.
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
Section Three
Money Making Opportunities
I realized early on that being an employee alone wouldn’t
be enough to make me rich. I decided to look around for an
opportunity to bring in extra cash flow. After a while, I had an
idea. The newspaper I was working for opened new routes but not
enough paperboys to deliver them all.
Meanwhile, I had a lot of friends who wanted a route like mine
but didn’t have bikes. As luck would have it, I noticed my parents
had a few old bikes they weren’t using anymore, and I had a bike that
I wanted to replace. That’s where I saw my opportunity. I came up
with a plan to make more money without having to physically deliver
more papers. I told my boss that if he gave me all the routes in my
area, I would make sure that all of the papers would get delivered.
He agreed, and I hired my friends to deliver the papers for me. As
part of the deal, I rented them the extra bikes from my parents. My
friends were happy because they got the paper routes that they
wanted, my boss at the paper was happy because all the papers
were being delivered and before long, and I made enough money
to buy myself a new bike. The best part was I had extra money
coming in from the bike rentals. Everyone involved had money in their
pocket and I figured out a way to make it without doing more work.
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
Below is a list of money-making entrepreneurship
opportunities. If one of them strikes your fancy, do a little research
online, or by reaching out to adults that you trust, and figure out
how to make the idea work for you.
I also included some comments on how a few of these ideas
can be transformed from self-employed opportunities into full
businesses. The following is a short list to get your own creative
juices flowing. Keep your eyes open to other opportunities not
listed.
Are You A People (Or Pet) Person?
Babysitting
Are you good with kids? Do you enjoy playing games with
your younger siblings? Maybe starting a babysitting business
is your entryway into the S quadrant. Start by asking family and
friends if they know families who need a person that they can trust
to watch over their children for date night. Or maybe they know a
mother who needs someone to keep an eye on their little one while
they run out to the store? Be the first person they think of.
After a few months of experience and some solid referrals,
expand your time by including your friends. You can give them the
name of one of your clients who needs a babysitter in exchange
for a percentage of what they make. It’s called a referral fee and
can be a very lucrative way to make money… even while you
sleep.
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
TIP: Make sure to keep referrals. People are more likely to hire
you after they’ve received a glowing recommendation from a
friend.
Pet Sitting
Let’s face it, for most people, their pets are their children and
finding a quality care-giver to their four-legged fur-baby is hard to
come by. A pet parent will often pay big bucks to a trust-worthy
caregiver. Even if for just a couple of hours or a long weekend, a
good pet sitter is in high demand!
Dog Walker
Just like a quality pet sitter, a dog walker is just as important.
Pet parents who work long hours often need someone to drop in
on their beloved companion throughout the day and even give
them a quick walk around the block. This is a great seasonal
option during your spring or summer breaks.
Pet Grooming
Offer pet grooming on its own or as an upsell to your dog
walking or pet sitting business. Before Fido goes home, give him a
bath… for an extra fee.
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
Tutoring
If you are excelling in a particular subject, talk to your
school’s guidance counselors and teachers about tutoring
opportunities. Similarly, to the babysitting, if your friends are
interested start a profit-sharing business based on referrals with
them.
Make Money from Others’ ‘To-Do’ Lists
Cleaning
Keeping things like boats, houses and garages clean is
always on an adult’s to-do list, especially during the spring. Any
adult who is working 9 to 5 or maybe more would be inclined to
hire out these cleaning tasks to ensure they have the weekend to
relax. Just make sure you are physically capable of handling any
necessary heavy lifting.
Painting
When you grow up, you’ll realize that painting is, well, one of
those tasks that gets overlooked or pushed to the bottom of the
to-do list. As a kid, painting a fence, house, or a garage is a great
money-making opportunity.
Yard & Garden Maintenance
Pulling weeds, mowing the lawn or raking leaves in the fall are
all things that, especially the elderly, will pay big bucks for. You can
offer services a la carte or bundled to maximize your cash intake.
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
Gardening
Grow desirable plants, such as bamboo and succulents,
fruits or vegetables and sell at local farmer’s markets, community
events or even online platforms such as eBay. If you have a
particularly green thumb, you can grow desirable exotic plants not
native to your area for higher profit margins.
Do you have great soil? Do you love to garden? Do you have
space to spare? Create a gardening business where you teach
others the tips and tricks to gardening and charge a small fee.
Car Wash
You might be constrained to sunny days for this business
opportunity, but nonetheless, washing cars is a great way to earn
extra cash. Be aware, like pets, cars are often an adult’s child so
be extra careful!
Party Entertainment
Is your neighborhood crawling with young children? Offer to
do face painting, juggling, or provide music for birthday parties.
This can also be an upsell if these kids are also ones you babysit
for.
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
(Seasonal) Decorating
This can include hanging lights or adding holiday décor to
homes and businesses. Own a lot of holiday décor? Rent it out in
addition to, or instead of, the decorating business. By renting it out
you save yourself the labor and can charge by the time frame of
the rental. Many businesses also paint their windows with festive
holiday scenes. If you believe you have an artistic ability and
supplies to do this for them, put together a portfolio, gather the
necessary materials and ask local business owners if they would
be interested in your services. You can also post your services
online in local community forums.
