Kids can start a small, parent-supported business project as soon as they're ready, and for most children that's somewhere between 10 and 13. At that age they can usually plan a few steps, talk to customers and handle small amounts of money. Readiness matters more than age. In Australia, business.gov.au confirms you don't need to be an adult to run a business.
Below you'll find a free readiness checklist you can print and fill in with your child, plus a one-weekend test to try before committing to anything bigger.
It's Thursday evening and you're driving home from soccer training. Your 10-year-old has been quiet for a while. Then: "Charlie in my class sells slime. Am I old enough to start a business?"
You want to say yes. You also know how many hobbies have started with this much excitement and ended in a box in the garage. And you're not sure if there are rules about kids running businesses at all.
"Who would want this, and why?"
That question will tell you more about whether your child is ready than their age will. This guide covers what's realistic at each age, the rules that do apply, and how to tell if now is the right time.
For a 10 to 13-year-old, starting a business usually means a small product or service for people they know, with a budget of about $10, a parent nearby and a clear end date. It's a real project with real customers, not a company.
What's realistic changes as children grow. This is a general guide, not a rule, and every child is different.
| Age | What usually works | Parent's role |
|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | Helping at a family or school stall, making something with an adult | Leads the project; child helps and learns |
| 10 to 11 | One simple product or service for family, neighbours or school friends | Sets boundaries, handles money and anything online |
| 12 to 13 | A small project with its own budget, simple records and real customer research | Coach: asks questions, checks safety, signs off on spending |
| 14 and over | A longer-running project with more independence | Advisor; still involved in anything legal, online or financial |
A first project might look like this: an 11-year-old notices neighbours struggle to remember bin night, asks five of them about it, and offers to put bins out and bring them back for $2 a week. That's a business. This is an illustrative example, not a JuniorCEO Lab student case study.
Between 10 and 13, most children can think a few steps ahead, do the maths a small business needs and talk confidently with adults, while still wanting a parent's help. That combination makes it a sweet spot for a first project.
A small business at this age practises skills school can't always give real stakes to: asking questions and listening, working out costs, coping when something doesn't sell, and trying again. It also gives children an early, low-risk taste of how the things they buy every day are made, priced and sold. The pressure is low: it's fine if the project only runs for a month.
No. A small, short project now teaches more than waiting for a perfect idea later. Most of what children learn comes from talking to customers and dealing with what goes wrong, and that happens just as well with a $10 project as a big one.
Waiting also has a cost. Interest fades. A child who wants to start at 11 and is told "maybe when you're older" may not ask again. A better answer is: "Yes, let's try a small version and see what you learn."
A child is ready when they can describe who they'd help, finish small tasks without constant reminders and handle hearing "no" without giving up straight away. Use the checklist below, then try the one-weekend test.
Print this or copy it onto paper and fill it in together. Tick what's true now. Three or more ticks in the first column means it's worth trying a small project.
| Sign of readiness | Yes, usually | Not yet |
|---|---|---|
| Can explain who would want their idea, and why | ___ | ___ |
| Finishes a task they've started (homework, a build, a chore) most of the time | ___ | ___ |
| Can count money and work out simple change | ___ | ___ |
| Will talk to a familiar adult and ask a question | ___ | ___ |
| Copes with "no" or a mistake without quitting straight away | ___ | ___ |
| Has about two hours a week free for the project | ___ | ___ |
"Not yet" isn't a fail. It shows you what to practise, and most of these skills grow quickly once a project starts.
Before buying anything, run a tiny version of the JuniorCEO Lab method, Notice, Ask, Try, Improve, over one weekend:
Your child names one thing that could be better for someone they know. If they don't have an idea yet, turning a problem into a product idea walks through how.
They ask three people who have that problem about it. Our guide to market research for kids has the questions to use.
They make or offer one small version, for free or for a coin, to one person.
They change one thing based on what they heard, then fill in the value sentence:
"This is for ___, who wants ___, and it helps by ___."
If your child finishes the weekend wanting more, they're ready for a bigger project. If they lose interest, you've lost a weekend, not a wardrobe full of supplies.
In the classroom: teachers can run the readiness checklist as a self-reflection, then pair students to complete the Notice and Ask steps with classmates as customers.
For a small family project, there usually aren't any. Formal steps, like tax registrations or running a company, have their own age rules. In Australia, business.gov.au says you don't need to be an adult to run a business, and that sole trader and partnership structures are available at any age (business.gov.au).
The same page notes a few limits in Australia:
Most children's projects are closer to a hobby than a business anyway. Outside Australia, check your government's small business website. This is general information, not legal or financial advice.
Help with safety, money and anything official. Leave the ideas, decisions and customer conversations to your child. Agree four boundaries before starting: how much time the project gets, how much money you'll lend or spend, who is responsible for what, and what success looks like. Writing them down stops the project quietly becoming yours.
The JuniorCEO Lab activities work anywhere. The rules around children running a business depend on where you live. Before your child starts selling, check three things on your government's small business or consumer website:
JuniorCEO Lab is designed for 10 to 13-year-olds, the age when most children are ready to run a small project with a parent alongside them. The program moves in a set order: exploring products, researching customers, shaping an idea, building a brand, understanding money, and marketing and selling.
Each stage builds one skill at a time, so a child never has to "start a business" all at once. They notice, ask, try and improve, and the business takes shape along the way. Every activity is free to start at home.
Yes, with a parent involved. A 10-year-old can run a small product or service for people they know, such as a neighbourhood bin service or handmade cards. Keep the budget small, agree boundaries first and set a clear end date.
Usually not for a small family project. In Australia, business.gov.au says hobbies aren't eligible for an ABN, and most children's projects look more like a hobby than a business. Elsewhere, check your local rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
Not to start. A cash tin, a simple record of money in and out, and a parent holding the float is enough for a first project. Bank account age rules vary between banks, so ask your bank if you need one later.
Choose a project that runs in short bursts, such as a one-off stall or a weekend service. Agree a time boundary at the start, like two hours a week, and let your child do the work while you check in.
Yes, and it can be a great first project. Agree up front who does which jobs, how money will be split and what happens if one of them wants to stop. Writing it down with both families avoids arguments later.
This week, ask your child: "What's one thing you've noticed that could be better for someone you know?" Then fill in the readiness checklist together. For the full four-step starter method, read what entrepreneurship for kids looks like.
Su Stanyer is the founder of JuniorCEO Lab, an Australian program that teaches children aged 10 to 13 how a business works, from exploring products and researching customers to branding, money, marketing and sales.
Government references are general information, not legal or financial advice, and do not imply endorsement of JuniorCEO Lab.
In just 6 weeks, your teen will launch a real product, build their brand, and start selling.
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