Acton Children's Business Fair Dover, DE
Saturday, August 24, 2024
11:00AM - 2:30PM
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About the fair
Welcome to our second Children's Business Fair in the city of Dover!
Kid vendors ages 5 to 14 will develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and open for customers at our one-day marketplace.
This event will be held at the Dover Public Library located at 35 Loockerman Plaza, Dover, Delaware, 19901 on August 24th, 2024 from 11 am - 2:30 pm. It is a $15.00 vendor fee per business. This fee can be paid via PayPal, Cash App, or in cash on the day of the fair.
This event will be held at the Dover Public Library located at 35 Loockerman Plaza, Dover, Delaware, 19901 on August 24th, 2024 from 11 am - 2:30 pm. It is a $15.00 vendor fee per business. This fee can be paid via PayPal, Cash App, or in cash on the day of the fair.
There will be cash prizes of $50 in each age group (5-9, and 10-14) for "Most Business Potential," "Most Creative Idea," and Most Impressive Presentation."
This event is sponsored by The Dover Public Library, Acton Academy, and the Acton School of Business. Let's support these young, bright minds and help unleash their entrepreneurial spirit!
Hosted by
Janell Sampson
🗓️ Started hosting in 2023
✅ Identity verified
🚀 Has hosted 2 fairs
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.
22 booths participating
The Dragons Flamery
TrinityChanel
And 20 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.
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?
Applications 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 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. Tablecloths will not be provided. We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity.
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.