Good with Your Hands?
Bicycle Repair
If you have already mastered caring and repairing your own
bike, offer to fix the bikes of children in your neighborhood. You’re
not only saving their parents some weekend time, but you’re also
developing new relationships with the people who live around you.
It’s a win, win.
Computer Repair or Internet Set-up Service
Growing up in a time when nearly everyone has a computer,
and using the internet is often a necessity, you are at an
advantage to many older generations in that you already know
how to use many different forms of electronics. Because of this,
you can sell your services when it comes to setting up internet
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
or programming devices for the elderly in your area. Repairing
electronics or running anti-virus software is a great add-on
service. Your grandparent’s will be a good place to source
referrals.
Furniture Assembly
Ikea is a parent’s worst nightmare when it comes to furniture,
so why not offer your services to put together your neighbor’s
book shelf or new table? As long as you’re handy with an Allen
wrench and can lift 30 lbs. or more, this is a great opportunity to
solve a major headache in most adult’s lives.
Live on the Internet? Get Paid for It.
Flipping
Source locally at garage sales, online curb alerts, swap
meets or discount stores and create a monthly online community
auction. Sell your own products and keep a portion of the
profits from your neighbor’s items as payment for listing and
coordination.
Become a Blogger
Are you good at writing? Share your daily habits or activities
on the Internet with a blog. Major corporations will pay good
money to be able to place an ad on your blog. Just make
sure you’re driving plenty of readers to your blog to keep the
corporations paying.
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
YouTube Content Creator
Remember Ryan from the success stories at the beginning
of the book? He’s what you’d consider a YouTube content creator.
He shares toy reviews through his channel, earning himself
millions of dollars per year from ads that appear on his videos.
There’s a catch though, in order to earn ad revenue, you must
have people watching your videos. So, make sure your content
is creative and engaging. Do not limit yourself to the idea of
reviewing items though! Other content topics include: tutorials,
vlogs, cooking etc. If you have another business already in place
you can even create content about being a child entrepreneur.
If you are interested in learning more about monetizing
YouTube content be sure to research AdSense.
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) creator
ASMR is an experience “characterized by a static-like or
tingling sensation on the skin that typically begins on the scalp
and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine.” ASMR
content creators produce sounds such as scratching, clicking,
whispering etc. close to a microphone and post it either on
YouTube or iTunes etc.
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
Digital Entrepreneur
Twitch Streaming
If you are personable and talented, you can charge
subscription fees to your channel after gaining popularity.
E-Commerce or Dropship Business
This will likely require assistance of someone 18+ years of age
to start if you are using any of the common platforms due to age
restrictions in their terms and conditions. Start with a product you
are familiar with and decided for yourself whether or not there is
demand. Check out Fred Lamb’s free training course for tips and
tricks.
Create a Mobile App
One example: you could create an app built for kids to rate
kid’s meals around the globe for different restaurants. Think of
it as a Yelp specifically for kid’s food. As a kid, you are uniquely
qualified to create things like this. Most restaurants don’t let adults
order from this menu, and they have no idea if the food is actually
any good. This is just one idea; but you could create a game,
educational, entertainment or completely new concept app.
Develop and Publish a Steam
Good with coding and design? Create a steam game on
publish it for sale within their Community Market
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
Feeling Creative?
Make and Sell Any of the Following.
Create a new product
Solve one of life’s problems with creative design and a bit
of brainstorming. Look for opportunities to solve a problem or fill
a void in the market. As a kid, you know what other kids like and
need. This puts you at an advantage to most adults trying to figure
out what to create for kids. Use this advantage and make money
while you invent. If you are full of ideas pick the best 1 to 3 and
take the time to create them with the best craftsmanship you can
manage. Then sell it/them to the world (online, in person or within
a local affiliated business).
Once created, you are not limited to solely selling your
product yourself and online you can reach out to businesses in
your area as venues to sell them. For example, if you create a
unique snack, reach out to stores that focus on locally made food
products and sell them on the idea of selling your locally made
product in their store front. With a little research, you will likely
find a business in your area that promotes locally made products.
Their trustworthiness as a brick and mortar business lends
credibility to your product and allows you to make money without
having to physically sell the items yourself.
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
Below are some creation ideas, but your imagination is your
only limitation.
• Jewelry
• Greeting Cards
• Bath Bombs or Soap
• Clothing / Costumes
• Pet Products
• Candy, Snacks or Drinks
• Gift Baskets
• Decorative items such as candles, pillows, etc.
Board Games or Toys
I did this when I created the board games CASHFLOW® and
CASHFLOW for Kids®. I loved the idea of teaching people about
what I am passionate about (financial education) in a fun way.
Maybe you can create a fun and/or educational board, card or
tabletop game about one of your passions too!
Books or Magazines
Create, self-publish and sell your own magazines, books,
comics or coloring books online. If you create a magazine with
enough popularity, you can sell ads in it to local businesses and
feature guest writers for continues streams of content.
