Ready to say adios to your piddly allowance or crummy job? Chances of you striking it rich are slim to none, but if you're planning on trying anyway—no matter how much we warn you against it—you'll want to keep a few things in mind.

Start by Brainstorming

The first thing you need to start a business? An idea. And honestly, it should always go the other way around. It's never a good idea to say "I want to start a business!...What should I do?" That's how businesses go bankrupt. Instead, it should be "I want to do [insert awesome thing here]!...I should start a business!" (Exclamation points optional.)

Here are a few places to look for inspiration:

• What are your hobbies?
• What do you like to do?
• What are people always asking you about?
• Is there something you see around you that you could help with—for cash?
• What have other students your age done to make money?

Write down a big list of every idea you can think of, from the silliest (selling alien organs would be tough and is probably illegal anyway) to the very possible (mowing lawns for cash). Then, go through your list, thinking realistically about what will actually be a viable business. Sure, you might like to sing Christmas carols—and people might compliment you at every doorstop—but it'll probably be hard to get someone to pay you to do that in June. The best—er, only—business ideas are the ones people are willing to pay you for.

To give you an idea, here's a list of possible business ideas. Are they all good ideas? Probably not. But we're in the brainstorming phase, people.

• Sell stuff you own or make on eBay.
• Make something (dog leashes, hair accessories, t-shirts) and sell them at a stand, through local stores, or online.
• Create a webpage or blog and allow affiliate links or ads on it.
• Design ads or posters for businesses.
• Teach adults around you how to use social media.
• Organize neighborhood yard sales (for a fee or a percentage of sales, you'll sit out in the sun, set everything up, haul away the stuff no one buys, advertise, and take care of everything else).
• Babysit.

Create a Solid Business Plan

A business doesn't just…happen. You need a plan—i.e., a description of how your business will work. How will this thing go from idea to money-making superpower?

First, you'll need to figure out the basics:

• Your business name.
• Your financial goals (you might want to become a zillionaire, but how much do you really think you can make in the first month and the first year?).
• How much it will cost to open your business—and where you plan to get the money .
• Who will your customers be and how many will you have (you know your BFF is in and your mom will buy anything from you, but how many other people will be interested in your vegan soap or charm bracelets?).
• How you will get your product or service to customers? If you have something to sell, will you sell it online or at the farmer's market, or will you ask local stores to carry it? If you're going to be teaching throat singing, web surfing, or cheer routines, where will you teach? The local library? Your backyard? Mars?
• How you will advertise your business.
• Any problems that might come up—and how you will overcome them.

You're still in the planning stages, sure, but at least you have all the basics in order.

Get Permission and Follow the Rules

If you're under eighteen, you'll need your parents' or guardians' permission to do certain things (plus, they make really good cheerleaders). And there are all kinds of rules about starting a business—especially if your business takes off and becomes a big hit. You might need a business license or a Tax ID if you make more than a certain amount of money, and there are child labor laws that prevent people under the age of 16 from getting traditional jobs.

Make sure you do your research to figure out what the rules are in your specific state and city—and whether or not they apply to you. (Pro tip: Google.)

Get Help

Good news: there's a ton of help out there for students under the age of 18 who want to launch their own business.

• Check the Chamber of Commerce in your city to find out if there are special grants or programs; even if there aren't, they can at least help you figure out if you need special permits or have to sign any papers before launching your business.
• The United States Small Business Associate has all kinds of information on starting and running your own business.
• You can ask family and friends (and family friends) who run their own businesses for tips and tricks.

Get Money

Business are intended to make money, yes, but you need to have money to make money. Where are you going to get your capital (initial funding) to pay for your overhead costs (the money it costs to start the business before you make any money)?

Here are a few options, but you need to figure out what's right for you:

• Ask your parents, grandparents, or other people you trust for a loan. (Be careful; borrowing money from family and friends can be risky.)
• Get a part-time job to save up.
• Looks for grants that offer funding for kids getting started in business.
• Raise money through Kickstarter.
• Try other crowdfunding: ask your friends to chip in by promising them a share of the returns if and when you make money. (Just make sure to get a lawyer to help. If you end up making millions, you won't want randos knocking on your door saying you owe them.)

Start Small

You might have dreams of turning your cat-bed business a huge international conglomerate with an office in a skyscraper downtown. Great. But before you build all that, start small. Make a few pet beds and sell them online or at local pet shops.

That way, (a) you don't have to pay a lot to get started (a penthouse office costs a lot), (b) as you start raking in more money you can expand, and (c) you can make sure people want your rainbow cat beds to begin with.

We'll take 10.