Running a Side Hustle with Your Kids

LInfiniteWee on 29/08/2025 - 15:04
Last edited 29/08/2025 - 15:39

Recently I started a lemonade stand with my 12yo daughter who wanted to raise some cash. I had empty kegs (I'm a lazy brewer) and the gear required to chill, carbonate & dispense it, so a $50 investment on FB Marketplace for a yellow gazebo and we were off to the races.

Made a bit of money and re-invested to buy an ice shaver for slushies, some battery gear to run off-grid if needed, and a popcorn machine. It's been great fun and she can't wait to get out there again once the weather warms up.

Aside from obviously making some cash, the goal was to give her something to work towards and feel rewarded for doing so. It's worked really well - we're learning about spreadsheets now.

I feel like this topic suits OzBargainers well. What side hustles have you run with your kids? How was/is your experience?

edit: removed the wanky reference to "entrepreneurial mindset"

Education & Work

Comments

        • tenpercent on 31/08/2025 - 10:44
          +2

          I didn't neg. But I suspect some people just think that adults don't always need Daddy Government to hold their hands for everything, and that kids have their real Daddy to hold their hands so also don't need Daddy Government getting involved.

          E.g. "Oh look y'all, a lemonade stand! But there's a kid running it. I'm an adult so I know kids and even other adults can be grotty. Maybe they didn't wash their hands before preparing the lemons. Maybe they used tap water. Umm. Ahhh….<thinking music>… Alright, I'll take the risk. Hey Kid! Did you wash your hands first? How much for a glass?"

    • Muppet Detector on 03/09/2025 - 17:57

      At this stage, it's lemonade and pop corn.

      Whilst a valid concern, I don't foresee too many opportunities for food born pathogens to survive, far less thrive in those menu items.

      Food poisoning from what? Allergic reaction to what?

      Though OP, on the back of that McDonalds case, you may need to attatch warning labels to your food and drinks.

      McDonalds was forced to add "Caution, contents may be hot" onto their hot coffee take away cups.

      You might need

      "Caution, drink may be cold, contains lemons"
      "Caution, pop corn may be hot, contains corn"..

  • isthisreallife22 on 30/08/2025 - 03:00

    Have a read of Barefoot Kids theres a few side hustles referenced in there

    • tenpercent on 31/08/2025 - 10:46
      +4

      So you don't have to:

      The side hustles referenced in the book "Barefoot Kids" by Scott Pape include a variety of practical, kid-friendly mini-businesses and money-earning activities such as:

      • Doing extra jobs around the house for pocket money. Examples include feeding pets, picking up eggs, mowing lawns, washing cars, and household chores.

      • Setting up little businesses with the help of parents like lemonade stands, cake stalls, dog walking and sitting, selling slime, creating handmade products (earrings, lip gloss), paid tutoring, social media influencing, selling items secondhand, recycling cans and bottles, and buying and selling collectibles like Pokémon cards.

      • Running stalls or market stands to sell homemade or garden-grown products.

      • Picking up entrepreneurial ideas like buying items secondhand to resell.

      • Creative work such as Christmas card-making or producing ethically made clothing.

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 30/08/2025 - 11:09

    3D Printing - Wait for the next Bambu Lab sale.

  • bruschetta on 30/08/2025 - 20:42
    +8

    Don't have any suggestions but I'd like to say that you sound like a great father.
    I wish my father would have taught me something like that growing up

  • IcySpicyStew on 31/08/2025 - 03:42

    child labor

  • OzzyOzbourne on 31/08/2025 - 08:06
    +4

    My kids have been chimney sweeps since they could walk with some occasional pick-pocketing

  • serpserpserp on 31/08/2025 - 16:25
    +1

    So where do you operate this lemonade stand?

    • InfiniteWee on 31/08/2025 - 17:07
      +3

      Mostly public land - it takes just public liability insurance and filling out a webform which is nice. On a nice day there's plenty of foot traffic.
      With the popcorn machine coming on board, and once we're confident in running a smooth operation, we'll see about operating at an event (festival, fair etc)

      • ar7ist on 01/09/2025 - 10:14
        +1

        How does the insurance work? Do you just register as a sole trader and sign up to any company offering the insurance? And do you inform (or get permission from) the council as well?

        Keen to gain some knowledge on this as a future fun activity.

        • InfiniteWee on 01/09/2025 - 11:27
          +1

          That's all I did, yeah. Sole trader ABN was super quick to sort out, likewise with public liability insurance (but shop around - costs vary WILDLY).
          Permission from council if you're operating on public land, otherwise it's the private venue you need to speak to

      • serpserpserp on 01/09/2025 - 11:28
        +2

        Send location so I can muscle in with my franchised drink stand.

  • IM-Cheap on 31/08/2025 - 17:29
    +3

    We used to run a simple soft drink stand at the local markets, it was just cans of softdrink and eskys with ice.

    • Muppet Detector on 02/09/2025 - 20:01

      One of mine did that at the beach after Nippers each Sunday.

  • Antikythera on 31/08/2025 - 18:28

    get her to use her spreadsheet skills to run the finances of her classmates side hustles. for a fee.

    • serpserpserp on 01/09/2025 - 11:28

      You mean telling AI how to do the spreadsheet?

      • InfiniteWee on 01/09/2025 - 11:40
        +5

        No I want the numbers to be correct

  • fredk1000 on 31/08/2025 - 20:07

    Did you teach her about taxes too?

    • InfiniteWee on 01/09/2025 - 11:28

      Yeah, that's one of the deductions before anyone gets paid. Tracking it on a spreadsheet which she's begrudgingly learning about

      • fredk1000 on 01/09/2025 - 20:43

        Nice one.

        • fredk1000 on 01/09/2025 - 20:44
          +1

          Have you looked at the Adventure Capitalist game on smartphones? You pay someone else to squeeze the lemons.

  • furyou on 31/08/2025 - 23:51
    +1

    lemonade stand where? like at a wkend market?
    cost of renting the space, any food licensing, still profit left over?

    • InfiniteWee on 01/09/2025 - 11:39
      +1

      Wherever works. Public spaces, venues if they'll have us.
      Rent depends on the space. Public land is free aside from cost of insurances etc. I need to confirm food licensing for the popcorn, nothing for the lemonade.
      As for profit - not yet - but we're working our way to profitability. The "business" still pays her for her time peeling lemons, she has an option to reinvest that back into the biz for new gear, she usually chooses that instead

      • furyou on 01/09/2025 - 20:34

        interesting, I always thought everyone wants a cut when you try to sell things on any land.

  • Jin2937 on 01/09/2025 - 11:41

    Haha, sounds just like the book I’m reading — The Accounting Game: Basic Accounting Fresh from the Lemonade Stand. Awesome that your daughter started a fund at such a 俗such age!

  • capslock janitor on 01/09/2025 - 17:03

    scalp the labubu craze

    • tenpercent on 01/09/2025 - 20:23
      +1

      I think it's peaked. My septuagenarian neighbour got one a few weeks ago. If that's not a sign of the market top I don't know what is.

  • Mintee on 02/09/2025 - 07:39

    Im surprised that council hasnt shut you down for not having a permit :P

    • InfiniteWee on 02/09/2025 - 09:17

      What makes you think we don't?

      • Mintee on 02/09/2025 - 12:12

        Touche.

        • Muppet Detector on 03/09/2025 - 12:14

          Nooooo. Bad to touch the little children if you are a stranger.

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