More kids between the ages of 10 and 14 are starting their own businesses in the Netherlands, according to new figures from the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK). Many kids are spending their free time selling items on the internet such as clothes, jewellery and makeup.
According to the KvK, there are 355 children between the ages of 10 and 14 registered as running a business - by comparison in 2019, there were just 112. Most of those registered as entrepreneurs with the KvK are aged 14, but the figures include 12 10-year-olds.
Most of the children registered with the Chamber of Commerce are selling fashion items such as clothing, jewellery and makeup online, but some also sell food or sweets at market stalls as well.
The KvK thinks that the stronger digital skills of youngsters is helping them have a better understanding of business and the advantages of being self-employed, even at such a young age. The digital skills of young people, coupled with the low barriers to digital activities such as vlogging and blogging and role models such as influencers on social media, help to encourage more young people to set up small businesses.
It’s not just young people who are keen to become self-employed, though. The number of self-employed people without employees working for them has increased by 85 percent between 2014 and 2024, according to the KvK.