Acton Children's Business Fair Martinsburg, WV
Saturday, May 25, 2019
10:00AM - 2:00AM
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About the fair
This is an 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.
The children not only learn financial management, but also time management, and then verbal skills at the market while selling their product.
We will host 30 booths at the 1st annual event in The Eastern Panhandle of WV on May 25, 2019 from 10 am – 2 pm at New Life Community Church in Inwood, WV
This is an indoor event. Set-up begins at 9 am and ready for visitors from 10 am - 2pm. Lunch, ceremony, and clean-up will follow from 2-4.
The children not only learn financial management, but also time management, and then verbal skills at the market while selling their product.
We will host 30 booths at the 1st annual event in The Eastern Panhandle of WV on May 25, 2019 from 10 am – 2 pm at New Life Community Church in Inwood, WV
This is an indoor event. Set-up begins at 9 am and ready for visitors from 10 am - 2pm. Lunch, ceremony, and clean-up will follow from 2-4.
The possibilities are endless. If you have a child ages 15 and under, who may be interested in creating and selling their product, then have them check this out. The attached video will help spark some ideas, if you need some. The FAQ tab at the top will also answer a lot of other questions you may have. I look forward to seeing your application and working together to let others know about your product. Once accepted there is a $10 participation fee.
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
Kimberly Alger
🗓️ Started hosting in 2019
🚀 Has hosted 1 fair
Kim Alger and Jill Lauder are homeschooling mothers/ teachers in Berkeley County and are excited about bringing this opportunity to our community. The Alger brothers have a small business and have participated in a Business fair in the past. We found it to be a wonderful experience and want to encourage others in our local community. We want children to learn about entrepreneurship in a practical and fun way.
14 booths participating
Eva's Southern Soaps
Rubber Bandits
And 12 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. 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?
Once accepted, there is a $10 participation fee. There will also be a mandatory orientation meeting in April. (Date and location TBD)
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?
This fair will be an indoor event at New Life Community Church. Each business will be given a booth area. We are asking each booth to be responsible for their table, table cloth, and signs. We will have 2 chairs available for each booth. (If providing your own table is a problem, please be sure to ask. We have a limited number.)
Will electricity be available?
Electricity to booths is limited. Please be sure to mention if you will need electricity at your booth.
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.
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.
