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Acton Children's Business Fair Louisville, KY

Saturday, October 14, 2017

11:00AM - 1:00PM

4901 Exeter Ave,

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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 many booths at the 1st annual event DuValle Education Center on October 14, 2017 from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm.

This event is sponsored by Acton Academy, the Acton School of Business, Akanni and the generous support of our volunteers.  We all believe that principled entrepreneurs are heroes and role models for the next generation.

Whether an entrepreneur is famous like Elijah McCoy 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

Djaataa Onanuga

🗓️ Started hosting in 2016

🚀 Has hosted 2 fairs

The Acton Children's Business Fair of Louisville, KY inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneur. 
 
Business from other fairs around the world have included handmade greeting cards, a pet-sitting service for exotic birds, a photobomb booth, and a lemonade stand that donated a percentage of profits to protect honeybees. The possibilities are limited only to what children can create! 
 
Originally started in Austin, Texas, the Acton Children's Business Fair has grown to cities including Chicago, Phoenix, Grand Rapids, Dallas, and Los Angeles.

9 booths participating

Kai's Bookyard

IDentify Bracelets

And 7 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 do I apply? Can I apply as part of a group?

Application must be submitted online before August 31, 2017. 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 the application fee?

In lieu of an application fee, all ACCEPTED business ideas will need to pay a participation fee of $20.

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? 

When is the Application Deadline?

The deadline to submit an application is August 31st.

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 a tented outdoor event with booths. Each business will be given a booth with an 8-foot table (to share with one other business), full-cover tenting, 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 will the competition be judged?

It will be judged in THREE age categories: Ages 6- 9, 10-12 and 13-16. If children of different age groups prepare a booth together, they will be judged in the age group of the oldest participant. 


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.