Financial Independence: Summer Business Ideas for Ambitious Young Entrepreneurs, Students, and Graduates

For students and others who get this season off, the summer is a perfect chunk of free time to work on a new project. While many opt to work a job over the summer, it can be equally as profitable to start your own business. Plus, you'll gain valuable entrepreneurial experience for the future.

Even if you don’t have the summer season off, you could consider starting one of these businesses as a side hustle to pick up some extra cash.

Tutoring

During the summer, many parents are looking for ways to keep kids learning and get them ready for the next school year. Tutoring a few days a week during the summer could really help them out. Parents may also be looking for childcare, and if you can do both, you could make a good amount of money.

Yard maintenance.

Once you have the proper equipment, getting started isn’t too hard. Just go around to nearby houses and ask if they need help pulling weeds, landscaping, or doing other tasks in the yard. People usually don’t have the time to take care of their lawns. And if they do, they probably don’t want to--especially in the heat. Chances are, there are people in your neighborhood who would gladly pay somebody else to take on the chore.

Party entertainer

Do you have a special skill people would enjoy watching? If you can sing, juggle, tell jokes, or make balloon animals, you might be able to make a profit entertaining at children’s parties. Parents are always looking for ways to keep kids occupied during birthdays and other summer parties, so if you can offer your services at a competitive rate, you could build up a good business over the summer.

Personal Photographer

For those good with a camera, there are a lot of well-paying opportunities over the summer months. You can take pictures at events for friends and family, take portraits of people, or pictures of property.

That’s just the beginning. If you’re in an area that gets a lot of tourism, visitors might pay you to snap some photos of them while they’re out at iconic spots in the city. Everybody has a camera on their phone, but those photos aren’t always the best. Many people would be grateful to have high-quality vacation photos.

Sell handmade items

There’s a lot of ways to do this one. You could open an Esty or comparable online shop or look for craft and vendor shows in the area. Booths at these kinds of shows can require sometimes pricey initial payments, but it could be worth it depending on the size of the event. And, they can be helpful when you start out and need to find people who want to buy your item. You might not sell it at the event, but they might contact you afterward to place an order. Whether you make jewelry, knit, paint, draw or sew—if you have something people are interested in, you can make a sizeable income crafting things over the summer.

Pet sitting

Many families go on vacation over the summer and can’t take pets with. This means they need somebody to watch over them, feed them, and take care of them. If you love pets and can prove you are trustworthy, you may be able to pick up a few jobs watching family animals over the summer. As long as you do a good job, they might even call you back next time they travel or recommend your services to a friend.

Catering service

Are your friends and family always complimenting you on your cooking? There are plenty of people who would pay you for some of these homemade goods. Even if you don’t want to cook full meals, you could pick a specific thing to sell, like home-baked cookies, birthday cakes, or candy. The best part is, you don’t even need any special facilities. You could this out of your own kitchen.

Tailoring

Sometimes the clothes we buy at the store don’t fit like they should. The jeans are just a tad bit too long, or a shirt needs to be taken in a bit. Generally, this is something people need help with. Not everybody knows how to sew, and not everybody even owns a sewing machine. If you do, people will pay for you to make these small adjustments.

Freelance online

Whether you love writing, graphic design, or programming, you can use your hobby to make some extra money. Lots of businesses need somebody to complete a specific project and hire people like you to complete them. If you do a good job, they might ask you to do more for them, and you’d have a consistent client. When you start looking for jobs, you check out websites like Upwork and Fiverr. If things start picking up and you really want to get serious, you can even start a website advertising your services.

Personal training

If you’re spending all summer at the gym anyways, you might be able to pick up some extra money helping people get in shape. Check with your gym to see if they have a certification program that can help you get started. After that, you can get going teaching others what you know.

Saving for your Future...

Now that you've got some ideas flowing, you should also start to think about using your summer side hustle to start saving for your future. We have plenty of savings options to help get you started!

The information contained within this article is for informational purposes and should not be considered financial advice. Everyone’s financial situations are unique and you should consult a financial advisor for assistance with your particular situation and goals.