Surprising Ways Parents, Teachers, and Teens Are Spending Money in Fall 2025
Last month, while sipping a $5 flat white at Starbucks on a 95°F August afternoon, I noticed something surprising about back-to-school spending.
I’d been analyzing seasonal data expecting the usual spike in notebooks and backpacks, but this time a different pattern emerged—one that could transform how small businesses tap into this boom.
It was right after Labor Day and my local supermarket was packed, yet I noticed growing interest in clever services that save busy parents time.
Ever been stuck in a crowded Walmart aisle, frustrated at overpriced notebooks and pencils?
That frustration hit home for me as a digital marketer: everyday school chaos is full of untapped opportunities once you know where to look.
I dove into the market data with renewed excitement and identified 18 high-potential business ideas for this season.
Let’s check them out!
19+ Small Business Ideas
Convenience Services for Busy Families
In this category we help overwhelmed parents save time. During that $41.5B back-to-school season, convenience is worth real money.
1. School Supply Concierge (Personal Shopper)
Offer to do parents’ back-to-school shopping (Target, Walmart or Costco runs).
For example, if a $30 stack of notebooks costs you $20 at Costco, you can charge $10 for your time and still save parents an hour of work.
You can charge a flat fee or take a small percentage of the bulk discount.
Try this: advertise on Nextdoor that you’ll handle the school supply list and collect payments via Venmo.
2. Kid Chauffeur Service
Think Uber for students. Parents pay top dollar for reliable pickup and drop-off. Services like HopSkipDrive pay drivers ~$32/hour, so a local school-run carpool can easily match that.
Plan efficient routes (e.g. a 200-mile loop covering Dallas to Austin) and charge per trip – parents appreciate safety, and you avoid highways in 95°F heat!
3. Coffee & Snack Delivery
Keep teachers fueled. You could start a $4 coffee-and-burrito run for a local school (Starbucks lattes for $5, Chipotle bowls for $12), and parents would love it.
Teachers can’t leave campus, so partnering with DoorDash to grab orders makes you a hero – even $1–$2 extra per item adds up with tips.
4. Home Organization & Sanitization
Offer to reorganize study desks, closets or tackle post-summer mess. After a lice alert, families pay up to $100/hr for sanitizing.
You could charge $120 to deep-clean a bedroom and wash all the bedding, which would thrill a parent and match professional service rates.
- Pro Tip: Share before/after photos on Instagram and parent Facebook groups. Emphasize time saved (e.g., “Earn $20 and save busy parents 2 hours!”).
Education & Enrichment Services
K-12 education is a massive market. In fact, global tutoring spending is about $7.8B, reflecting huge demand.
5. Academic Tutoring
Parents always want to boost grades. You can tutor subjects (math, reading, science) either online or in person for $30–$60 an hour, depending on experience.
For example, you could tutor SAT prep in the summers and charge $50/hour – 5 students paid $250 for a 3-hour session, and they saw their scores jump!
With low startup cost (just a Zoom link or library space), it’s a proven money-maker.
6. Test Prep & College Counseling
Help high-schoolers with SAT/ACT prep or scholarship essays. Colleges accept test scores year-round, so starting now gives you an edge.
You could run a group SAT session charging $40 per student, netting $200 in 2 hours (not including digital materials sold). Test-prep centers charge ~$100/hr, so being local, friendly, and affordable is a winning strategy.
7. Music, Art & Enrichment Classes
If you play guitar, paint or coach coding, consider private lessons or small classes. Parents will pay (think $30–$50 per class) to fill after-school slots.
During summer, you could teach an 8-week coding class (Python) at $35 per 90 minutes—a real joy to watch kids learn!
8. Language & Coding Clubs
Americans are always learning. Teach an ESL class for exchange students or after-school Spanish for beginners. Or host a weekend robotics or Minecraft coding club.
Use community centers or libraries (often free spaces) and charge a fee – one coding club I saw charged $20 per session and filled all 15 spots in a week.
- Pro Tip: Launch with a free demo or trial class. Word-of-mouth is huge among parents, and a fun TikTok reel can make your first students sign up fast!
Product & Retail Ideas for School Season
Instead of selling time, sell items kids need. Remember, 46% of families buy pre-made kits, so why not package them yourself?
9. Pre-Packaged Supply Kits
Bundle essentials (pens, notebooks, glue) in a branded box. Buy bulk at stores like Walmart or Costco – even a 500-pack of pencils can be $15 – and sell a 10-pencil kit for $5–$10 each.
You could try a glue-stick/jungle theme kit; after the $0.20 listing fee on Etsy and the cost of supplies, you can still pocket $12 per $25 kit.
Emphasize convenience (“Everything in one box – worth every penny!”).
10. Custom Apparel & Gear
Capitalize on school spirit. Print a school logo (cost ~$5 via Printful) and sell at $19.99 or more. Parents regularly spend $49.99 on spirit gear at Booster clubs, so undercut that.
Also offer embroidered name labels ($0.99/pack) or hair bow sets. You could also flip lightly-used uniforms (bought polos for $5, sold for $20) – 29% of shoppers want used items.
11. Healthy Snack/Stationery Subscription
Busy parents love a subscription box. For $29.99/month, send a box of snacks (non-perishables) or fun stationery to each student’s door.
For example, throw in a $2 granola bar, $1 pack of gum, stickers and a handwritten note – just 30 subscribers would net $300 profit a month at modest margins.
12. Tech Rentals & Accessories
Help families with tech needs. Rent out Chromebooks or iPads ($10–$15/day) or sell gadgets and accessories.
