Some of you may still have snow on the ground, but now is the time to get a summer businesses off the ground so you can bring in some extra cash. Or for those of us with teens who will be out of school, I’m sure we’d rather they be earning a little income rather than continually asking us for money.

Depending on where you live, summer jobs may be readily available or may be non-existent. If jobs are scarce, consider starting a seasonal business.

Temporary jobs may be available at summer camps, ice cream shops, restaurants, resort hotels, golf courses, tennis clubs, country clubs, public swimming pools, and shoppes in tourist towns.

Here are some posts and resources for starting a summer business:

• Summer Business Ideas – The standards and some no so common ideas.
• Will Your Teens Spend or Earn This Summer – Ideas specifically for teens.
• Teenagers Pool Their Talents to Start a Business – Get inspired by three young teens who started a unique summer business.
• All summer will you be hearing “Mom, I’m bored!” or… – More ideas geared specifically for kids.

Are you or your teens planning a summer business? Please tell us about it by leaving a comment below.

Image courtesy of dan taylor.

Summer is here and many people are looking for temporary work, including teachers, high school students, and college students. Depending on where you live, a summer job may be next to impossible to find. An alternative may be to start your own summer business offering a service. Here are some summer business ideas.

There are always the standard summer services including:

• Lawn mowing and landscaping – competitive pricing and professional service are the keys to success.
• Child care – many parents need babysitting or mother’s helper services for school-aged children during summer vacation.
• Car washing – consider going mobile; wash cars at owners’ homes or place of business.
• House sitting – many people go on vacation and having a house sitter adds some security in addition to keeping the plants watered.
• Pet sitting – an added house sitting service.
• Painting – indoors and out.

If you have a particular skill perhaps you can put it to use for the summer:
• Photography service – take pictures at family reunions, beach parties, and other summer parties and events.
• Tutoring – many parents look for help for their kids to catch up or get ahead during the summer.

Here are a few ideas that aren’t as common:
• Yard sale organizer – many homeowners would welcome the help to set up and run a yard sale.
• Window washer – while many people keep the inside of their windows clean, outside window washing is often a job that homeowners put off.
• Specialty cleaning services – think about specific items that could use a special cleaning like home computers and laptops, collectibles, all the framed artwork and photos hanging in the home.
• Specialty organization service – organize pantries and kitchen cabinets or collections of CDs and DVDs or books.
• Mover – many people move during the summer and need help packing and loading the truck. Or offer your services to help students move in and out of the dorms.
• Party helper – offer your services to help set up, serve guests, and clean up for summer parties.

With a little creativity and advertising you may find yourself very busy and well-paid all summer. Sometimes all it takes is finding that first job and word-of-mouth gets you booked for the rest of the summer. And if nothing else, it’s a great time to clean your own home and sell your unused items at your own yard sale or using an online auction site such as eBay.

Are you running a summer business? Leave a comment to let us know what you’re doing and how it’s going.