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.
What is the Coral Springs Festival of Arts?
This AWESOME annual event is an outdoor art show, stretching all up and down University Ave in Coral Springs. The family friendly events attracts over 30,000 Floridians every year! Children participating in the Broward Children's Business Fair will have a booth set up for their business in the children's area of the festival. We'll be near Barnes & Noble.
Where should I begin?
Unsure where to start? Our advice is to keep it simple.
- First, think about what you can make with your own hands that others might enjoy.
- Next, picture how you might sell it.
- Finally, imagine the feeling (and responsibility) of having a little extra spending money as a result.
10:00am - 5:00pm? Wow that's a long day. Does my kid have to stay there the whole time?
Most kids age 6-14 don't have the endurance yet for a full day event! Accepted applications will be awarded a morning or afternoon time slot to run their business.
Is it free?
Almost. Booths in the traditional Coral Springs Festival of Arts run between $290 and $595. With generous support from The Coral Springs Festival of Arts, the shared spaces for kids age 6-14 are only $12.
I can't participate because of the $12 fee.
If the $12 fee is a barrier for your child's participation, send an email to ashley@browardcbf.org. The Acton Foundation has a limited number of scholarships available. Our goal is for ALL children who wish to participate to be able to be a part of this event!
If I am not awarded a space at the festival, is the $12 fee returned.
yes
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?
Consider it a lesson is product differentiation! There are a couple ideas (like slime) that a lot of applicants try. Our most successful entrepreneurs either have a UNIQUE product, or their give their product a creative spin so it stands out from the rest! Or they run a dynamite marketing campaign with friends and family ahead of time. Consider how McDonalds and Burger FI sell the same product- cheeseburgers- in very different ways!
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.
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.
Due to city and state regulations,
no food products are eligible for this event.
Can my kid buy a bunch of cheap stuff on Ebay, and then resell it at your event?This is a kid powered event so no. We encourage our kids to go through the process of creating their own product, gathering ideas for marketing it, interacting with customers, and learning about profit. Parents are encouraged to be present at their child's booth, but really, we want them to get the experience of running the business!
How 'bout this. I sell (insurance, makeup, or other product/service) for a living, and I'd like my kid to learn about business by selling my product at the fair.No, that won't work for this event, but we encourage you to check out National Take our Sons and Daughters to Work Day for that sort of thing.
My kid is too old for this event, but we still want to participate!This event is open to kids who will be between the ages of 6 and 14 on the day of the event. Older kids are welcome to volunteer by emailing volunteer@browardcbf.org or
apply for a regular booth outside of the children's section.
Will this event be coming to my city in Broward?We're in the planning stages for our other Broward events, and it's not to late to volunteer or join our planning committee! Email ashley@browardcbf.org to join in the fun.
How will the fair be set up?The fair will be a tented outdoor event with booths. Each business will share a table in the booth for a morning or afternoon shift. Full cover tenting is provided. The booths will be located in the children's area of the Coral Springs Festival of Arts. Table cloths are provided. We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity.
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.
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.
