2nd Annual West Chester Children's Business Fair event image
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2nd Annual West Chester Children's Business Fair

Saturday, May 20, 2023

9:00AM - 12:00PM

44 W Gay St

West Chester, PA 19380, USA

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About the fair
*APPLICATIONS ARE FULL*
Upon acceptance of business, a $10 booth fee will be due to secure your spot.

Observe the opportunity for children aged 5-14 to launch their very own startup business!

Kids develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and then open for customers at our one-day marketplace. 

We will host 30 booths at the 2nd annual event in West Chester on Saturday, May 20th from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm (rain date will be May 21st). The location of this year's event will be held at 44 West Gay Street (Jack's Corner). It is at the intersection of N. Church & W. Gay Streets in West Chester, PA 19380.

There will be judges awarding prize money to the top three chosen businesses in each age category. Each prize consists of $100 cash!

This event is sponsored by Rose Stancato of Guild Mortgage, Mike Ciunci of Keller Williams, Garret Plunkett of the Movesmith, Dave Magrogan of Harvest Seasonal Grill, and Charles Waterman of Closets by Design (Philadelphia). Chris and Angela Payson of COCOON are this year's title sponsor. We all believe that principled entrepreneurs are heroes and role models for the next generation.

Whether an entrepreneur is famous like Elon Musk or Patrick Bet-David or they are one of the thousands of unsung business owners across this country, these are the people who make sacrifices to innovate, create jobs and serve their communities. 
Hosted by

John McDonald

🗓️ Started hosting in 2022

Identity verified

🚀 Has hosted 3 fairs

We are a husband and wife team who are dedicated to the growth mindset journey. It is our goal to give young people the opportunity to learn and practice skills that will assist them in their future successes. We want to nurture the spark within each child and allow that spark to grow.

30 booths participating

Corinne's Creations

Isla's Closet

And 28 others.

Frequently asked questions

How will the fair be set up?

-
The fair will be an outdoor event. Each business will be given a space with a 6-foot table and 2 chairs.
 
-Businesses are encouraged to provide their own signage and decor to attract customers

-Remember to allow for enough time to complete prep work ahead of the 9:00 open 

-Table cloths will not be provided.

-We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity 

-Tents will not be permitted this year as the space is intimate and we are trying to allow as many entrepreneurs as we can. Space is limited.

-Set up time is from 8:00am to 9:00 am.

Will electricity be available?

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide electricity to the booths.

What are the rules?

This event is designed to give children the experience of selling a product or service. If a parent is found selling or promoting a child’s product or service, their child’s business will be disqualified from the competition.

Parents of younger children may sit in the booth, but the children should be responsible for set up, customer interaction, and sales.

Parents may help their child fill out the application, but we expect the children to do as much as possible by themselves.

What is the Acton Children’s Business Fair?

The Acton Children’s Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneur. The largest entrepreneurship event for kids in North America, this one-day market gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses.

How many businesses will you accept?

We will accept up to 30 businesses.

Where should I begin?

Start with our resources page. Read inspiring stories about other young entrepreneurs and play games to hone your business skills.

How do I apply? Can I apply as part of a group?

Open to children aged 5-14. Application must be submitted online. Please submit one application for each business. Children working as a group should submit one application that includes each child’s information. The oldest child in each group determines which age category they will be placed in for prize consideration. No more than 3 participants per business.

APPLICATIONS ARE FULL!
Upon acceptance, there will be a $10 booth fee to secure your spot.

What is on the application?

The application asks kids to think through some simple, but important elements of their business:

  • What product or service do you plan to sell?
  • What price will you charge for each product/service? How much will each product/service cost you?
  • How will you pay for your startup costs? If someone is helping you with your startup costs, how will you pay that person back?
  • How will you advertise/market your business before the fair? 
  • At the end of the fair, how will you determine if your business was a success? 

What if someone else has the same business idea? 

Two cupcake businesses? Not a problem. In general, we will let market forces play out, though we will let later entries know if another applicant has a similar idea so the later entrant can decide what to do.

Our incredible sponsors

Children's Business Fair

Acton Academy

Next Great Adventure

Mike Ciunci

the movesmith

Rose Stancato

COCOON

Closets By Design Philadelphia

Harvest Seasonal Grill