Offer a service for sale
Plan and offer a simple service to neighbors, like pet feeding, plant watering, or craft-making; set prices, advertise, and learn money management.
Step-by-step guide to plan and offer a simple service to neighbors
Financial Literacy—Needs and Wants | Learn about needs, wants, and opportunity costs
Step 1
Choose one simple service you want to offer (pet feeding plant watering or making crafts) and write it down.
Step 2
Pick a fun business name and write it on a piece of paper.
Step 3
Decide one fair price and how long a job will take and write both in your notebook.
Step 4
Make a bright flyer on paper that shows your name your service and the price.
Step 5
Show the flyer to an adult and ask for permission and help adding safe contact details.
Step 6
Practice a short polite sentence to say when you tell someone about your service.
Step 7
With an adult help deliver flyers to nearby neighbors or leave them where allowed.
Step 8
When a neighbor replies ask an adult to help set a time for the job.
Step 9
Before each job gather the supplies you need and check your price one more time.
Step 10
Perform the service carefully and follow any safety rules your adult gave you.
Step 11
Collect payment put the money in your jar or envelope and write the amount in your notebook.
Step 12
Decide how much of your earnings to save give and spend and write that plan in your notebook.
Step 13
Say thank you to your customer and ask one question about how you could improve.
Step 14
Take photos of your flyer and your earnings notebook and share your finished business project on DIY.org with a short note about what you learned.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
I don't have a notebook, jar, or a printer—what can I use instead?
Use loose paper or a notes app for the 'write it down' and 'write both' steps, a sealed envelope or small box instead of the 'jar or envelope' to collect payment, hand-draw the 'bright flyer on paper' if you have no printer, and ask an adult to take the required 'photos of your flyer and your earnings notebook'.
What if neighbors don't reply or I keep forgetting supplies before a job?
If neighbors don't reply after you 'deliver flyers', ask an adult to help follow up or post the flyer where allowed, and make a short checklist in your notebook as part of 'Before each job gather the supplies you need' to prevent forgetting materials and to re-check your price one more time.
How can I change this activity for younger or older kids?
For younger kids, pick a simple service like 'plant watering', have an adult help hand out flyers and handle contact details and payments, and use stickers on the flyer, while older kids can design a digital flyer, set a fair price, schedule jobs themselves, and post the finished project on DIY.org.
How can we extend or personalize the service to make it better?
Add a hand-drawn logo to your 'business name' flyer, offer package deals (for example, three pet feedings at a discount), include a thank-you note when you 'Say thank you to your customer', and track save/give/spend percentages in your notebook to show when you 'share your finished business project on DIY.org'.
Watch videos on how to plan and offer a simple service to neighbors
How to Get Your First Sale on Etsy | Step by Step Guide
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How to Get Your First Sale on Etsy | Step by Step Guide
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Economics for Kids: Goods and Services
Google Sheet - Point of Sale
Facts about entrepreneurship and money management for kids
📢 Advertising: A bright flyer with a clear price, picture, and contact info is one of the easiest ways to get neighborhood customers.
🎨 Arts & crafts: Handmade items have been sold at markets for thousands of years — people have loved crafts since ancient times.
💼 Entrepreneurship: The word comes from French entre-prendre, meaning 'to undertake' — entrepreneurs start new projects.
🧾 Personal finance: A simple 'Save, Spend, Share' jar or ledger helps kids track earnings and learn budgeting in a fun way.
🐶 Pet sitting: Many pet sitters send daily photo updates to owners so families can see their pets having fun while they're away.
How do I help my child plan and offer a simple neighborhood service like pet feeding or plant watering?
What materials will we need to offer a kid-friendly neighborhood service?
What ages is this kid-run neighborhood service suitable for?
What are the benefits and safety tips for kids offering small neighborhood services?
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