If you want to raise an entrepreneur, start young. That’s the working theory behind Futureproof, a programme run by CEO and co-founder Lisa Illingworth that teaches children as young as eight entrepreneurial skills through boot camps and workshops across Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
What’s the first mindset shift parents need to make?
Expand your thinking about what your children are actually capable of, according to Illingworth. “Businesses for kids need not be any less complicated or simplistic than that of an adult entrepreneur,” she says. “Kids are able to accomplish more than what we expect and should be given the freedom to try and experiment with business concepts, and who knows, possibly land on the one idea that proves successful. The underlying factor of any successful enterprise is to always solve a problem.”
Which simple business ideas have actually worked for kids?
A baking business remains one of the easiest starting points, low setup cost, and a good way to build confidence, provided kids track every ingredient and packaging cost so hidden expenses don’t sink the margin. Car-washing works well for outdoor-minded kids in secure complexes, since convenience is genuinely attractive to time-pressed adult neighbours, while dog-walking scales quickly with a few friends and a clear weekly schedule, and has commonly been priced around R10 to R15 per pet per day depending on the area. Home-made jewellery and personalised clothing both reward creativity and personalisation, and a recycling or sorting business can turn a messy, time-consuming job adults avoid into steady income, provided a parent can help with transport to the local depot.
Can kids run tech or app-based businesses too?
Yes, though success depends heavily on the child’s skill level, the support available from a parent or mentor, and access to reliable internet and devices. Peer-to-peer tutoring and second-hand game-swapping marketplaces have worked well as starting points, and the model scales geographically without needing much capital, provided kids start small, test with real customers, and gather feedback before investing further, a principle also covered in how any SME should think about testing before scaling.
What about businesses that need basic tools and a bit of a workshop?
A bicycle repair setup works in neighbourhoods where kids regularly cycle, requiring only a few basic tools and a pump to get started, with an upsell in personalised sticker or spray-paint jobs once the core repair service is established. These service-based ideas generally need less starting capital than product-based ones and offer more predictable, repeat demand from the same customer base.
How involved should parents actually get?
Illingworth’s advice to parents is to stay hands-off where possible: don’t be prescriptive, and let the child make small mistakes when the stakes are low, since navigating and reflecting on those mistakes is where the real learning happens. Don’t fund the business’s losses either, if there aren’t enough customers, let the child feel that directly rather than propping up demand artificially. Their mistakes belong to them, not the parent, and should be handled in a safe environment where trying again is encouraged rather than treated as failure.
Frequently asked questions
What age can a child realistically start a small business?
Programmes like Futureproof work with children from around age eight, though the right age depends on the specific business, dog-walking, for instance, is generally better suited to children ten and older.
Should parents cover losses if a child’s business isn’t making money?
No. Letting a child experience the direct consequence of insufficient demand, within a safe and limited-risk setup, is part of what makes the lesson stick.
What’s the lowest-cost business idea for a child to start with?
A baking or car-washing business typically requires the least upfront investment, using equipment already available at home.
Originally published in February 2019. Updated September 2026.
