Acton Children's Business Fair Carrollton, GA
Saturday, April 25, 2020
11:00AM - 3:00PM
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About the fair
Welcome to the first annual Acton Children's Business Fair! Melissa Crawford and Chad Buckner recently opened Odyssey: An Acton Academy in Carrollton. Odyssey is a new school that emphasizes student-led education and believes every child has unlimited potential. Part of this potential is realized by allowing them to follow passions, such as creating a business or being an entrepreneur. The original Acton Academy in Austin, Texas started the idea of entrepreneurial children hosting a fair to the public, and we want to continue this tradition by offering all school-age children in the community an opportunity 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.
One Important Note: Due to vendor agreements, food and drink sales can not be allowed at our Children's Business Fair.
One Important Note: Due to vendor agreements, food and drink sales can not be allowed at our Children's Business Fair.
We will host 36 booths at the 1st annual Acton Children's Business Fair Carrollton, GA on April 25, 2020, from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. We will begin set up at 10 am. There is a $20 per booth participation fee.
This event is sponsored by Acton Academy, the Acton School of Business, and the generous support of our donors and volunteers. We all believe that principled entrepreneurs are heroes and role models for the next generation.
Cash prizes of $50 will be awarded in each of the four age groups (6-8, 9-11, 12-14, and 15-18) for “Most Business Potential,” “Most Creative Idea,” and “Most Impressive
Presentation.”
Cash prizes of $50 will be awarded in each of the four age groups (6-8, 9-11, 12-14, and 15-18) for “Most Business Potential,” “Most Creative Idea,” and “Most Impressive
Presentation.”
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.
Please see our FAQ sections for any questions.
Please see our FAQ sections for any questions.
Hosted by
Chad Buckner
🗓️ Started hosting in 2020
🚀 Has hosted 1 fair
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.
1 booth participating
Testing
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 36 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.
• The competition will be judged in the following FOUR age categories: Ages 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, and 15-18.
• If children of different age groups prepare a booth together, they will be judged in the age group of the oldest participant.
• There will be NO soliciting personal/individual business sponsors for your child's product.
• Please note that you may help your child fill out the booth application, but
depending on their age, they are expected to do as much as possible by themselves.
• We will begin to notify accepted applicants in March,
and will continue until we reach our cap of 36 businesses. Applications will close one week before the fair.
• Instead of an application fee at the time of submission, we will instead be collecting a $20 participation fee from all accepted business ideas.
• The competition will be judged in the following FOUR age categories: Ages 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, and 15-18.
• If children of different age groups prepare a booth together, they will be judged in the age group of the oldest participant.
• There will be NO soliciting personal/individual business sponsors for your child's product.
• Please note that you may help your child fill out the booth application, but
depending on their age, they are expected to do as much as possible by themselves.
• We will begin to notify accepted applicants in March,
and will continue until we reach our cap of 36 businesses. Applications will close one week before the fair.
• Instead of an application fee at the time of submission, we will instead be collecting a $20 participation fee from all accepted business ideas.
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 similar 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.
Are we allowed to sell food or drinks?
Not at this time. The Amp, where our fair will be located,
does not allow food or drinks to be sold at their venue.
Is there a booth participation fee?
Yes, it is $20 and is due once accepted. Invoices sent through paypal.
Are we allowed to sell food or drinks?
Not at this time. The Amp, where our fair will be located,
does not allow food or drinks to be sold at their venue.
Is there a booth participation fee?
Yes, it is $20 and is due once accepted. Invoices sent through paypal.
How will the fair be set up?
The fair will be an outdoor event at the AMP in Carrollton. Each business will be given a table and 1-2 chairs. Table cloths will not be provided. Children will be responsible for marketing and signage at their table. Please feel free to make your table stand out! 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.
