Acton Children's Business Fair Lakeland, FL
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
3:00PM - 5:00PM
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About the fair
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 a limited number of booths at Lkld Liveon Sunday, July 28, 2019 from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm.
This event is brought to you by Generation Breakthrough in conjunction with the Acton Academy, the Acton School of Business, and the generous support of our sponsors 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.
Join Us
- If you would like to sponsor the event contact us at youthfairpolkcounty@gmail.com!
- If you would like to volunteer for the event, please sign up application here!
- If you'd like to attend the event, mark it in your calendar, click "going" on the Facebook Event page, and we'll see you there!
- Please follow us on our social media sites for updates about the fair! Facebook
"If you can dream it, you can do it" ~ Walt Disney
Hosted by
Lyndia Lawson
🗓️ Started hosting in 2018
🚀 Has hosted 2 fairs
We are a team of local parents, who want our children to learn about entrepreneurship in a practical and fun way.
Our goal is for kids to acquire essential entrepreneurial skills - grit, listening, communication, creativity, critical thinking, time management and collaboration.
We also want children to understand that success doesn't always come easy. Success, in fact, is all about trying, learning and getting better.
We invite you to join us and ignite your child’s entrepreneurial passions!
Frequently asked questions
What is the Polk County Children's Entrepreneur Market?
The Polk County Children's Entrepreneur Market 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.
When and where will it be held?
The Polk County Children's Entrepreneur Market will be held Sunday July 28th, 2019 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Lkld Live. Businesses can start setting up at 8:15 am.
Who can participate?
Children who are ages 6 to 16 on the date of the business fair can participate.
How does it work?
Young entrepreneurs submit an application and then begin to build a product or service. They plan their business at every level: product/service, marketing, accounting, cost of goods, pricing, and more.
Accepted applicants will sell their product or service to real customers from a booth at the fair.
Is there a fee to participate?
We will collect a $20 participation fee from all accepted businesses. The fee will be collected online via PayPal prior to the fair.
Where should I begin?
Start with our resources page.
Take a look at business ideas for kids from other fairs all over the country!
Read inspiring stories about other young entrepreneurs and play games to hone your business skills.
Take a look at business ideas for kids from other fairs all over the country!
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 an 8-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.
