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Applications will open on May 17th! Please join our mailing list to receive our notifications.
Little CEOs Business Fair
Saturday, September 13, 2025
11:00AM - 7:00PM
Applications are closed
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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.
This event is sponsored through 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 Steve Jobs or Sara Blakely 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.
Registration:
Registration will open up on May 17th, and close once a substantial number of applications are received. So please submit your application early to book space and showcase your children-run business at this annual event in Loudoun County.
Registration Fee: $20 per business
Set Up:
The fair will be an indoor event, hosted at the Dulles Mall, Dulles Town Center, Sterling, VA. Each business will be assigned a 6-ft table to setup their business booth.
Eligibility:
- All kids, ages 6-14, can setup a booth at the business fair.
- No more than 3 participants for a business.
For more information, please visit us at:
LCBF Loudoun Children Business Fair
Hosted by
Shirali Patel
🗓️ Started hosting in 2022
✅ Identity verified
⭐️ 5.0 (2)
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.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I begin?
Check out the video and slides posted at LCBF Loudoun Children Business Fair
Check out the video and slides posted at LCBF Loudoun Children Business Fair
What are some common products that the Little CEOs bring forth at these fairs?
These are some common product categories we have seen in the past fairs:
- Artwork – Drawing, Painting
- Crafts – 3D Printed, Crochet, Knitting, Sewing, Diamonds Bead Stickers, Organic Recycle, Resin Epoxy, Wood
- Food – Desserts, Snacks, Specialty
- GIfts – Greeting Cards, Holiday Gifts
- Jewelry – Beads, Rubberbands, Metal, Gems
- Services – Beauty, Henna, Carnival
- Spa & Skincare – Candles, Soaps, body butter, scrubs
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:
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 are the application guidelines?
- 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.
- Applicants must be between the ages of 6 and 14 on the date of the business fair.
- Parents may help their child fill out the application, but we expect the children to do as much as possible by themselves.
- You will receive an email confirming that we received your application. If you don’t receive an email confirmation it means that we either didn’t receive your application or that your email address was incorrect.
Is there a registration fee?
- There is no fee to submit the application.
- Once your application is accepted, all accepted businesses must pay a $25 registration fee to cover facility rental, table space, and chairs for the booth.
How do we make the fee payment?
- After your application is selected, you will receive an email with payment instructions to submit the $25 registration fee. We accept multiple payment platforms like Paypal, Venmo, Credit Card, etc.
- All accepted businesses must pay a $25 registration fee to cover facility rental, table space, and chairs for the booth.
- Payment link will expire 3 days after selection. Due to high demand and a long waitlist, if we don’t receive your payment within this timeframe, we will move forward with the next applicant.
What are the selection criteria?
When selecting businesses to participate in the business fair, we look for:
- Complete applications, with all questions answered.
- Evidence that the application and the business are the work of the child and not the adult—we don’t expect polished applications!
- Plans by the young entrepreneur to pay back any loans/financial assistance he/she may receive.
- If we receive more applications than we have space for, we will employ first come first basis, as much as possible, but also strive to maintain diversity in age, gender, and race at the fair.
- Children that participated at previous fairs will be prioritized.
How many businesses will you accept?
We will accept up to 100 businesses, based on the capacity of the facility we have chosen.
What if someone else has the same business idea?
Two cupcake businesses? Not a problem. In general, we will let market forces play out. But the selection process values unique business ideas and well-thought-out plans. We will only accept a certain number of applicants in a product category.
How will the fair be set up?
The fair will be an indoor event with tables setup in a mall. Each business will be given booth space with a 6-foot table and 2 chairs. Tablecloths will not be provided.
The fair will be an indoor event with tables setup in a mall. Each business will be given booth space with a 6-foot table and 2 chairs. Tablecloths will not be provided.
Will electricity be available?
Unfortunately, we are not able to provide electricity to the booths.
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 behind them 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.
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 behind them 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.
Are there permits required to sell food?
The Loudoun Children's Business Fair will apply for a Temporary Food Vendor Application and receive a blanket permit from the Virginia Department of Health. We urge all children planning to setup a Food business, to submit for their own Temporary Food Vendor as well.
Event-Coordinator-Registration-and-Information-Packet (loudoun.gov)
