Ignite Your Child's
Entrepreneurial Passions

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 45 booths at the Orlando Public Library located at 101 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, FL 32801 on Sunday, November 10, 2019, from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm.

The Orlando Children’s Business Fair is brought to you by the Orange County Library System in conjunction with the Acton Academy, Acton School of Business, and the generous support of our partners and sponsors. 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.

Basic Rules & Guidelines

Applicants must register using their own Orange County Library System regular, property owner or fee card in good standing.
Applicants must be between the ages of 6 - 17 on or before the application deadline.
OCLS will collect a $10 participation non-refundable fee from all accepted business ideas.
OCLS will establish a FIRM cap of participants based on location and resources.
OCLS will take great care to limit the number of businesses in specific categories so as not to have too many similar business concepts. If an applicant’s business idea is similar to entries that were accepted before the applicant’s submission, OCLS will notify the applicant and provide the opportunity to resubmit a new application. OCLS reserves the right to deny an entry.
Inappropriate content, including but not limited to profanity, vulgarity, excessive violence, drug or alcohol use, or material considered offensive to any religious or ethnic groups, gender, or physically or mentally challenged persons is not permitted.
If selling food items: Only small, single serving, individually wrapped food items such as snack bars, crackers, or candy bars are permitted. Drinks are not permitted.
Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied and supervised at all times by an adult or guardian.
Each booth consists of a 6-foot table and 2 chairs. Table covers are not provided.
Businesses requiring electricity will have access based on availability.
No more than 3 participants per booth/business idea. Parents of younger children may sit in their booth, but the children are to be responsible for setup, sales and interacting with the customers.
All entries will be automatically entered in the business competition, and booths will be judged by fellow entrepreneurs on a variety of criteria, including most original business idea, highest business potential, and best presentation/creativity. The judges’ decisions are final.
Cash prizes of $50 per category (to be split among the business owners) will be presented at the conclusion of the fair.
This event is designed to give children a taste of selling a product. Please let them have that experience
OCLS will establish a FIRM cap of participants based on location and resources.
OCLS will take great care to limit the number of businesses in specific categories so as not to have too many similar business concepts. If an applicant’s business idea is similar to entries that were accepted before the applicant’s submission, OCLS will notify the applicant and provide the opportunity to resubmit a new application. OCLS reserves the right to deny an entry.
Inappropriate content, including but not limited to profanity, vulgarity, excessive violence, drug or alcohol use, or material considered offensive to any religious or ethnic groups, gender, or physically or mentally challenged persons is not permitted.
If selling food items: Only small, single serving, individually wrapped food items such as snack bars, crackers, or candy bars are permitted. Drinks are not permitted.
Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied and supervised at all times by an adult or guardian.
Each booth consists of a 6-foot table and 2 chairs. Table covers are not provided.
Businesses requiring electricity will have access based on availability.
No more than 3 participants per booth/business idea. Parents of younger children may sit in their booth, but the children are to be responsible for setup, sales and interacting with the customers.
All entries will be automatically entered in the business competition, and booths will be judged by fellow entrepreneurs on a variety of criteria, including most original business idea, highest business potential, and best presentation/creativity. The judges’ decisions are final.
Cash prizes of $50 per category (to be split among the business owners) will be presented at the conclusion of the fair.
This event is designed to give children a taste of selling a product. Please let them have that experience.
This event is designed to give children a taste of selling a product. Please let them have that experience.
Any parent seen selling to the customer or promoting the child’s product will result in disqualification from the competition.
OCLS staff members and immediate family, including Board Members, are not eligible to partake in the competition.

Hosted by

Claude Tido

🗓️ Started hosting in 2017

🚀 Has hosted 4 fairs

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.

The Orange County Library System has 16 branches located all across the Orange County, Florida area.

OCLS is Orange County's resource for lifelong learning. Cardholders can not only check out books, DVDs and other materials -- they can also download e-books from our website, enroll in technology, language and sewing classes, or attend cooking demonstrations and events at our various locations.

If you're looking for more information about the Orange County Library System, please visit our website: http://www.ocls.info/bizkids

31 booths participating

Colorfuls Wonderfuls

And 29 others.

Contact host

Having issues? Report fair

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?

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 indoor event with booths. Each business will be given a booth with a 6-foot table and 1-2 chairs. Table cloths will not be provided. We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity.

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.

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.