Meet today’s mini-entrepreneurs

The paper round is dead – children have set their sights higher. By Rachel Mortimer

Belle Hall may only be 10 years old but she already has a life plan. She wants to be a vet and has begun saving up to fund her dream. Two years ago, the savvy-minded animal lover began advertising her pet-sitting services in the local village and, despite setbacks during lockdown, has already earned £1,000.

“I had quite a few cancellations because of Covid when people didn’t go away, but now I have regular clients and lots of bookings are coming in. I try to be professional. I have made flyers to use as thank you cards to my clients, so they book with me again and help with word of mouth,” said Miss Hall.

She belongs to a generation which has shunned paper rounds and car washing to launch businesses earning them hundreds of pounds.

The rise of cashless pocket money has sparked concerns that children are in danger of no longer understanding its value. Last year WealthiHer, a think tank, found the number of 11-year- olds receiving an allowance paid directly into a bank account had risen by 20pc in a six-month period.

But Telegraph Money has spoken with four children and teenagers who have earned every pound and penny and make their businesses a success.

Miss Hall lives in Stratford upon Avon with her two-year- old labrador, Treacle, and three-month- old puppy, Buddy. But her clientele include much more than just dogs.

“I also look after guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, fish, and my favourite is an adorable but very needy cat who needs medication and lots of love.

“Not only do I get to spend time with animals, but I am also getting loads of experience to help when I apply for university and jobs when I’m older.”

When Charla Banks, 15, started making jewellery in lockdown last year her mind was not on the cash she could make. “First I made them for myself, and then friends started asking for them too. So, I set up a Depop and

‘It’s a chance to be creative and work with my friends’

Etsy shop in the summer and also sold them at charity events and split the profits,” she said.

The business has made around £ 500, and her entrepreneurial flair runs in the family. Both Charla and her sister Katelyn, 13, have each published books, which they sell on Amazon.

Help Save the Turtles, written by Charla with the help of a friend, teaches children about the environmental risks of plastic.

Katelyn wrote Let Me Tell You About Starting Primary School when she was 10 years old in a bid to help other children beginning education.

“I didn’t think about the money, it was just a fun activity, but then some parents asked to buy a copy, and so my mum helped me put it on Amazon,” she said.

The girls’ mother, Tammy Banks, has reservations about the more traditional childhood jobs like a paper round. “I had a few paper rounds when I was younger but I wouldn’t let my children do it now. I run a safeguarding company and am far too aware of the risks,” said Ms Banks.

Entrepreneurship at an early age looks good on future CVs and stands children in good stead for university or job applications, said Eden Cairnie of StudentJob International.

“Young people who display enthusiasm, adaptability and creativity will outshine the competition, as those characteristics are invaluable for employers,” she added.

Donating any profits to charity will no doubt receive additional credit. Mia Holt, 11, and her friends, Lia Cohen and Anaya John- Charles, donate the proceeds of their business, Homemade Cards For Hope, to H-ABC Foundation UK, a rare genetic disorder charity.

Miss Holt began making the cards, which use Lego pieces, from her kitchen table in 2019 and has since raised almost £1,000. She enlisted the help of local coffee shops in Richmond, London, to sell the cards and also has an Instagram shop run by her mother.

Miss Holt said: “We ask the coffee shop owners what’s selling well, and that helps with designs and ideas. It’s good to be creative, but it’s important to always think about what will sell well.

“Also it’s important to plan ahead, like when it snowed in February we rushed out and photographed some Christmas card scenes.”

Mia Holt, with friends Lia Cohen ( left) and Anaya John- Charles (right), all 11 ‘One day I would love to be an architect or work at Lego, because I love building and making things’