Start Planning Now for a Summer Business If starting a summer business on the side is in your plans, don't wait until the last minute to plan for it.

When you hear the word summer, what comes to mind? Endless daysat the beach? Pool parties, matinees, trips to the mall? OK. Backto reality. What about earning some extra cash?

Sure, you could get a job working somewhere for the summer.Let's run down the list of possibilities. The local movietheater is looking for ticket-takers. The ice cream parlor downtownis looking for servers. And the grocery store on the corner islooking for baggers.

Doesn't sound like quite your cup of tea? What about a jobwhere you could set your own hours, do something you love and makemoney doing it? Sound too good to be true? It isn't. Check outthe summer businesses that these teens are cashing in on.

Have Fun in theSun
Lots of teens may dream about getting paid to spend the lazy daysof summer floating around on a pontoon boat, but Natalie Peace willactually be doing it. Peace, a 19-year-old sophomore at MichiganState University in East Lansing, Michigan, will spend this summerrunning a floating concession stand on a popular lake in SoutheastMichigan.

She spent last summer working as a filing clerk in the medicalrecords office of a local hospital. While that job earned her somevaluable experience as well as some cash for college, Peace thinksrunning her own business will give her a different kind ofexperience. "I think running my own business will not only bean alternative way to make money, but I'll also gain experiencein the business world as I learn about starting a business,"she said.

Though Peace's daily work selling hot dogs, chips, icecream, pop and bottled water on the lake won't start until thesummer boating season officially kicks off Memorial Day Weekend,she's already busy getting her ducks in a row.

With the help of her aunt and uncle, whose house on the lakewill be Peace's home base, Peace has been busy registering herbusiness's name with the county and obtaining a sales taxlicense. She must also take a food safety class from the countyhealth department in order to obtain a business license.

Once she returns from college in early May, she'll beginpublicizing her business to the local lake population. While Peaceadmits there are a lot of steps to take before selling that firsthot dog, she thinks it will be worth it. This summer, she says,making money and having fun in the sun will be one and thesame.

Party On!
Believe it or not, Kiera Kramer, 20, came up with her business ideaby watching her parents party. "They would invite people todinner who they really wanted to talk to, but they'd never geta chance to visit because they were too busy cooking andcleaning," Kramer says. "I just thought there'd be agood market for someone who would come in, serve food and clean upthe mess."

Together with her close friend, Jaclyn Van Bourgondien, 20,Kramer started Parties Perfect, a party service business inSouthold, New York. Start-up costs were minimal--the partners spent$96 for business cards, thank-you notes and white blouses with"Parties Perfect" embroidered on them. They spread theword and gave their business cards to equipment rental companiesand caterers for potential referrals. Their first break came when afriend's parents hired them to work at a dinner party.

Talk of Parties Perfect's professionalism, reliability andconvenient services spread rapidly after the first job. They arenow booked about three weekends a month.

Kramer says being your own boss is as awesome as it sounds."It's definitely better than working for someoneelse," she says. "You don't have to answer to people.You get to hire employees. It's a good experience, plus themoney is a lot better."

Grow Money atHome
Blair Sheridan Barber doesn't mind getting up a little early inthe summer--when there's money involved, that is. In fact, forthe past few summers, this Phoenix, Maryland, teen has been up atthe crack of dawn most days, tending his garden and sellinghomegrown tomatoes with a sign in his front yard advertisingBlair's Tomatoes.

Barber, 18, starts working on his summer business in May, whichis when he plants the tomatoes. By June, he's up every morningby 7 a.m. to water the garden, pick the ripe tomatoes and set uphis stand.

On most days, Blair's Tomatoes opens around 8 a.m. andcloses at dusk. Because his stand is located in a convenient,high-traffic area where many people travel to and from work, heattracts plenty of repeat customers.

Like many 'treps, Barber ran his business only during themonths of June, July and August. Not only was it a good time forgrowing tomatoes, but it was also a good time for him since itdidn't interfere with school.

Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to be anentrepreneur? A summer business could be the perfect trial run. Whynot give it a go?