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
Are You A Planner?
Try an Organization/Event Business
Community Game Nights
Schedule, advertise and provide games for a community
game night. Charge $1-$4 for admission and get paid for people
to play games. It brings the local neighboring communities
together and makes you money.
Community Auctions
Schedule, advertise, and auctioneer for a community
auction. You make money off a portion of the profits. Those in the
community make money from the sales and you don’t have to
source all the items to sell.
Turn a Hobby into Income.
Music (Instrumental Solos, Songs, or Jingles)
Sell your work on Soundcloud, Audio Socket and/or Song
Freedom. Your music can make money even when you aren’t
actively online.
Photography
Offer to take photos at local events for a fee. Additionally, you
can sell stock photography online. Many stock photo websites will
have information on what kinds of imagery are most desirable.
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
Embroidery/Sewing
If you own a sewing machine and enjoy using it you can
turn a hobby into a money-making business through custom
embroidery or repair work.
Got wheels?
Bicycle:
An Advertising Service
Post advertising on your bike for local businesses. Get paid
for exercise you were going to do anyway riding around your town
with your friends.
Small Item Delivery Service
Because you are limited in time and speed with a bicycle be
on the lookout for business to business deliveries in limited areas
such as business districts. For instance, a local coffee shop near
me regularly buys milk from the grocery store a few blocks away
but it requires one of the employees to leave the counter to go get
it. During that absence other employees must pick up the extra
duties while the first employee is gone. If I was a kid on a bike, I
might ask the coffee shop owner what they would be willing to pay
me for a regular delivery of milk from the grocer.
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
Car or Truck:
Mobile Advertising
Businesses, such as Wrapify, will pay you to wrap your
vehicle with their advertising. As a teenager, I drove around a lot
with my friends with no real destination in mind. You could get
paid during those hang out sessions. Or, if you are not interested
in using a third-party service, maybe start your own mobile
advertising service for local businesses using the same concept.
Quarter Vending Machines
This will often require about $60 to $100 in starting money to
cover the cost of a machine, product and a city vending license.
Work out a deal with a local business or community property for
use of space and make money while you are at school. Then,
inspect the machines on the weekends or after school to see if
product needs to be replenished, as well as collect earnings. The
nature of this business will require you to be able to drive to each
machine regularly.
Create a Delivery Service
Many rural areas do not have delivery services such as
DoorDash or GrubHub. Because of this, there is an opportunity
to create a delivery-based business in those areas. Don’t limit
yourself to food delivery, you can deliver anything from furniture to
newspapers. Additionally, you could create a carry off service for
items such as recycling, scrap metal, brush or rubbish. If you carry
off recycling or scrap metal, you can get paid to take it away and to
turn it in.
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SECTION THREE | MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
Interested in Investing?
All of the below opportunities will require you to put in the time
to thoroughly research the topic and will require an adult’s
supervision.
Invest in the stock market (stocks, bonds, mutual funds)
There are financial advisors in your area, call one up today
and make an appointment to talk with one, or better yet, many
of them to learn more about investing. This will also give you
the opportunity to discuss capital needs you may have for your
businesses.
Rental property
The right rental properties can become a regular revenue
stream. In fact, I’ve made most of my money renting out real
estate.
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SECTION FOUR | THREE KEYS TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUCCESS
Section Four
Three Keys to
Entrepreneurship Success
Education, Experience and Excess Cash! By education I
do not mean that you need to have a high school diploma; what I
mean is that you need to get a financial education. This is earned
through research and asking key questions of those who already
have a financial education. Don’t blindly trust anyone who says,
“It’s a sure thing!” even if they are an adult.
Determine if it’s right for you by researching each
opportunity. Remember, to be a good investor you need to be a
smart investor.
Experience means that you need to be prepared for possible
failure and learn from it, rather than give up. Smart investors learn
from their failures rather than get frustrated.
Finally, excess cash means that you have money you are
willing to put into the investing process. It does not take much
but you need to have something to invest. This can be as little as
some birthday money or profits from a small business.
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CONCLUSION | HOW TO MAKE MONEY AS A KID
One final, but very important note, some business ideas will
require a parent or guardian’s help. For example, if you need to
open a bank account, you will likely need someone over 18 to
assist. If you make over $300, your parents or guardians will need
to annotate this on their tax return; or you will need to file your own
so that no laws are accidentally being broken.
In addition, some states require you to be 18 years old or
older to start a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or submit for
city licenses and permits. When in doubt, ask an adult (parent,
business owner, financial advisor, real estate agent, stockbroker,
etc.) for assistance.
I have given you a long list of ideas, but there are a million
other opportunities all around you. Find one and seize it! Your
ambition and mindset are the only thing stopping you from
becoming financially independent.
Just remember, do not limit yourself or your ideas to the list
I provided; keep your eyes peeled at all times! Think about what
kind of money maker you want to be (Employee, Self-Employed,
Business Owner, Investor or a combination of two or more) and
start searching for opportunities today. Happy financial freedom
hunting!
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