Make small wearable things and take custom orders.
Small things, made by hand, sold to people who know you. It's one of the easiest businesses to start and one of the easiest to lose money in, and both for the same reason: supplies are cheap enough that it's very tempting to buy a mountain of them before anyone has ordered anything.
Make three pieces. Not thirty. Three.
Wear one. Carry the other two. When someone notices, and they will, say:
"I make these. They're [your price], or [custom price] if you want it in your colors with a name on it. Want me to make you one?"
Write down the order and the color. Then make it. Orders first, supplies second, always in that direction.
Cheap supplies, and only a few to start.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We only list gear the guide actually calls for, and the skip list is there because most of it you do not need yet.
This is Sophie's biggest lesson in miniature: don't fall in love with your own inventory, and don't buy a mountain of supplies hoping it sells.
Take the orders first, then buy what you need to fill them. Money sitting in a bin of unsold beads is money you can't use for anything. Make what people have already asked for and you will never be stuck.
The full Young Founder kit walks you through everything Andre and Sophie learned: how to price, take custom orders, and grow without freezing your cash in supplies. The book, the workbook, the videos, and more.
See what is inside the kitA kid walking dogs in their own neighborhood usually starts between $10 and $18 for a thirty minute walk. Professional walkers average about $21 for the same walk.
Read the answerLess than almost anyone expects, and for a lot of these ideas the honest answer is nothing until somebody has already said yes to a price.
Read the answerTen people who already know them, one prepared sentence, and an easy way for each of them to say no.
Read the answerFind out whether this is not working or just not fun right now. Those look identical from outside and they need opposite responses.
Read the answerThey are not buying feeding. They are buying a holiday where nobody is quietly worried about the cat.
See the ideaSmall money that arrives every single week without anyone having to be asked again. The cleanest lesson in recurring revenue there is.
See the ideaNobody puts it on the list, and everybody notices once it is done. The before and after photo does the selling.
See the ideaForty minutes, a bucket, and a customer who can see the problem from their front door.
See the ideaA program from Founder's Best Friend. Built for kids 8 to 18 who want something of their own.