5th Annual Durham Region Children's Business Fair
Sunday, September 8, 2024
11:00AM - 2:00PM
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About the fair
Observe the opportunity for children 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 mini-vendors from 8 to 14 years old. Any questions about costs, set-up time and overall logistics? Just visit our FAQ section. If we miss anything, do not hesitate to e-mail us!
The kidpreneurs that will be joining us this year are:
1.- Jelly Bean Crochet
2.- Twinkle's Artivities
3.- Elly's Designs
4.- Love Space
5.- Sew Cute Designz
6.- The Clay Company
7.- Sunrise Shop
8.- The BFF Stand
9.- Hook & Loop Crochet
10.- Perler Beedz
11.- Shanaya's Slime Shop
12.- Boom Comics
13.- Wei Wise Choice
14.- Relax and Revive
15.- The Harry Potter Shoppe
16.- Rain
17.- S&S Arts
18.- IG's Cute Crafts
19.- Handmade soaps
20.- Junior Police Officer
21.- P.E.C.K.
22.- Kids Sports Accessories
23.- SassyCat
24.- Pebble art by Ichcha
25.- Creative Marvels
26.- Blush with Plush
27.- Simply Squeezed
28.- Lip Chic by Gia
29.- Kandie town
30.- Giggle toys
This event is sponsored by Acton Academy, the Acton School of Business, and the generous support of our donors and volunteers. We all believe that principled entrepreneurs are heroes and role models for the next generation.
Whether an entrepreneur is famous like Elon Musk or Oprah Winfrey 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
Norma Marin
🗓️ Started hosting in 2019
✅ Identity verified
⭐️ 5.0 (8)
We are a team of passionate entrepreneurs, teachers, mentors, and parents, who want our children to learn about entrepreneurship in a practical and fun way.
28 booths participating
Love Space
Shanayas Slime Shop
And 26 others.
Frequently asked questions
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?
Application must be submitted online and must be explicitly approved via email to join the fair. 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.
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.
How will the fair be set up?
The fair will be an outdoor event with booths. Each business will be given a booth with a 6-foot table and 2 chairs. Neither table cloths nor tents will be provided.
Will electricity be available?
There is a limited number of electrical outlets available, therefore booths who need these outlets to operate will be given priority.
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 or turns out that the business actually is the parent's, their child’s business will be disqualified from the fair.
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.
How did the Acton Children’s Business Fair get started?
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.