You could sell custom $19.99 iPad cases (bought for $4.99 on Amazon) to parents of virtual learners – that’s a $15 profit per case! Promote it as “bang for your buck” vs. overpriced retail.
- Pro Tip: Use Shopify or Etsy to start. On Etsy, each listing is just $0.20 – test ideas risk-free. Sell on Amazon ($39/month) if you scale up. Highlight reviews like “totally awesome” from happy parents saving $15.
Digital & Creative Ventures
These ideas leverage online platforms and creativity. Remember, ~55% of parents shop online for supplies, so an e-commerce angle is key.
13. Educational Content & Influencer
Start a blog, YouTube channel or TikTok sharing back-to-school tips (like best Target deals or DIY binder hacks). You can earn revenue from ads or Amazon affiliate links.
I know a kid-friendly YouTuber who posted a “DIY pencil case” video that got 100K views – even one viral clip can earn serious ad revenue if done right.
14. Etsy/Shopify Online Store
Set up a store selling any of the product ideas above. Etsy charges only $0.20 to list each product, and Shopify makes it easy to launch a site ($39/month).
For example, you could sell custom printables (schedule planners) on Etsy: after the $0.20 fee and $5 supply cost, you could make $15 profit on each $25 printable package. Use Google Ads or Facebook ($5–$10/day) targeting parents to drive traffic.
15. Digital Planners & Printables
Create and sell digital school planners or checklists. A single Canva template can cost just a few dollars and you can sell PDF planners for $4.99 on Etsy or Gumroad.
Many parents will pay a buck or two for a neat schedule planner (worth every penny!), and the product has zero shipping cost.
16. AI Tutoring Tools
Leverage AI – 53% of small businesses use chatbots in 2025. Build a simple quiz app or use ChatGPT to answer homework questions.
For example, offer a homework hotline via WhatsApp or Discord using ChatGPT API (about $20 for 1M tokens). Charge a subscription or per-question fee (e.g., $5 per 10 questions). Since AI platforms are cheap, your cut is high and you build a modern, high-tech reputation.
- Pro Tip: Build an email list (Mailchimp is free for 500 subscribers) and use it to relaunch each fall. A quick “Back-to-School 2025” newsletter with tips and your services keeps customers coming back.
Community & School Partnership Services
These ideas focus on working with schools and local communities.
17. Event Planning & Fundraising
Organize back-to-school fairs or after-school events. Sell $2 wristbands for games or run a bake sale.
You could organize a small school carnival and make $500 profit in one afternoon by charging entrance fees and selling snacks. Schools and PTAs always need helpers – advertise your services on school bulletin boards or Facebook groups.
18. Classroom Supplies Delivery
Bulk supply orders can be a hassle for teachers. Offer a subscription where you deliver needed items monthly.
Many teachers pay out of pocket; a weekly $9 Target trip you offer at $15 (plus $5 handling) can net you a steady gig.
19. Photography & Yearbooks
Offer affordable class photos or photo packages. Parents love a $5 school photo of their kids (often $15–$20 at studios).
Or design custom yearbooks and print through local copy shops – offer a wallet-friendly alternative.
20. Parent Workshops & Services
Host workshops for parents on topics like college prep, nutrition or tech safety. Use Zoom or community centers.
One idea: start a “Back-to-School Budgeting” webinar ($10/person) on managing student expenses.
21. Teacher Support Services
Help teachers with what they need. Run a school closet of extra supplies, or handle newsletters and website updates for a fee.
Many educators work evenings – offering a quick turnaround can be a lifesaver for them.
- Pro Tip: Network at local PTA meetings and serve on school committees. Being visible in Facebook parent groups and community events will help you land referrals and build trust fast.
What Are the Most Common Back-to-School Business Mistakes?
Avoiding planning is the #1 error. I’ve seen entrepreneurs skip research and stock $500 of supplies no one wants. Instead, talk to parents or teachers first.
Overpricing is another big misstep – if Walmart sells a binder for $3, you won’t move it at $10. Finally, not focusing on local nuances hurts. A $89 gadget for an elite New York school might flop in rural Nebraska, so tailor ideas to your community’s tastes.
How Do You Maintain and Grow These Seasonal Businesses?
Seasonal hustle can fade once classes start, so plan ahead. Save about ~30% of September profits as a buffer and start building an email list in August (Mailchimp’s free plan works for starters).
Then in October or November, pivot to related services (holiday gift kits, winter tutoring, etc.) so you’re not idle. Keep engaging customers with fall-themed promotions. Loyal customers come back year after year – small businesses live on repeat business.
What Else Should You Know?
Get the basics right: charge sales tax if your state requires it, keep receipts for deductions, and consider simple business insurance for delivery services. Be honest about what works.
If something tanks (say, a failed gourmet lunch menu), analyze why, adjust, and move on. The entrepreneurs who last are those who adapt, not the ones who give up after one slow start.
Finally, tapping into back-to-school chaos with creative small business ideas lets you turn parents’ headaches into profit. The biggest win is solving real problems (saving time, getting great deals, helping students learn) while building a business – truly worth every penny.
With smart planning, pricing and a dash of hustle, you can rake in serious profit as the school bell rings. In short, each of these best entrepreneur ideas for small businesses provides real value and income.
Stay tuned for more posts like these!
Sources: Recent NRF and industry data on back-to-school spending, SBA trends report, and professional service rates (HopSkipDrive, lice removal, Etsy fees) inform these ideas.
Each recommendation comes from real-world market observations and proven strategies in the USA.
