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.

Youth ages 6 to 18 are eligible to participate.
How many businesses will you accept?

We will accept up to 50 businesses.

Yes! We invite guest judges from the community and assign them a random sampling of booths. Then, we aggregate judge scores and give out cash prizes and certificates across multiple age groups (determined after applications close). Categories scored include Most Original, Highest Business Potential, and Best Presentation.
Where should I begin?

Start with our resources (https://drive.google.com/file/d/19tByJVqqfCh-G1axM5TN8qAgwWCnrOqt/view) page. Play games to hone your business skills, then think through a product or service that YOU could build or provide on the day of the Fair. Businesses have ranged from food to photography, from fun carnival games to fragrant lotions, and everywhere in between!

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. No more than 3 participants per business.
Is there a cost?
Yes, there is a $20 fee to reserve your spot.

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?

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.

The fair will be a tented outdoor event with booths. Each business will be given a booth with a 6-foot table and 1-2 chairs. Tablecloths will not be provided.

We have limited electrical sites available and they will be assigned to those who apply first.

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 behind 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.

Jeff and Laura Sandefer and a few other families wanted to spark a sense of wonder and entrepreneurship in their children so they created the first Acton Children’s Business Fair in Austin, Texas, in 2007. That year, there were seven entrepreneurs and around 25 attendees. Now, there are over 115 entrepreneurs and 1,500 attendees at the Acton Children's Business Fair in Austin.