ALL ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S BUSINESS FAIR
We are excited to be bringing the Children's Business Fair to the Fresno & Clovis area! The one-day Business Fair is a culmination of ideas and hard work from great young minds. Kids develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and then open for real customers at our one-day marketplace. Experience young minds marketing, selling, counting money and feeling accomplished!
Attention Young Entrepreneurs
Here is your chance to turn an idea into a business!
- The first step is to make an important decision: to hire yourself!
- Then submit an application. We will accept up to 40 businesses. You can apply on your own or you may partner with 2 additional friends (up to 3 young entrepreneurs per booth)
- Once you have been accepted, you will have access to resources and in-person summer workshops to help you on your journey of becoming an entrepreneur! And in the process, you will learn a sense of wonder, the importance of hard work, taking responsibility, and gaining confidence for any challenge!
Application Requirements:
The Children’s Business Fair is for children ages 6-16 (on or before the day of the event). 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. We are asking for a $20.00 booth fee for each business to secure your spot. This will include a table, tablecloth and chairs.
The application asks you to think through some simple, but important elements of your business. It's okay not to know all the answers just yet but try to answer them the best you can right now:
- 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?
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 they can decide what to do.
Attention Bakers
If you would like to make food or drinks to sell at the fair we have arranged for a professional kitchen for you to prepare your products in. Special workshops will be available as well to teach you how to bake like a pro! *Please note, we can not allow food or drinks that have been prepared at home to be sold at the fair.
How will the fair be set up?
The Children's Business Fair will have a dedicated market space at the 46th Annual Clovis Fest. This fair attracts 40,000 people each year over the two day event. *Please note the Children's Business fair will only be featured on Saturday. This will be an outdoor event and each business will be given a booth space with a 6-foot table, table cloth & 2 chairs. Feel free to make the space your own with decorations, a tent for shade and don't forget your shop sign!
Will electricity be available?
Unfortunately, we are not able to provide electricity to the booths.
Will there be prizes?
YES!!!! More exciting information to come!
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 during the fair, their child’s business will be disqualified from the competition.
Each young business is required to have a parent chaperone, 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.
ATTENTION PARENTS:
Please remember to keep this about the children. Let them imagine, create, and problem solve. Your job is to maintain enthusiasm and provide encouragement.
Keep it simple. This is a children’s fair. Let the business plan, booth, and sales reflect your child at her/his best, not your best.
Let your child do the work. Let them make mistakes and learn from them. Let her/him problem solve and come up with his own solutions. Let your child be the Chair of the Board, CEO, and owner of his/her ideas.
*If a parent is found selling or promoting a child’s product or service during the fair, their child’s business will be disqualified from the competition.
How did the Children's Business Fair get started?
The Children’s Business Fair model was originally developed by the Acton Academy Schools and Acton MBA Program, organizations which believe in the power of work and entrepreneurship to improve self esteem and strong communities. After several successful fairs in Texas, they chose to give the opportunity to others across the country. Now Acton Children’s Business Fairs are active in different cities across the country, making it the largest entrepreneurship event for kids in North America.
Interested in supporting the event?
If you are interested in volunteering or sponsoring the event, please contact us at: cbffresnoclovis@gmail.com
