For teens 15–17

Tell us your age,
your zip code, and
your starting budget.

We'll rank the businesses most likely to succeed in your situation — and show you exactly how much income you can make. No generic advice. Just your pick, math and all.

$20k monthly ceiling, modeled

5 business paths, ranked

3 questions to your pick

See how we compare →

Meet the founder

I built PathPick because I wished it existed when I was 16

Wilder Holcomb

Founder, PathPick

At 16, I was running a two-bit lawn mowing operation, burning through weekends just to afford a used guitar. I didn't have a mentor who understood teen economics. I didn't know which business model actually scaled. I just... guessed.

Five years and three businesses later, I realized the gap: there's no tool that meets teens where they are — with real income math, real budget constraints, and a ranked list instead of a generic listicle. So I built it.

PathPick exists so the next kid with $200 and a summer doesn't have to figure out everything from scratch. Ready to find your path?

The problem

Everywhere you look: inspiration. Nowhere you look: clarity.

"You can do it!" — inspirational posts with zero concrete math

Programs that teach general entrepreneurship — but don't help you pick a specific business

"Successful teen founder" stories that are inspiring but not repeatable

You know you want to build something. You don't know which path is actually right for you.

How it works

Three questions. One clear path.

Answer three

How old are you? Where do you live — city, beach, or suburb? How much can you invest to start?

See the math

PathPick ranks the five business paths — lawn care, boat detailing, drone photography, social media agency, fishing niche site — based on your specific situation.

Start your pick

Get a clear first-step action plan — what to do this week, what to buy first, how to price your first job.

The five paths

Every path modeled. None hidden.

Lawn Care

Best for: Suburb, $0–$500 start

100 customers × $200/month = $20k/month ceiling. Mowing, edging, leaf cleanup, pressure washing. Reinvest profits into equipment. Low barrier, high repeatability.

Top pick for most teens

Boat Detailing

Best for: Near beaches and lakes, $200–$800 start

20 boats × $1,000 average = $20k/month ceiling. Clean and detail boats. Seasonal peaks but premium pricing. High margins, low competition in many markets.

Location-dependent

Drone Photography

Best for: Anywhere with real estate, $500–$2,000 start

30 jobs × $700 average = $21k/month ceiling. Real estate agents, construction companies, vacation rentals. Learn to fly, learn to edit, charge $200–$1,000 per job.

Higher upfront, higher per-job

Social Media Agency

Best for: City, $0–$200 start

10 clients × $2,000/month = $20k/month ceiling. Short-form video for local businesses. Charge $500–$2,000/month per client. No equipment needed — just a phone and hustle.

Highest skill ceiling

Niche Fishing Website

Best for: Any location, $0–$100 start

Longer timeline (1–3 years) but near-passive once built. Reviews of rods, reels, lures, boats, fishing destinations. Affiliate commissions + advertising revenue. No inventory, no travel.

Longer runway, passive later

Why now

66% of teens want to start a business. Most never get a clear answer on where to begin.

Junior Achievement research shows that two-thirds of teenagers aged 13–17 say they want to start their own business. The tools exist. The platforms exist. The desire exists.

What's missing is a way to cut through the noise and find the path that actually fits your situation — your age, your zip code, your bank account.

66%

of teens want to start their own business (Junior Achievement)

to start most of these businesses — no VC, no loans needed

is old enough. These paths are built for your age.

Tell us your age,your zip code, andyour starting budget.