I started my own entrepreneurial career young when I was still in primary school. There are so many reasons to sell at school – it could be to raise money for a chosen charity, or to create some extra income. Perhaps you’ve even been tasked with a sales challenge for a particular class. Whatever the reason, if you are looking to find the best things to sell at school to make money then this list will help you out and give you lots of ideas to start with.
Before Finding Things To Sell At School
This might be a great side hustle for youngsters and teenagers, but before you start spending your money on products you can sell at school, you need to make sure that you have permission before you start.
Find the relevant member of staff to ask, and then work out whether you will need to take out insurance or complete a risk assessment.
Food and Drink
When it comes to finding the best things to sell at school, food and drink products are high up there.
They are cheap enough to make an impulse purchase of, and very tempting to fellow students.
The food offerings at school are limited (thanks Jamie Oliver!) and there are so many options you can choose from.
We would recommend looking into selling:
- Sweets – if anyone needs a little sugary pick-me-up then sweets are the way to go. It could be lollipops, Haribo, poppy candy and more.
- Chocolate bars – from mini versions to bigger versions like KitKat Chunky Duos or Twirl Xtras, when it comes to selling chocolate there are so many options for this tempting daily treat.
- Crisps – easily sourced, and available in a variety of flavours, these are one of the best things to sell at school. Just consider the downside – they can get crushed easily, so think about how you will store them.
- Soft drinks – I am partial to a 3pm Coke Zero, and you might find that your fellow students also need this pick-me-up throughout the day.
- Pot noodles and other pot snacks – easy to make plus easy to store, these can provide a lunch or snack to a hungry student.
- Healthy snacks – not everyone wants to eat sweets, chocolate bars, and crisps, so you might want to consider offering healthier alternatives. Things like nuts will store well and offer your customers a healthier option.
Food and drink products are often cheap to source and you can mark them up high – especially for convenience.
For example, you can currently get a 24 pack of Yorkie bars for £12 on Amazon (cheaper if you get the Subscribe and Save discount), making them 50p a bar. Those same-sized bars are available at Sainsbury’s for 75p each. You can easily price them at £1 or more to sell at school.
Stickers
Stickers are a great way to decorate just about anything – pencil cases, phone cases, laptops, books, notebooks, skateboards and so much more.
Stickers are available in a variety of themes. You could get the latest trend stickers and get a great profit on them.
Look around to see what’s popular – is everyone into a singer or band, or reading a particular book? Perhaps a new TV series has caught everyone’s attention. Focus on these trends to see your income soar.
Personal Hygiene Products
Imagine the scene – it is PE day and you have forgotten your deodorant and have to spend the day worrying about smelling.
For any self-conscious teenager, this could be torture.
Make life easier for your fellow students by offering personal hygiene products for sale.
This can include:
- Deodorant
- Body spray or mist
- Wet wipes
- Sanitary products
- Hair ties and scrunchies
- Hair brush or comb
- Lip balm
- Plasters
- Nail files
- Chewing gum
These products have a long shelf life, so you don’t need to worry about them expiring.
You might also like these online jobs for teens.
Things To Sell At School – Phone Charging
Did you know that users typically spend 30 minutes a day on Snapchat? That can drain phone batteries fast, so think about how you could turn this into a money spinner for you.
Phone charging equipment you could sell ranges from charging wires and plugs to battery packs so that students can charge on the go.
You can either sell these are a one-off, or offer to hire them out for recurring income.
Stationery products
I don’t know about you, but I am a sucker for new stationery.
It always makes me feel as though I am about to get my life together.
Whether you are selling cute notebooks and pens to people like me, or catering to those who forgot to bring their stationery to school, you could make a profit by selling:
- Notebooks
- Pens and pencils
- Pencil cases
- Rulers
- Compasses and maths sets
- Files and folders
- Highlighters
- Flashcards
Things To Sell At School – Toys and gadgets
Toys and gadgets aren’t just for primary school-aged children – many teenagers also appreciate them!
Try to jump on trends in your school. I remember selling multipacks of marbles when I was in school because they were the latest craze.
You could sell fidget spinners, stress balls, bubbles and so many more.
Homemade jewellery
Necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings are really popular with teenage girls (and boys!). If you are a dab hand at creating jewellery then this could be something that you sell at school.
Proofreading Services
If you know that notebooks and envelopes are stationery with an e, and not stationary with an a then you could make money by offering to proofread other students’ homework and essays.
Whilst many devices have a spell checker on them, they can’t replace a real proofreader who can spot mistakes in grammar and spelling.
Where to Buy Things To Sell At School
You don’t have to have a fancy wholesaler membership to be able to buy things to sell at school – although if your parents or another family member does have one, it might be worth seeing if you can go along to get your stock.
If you are looking to buy things online then Amazon is a great place to look. They often have boxes or multipacks of food products that you can buy.
Another place to try for non-food items is Temu. You will have to wait around 10 days to 2 weeks for your items to arrive, but if you land onto trends early you can make a great profit from buying on Temu and selling at school.
You could also shop at bargain shops like B&M or Poundland to find things to sell at school.
How to Price The Things You Are Selling At School
Pricing can be the most difficult thing for any entrepreneur, and selling at school is no different.
For some items you can easily work out what to sell them for – for example, you can charge similar, if not more, than a convenience store will charge for food and drink items.
You want to ensure that you are covering your purchase price as well as making a profit.
As well as considering what you paid per item, think about any extras you’ve had to buy. Have you had to buy an extra bag to carry your items, or invest in a cooler bag to be able to offer cold drinks and chocolate? Be sure to take these extra costs into account when pricing your items to sell at school.
