Children's Business Fair Cleveland, Ohio
Saturday, October 11, 2025
2:00PM - 5:00PM
Applications are closed
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About the fair
Every day children are being confronted with messaging telling who they are or who they should be. They are being influenced by media, music, peers, family… Well the Cleveland Children’s Small Business Fair places the power back into their hands to be who they want to be.
The Cleveland Children’s Small Business Fair is a two-day experience that provides kids with a safe space, to learn how to create a business from their passion and sell their products and services. The purpose of this program is to provide child entrepreneurs grades K-12, the platform to gain knowledge and resources for how to grow a business.
The Cleveland Children’s Small Business Fair is a two-day experience that provides kids with a safe space, to learn how to create a business from their passion and sell their products and services. The purpose of this program is to provide child entrepreneurs grades K-12, the platform to gain knowledge and resources for how to grow a business.
The students are encouraged to discover their passions and explore ways to turn that passion into a tangible product or service. They are taught how to brand their business, how to protect their business by registering with the state or applying for a patent, how to market their business and learn strategies on how to sell that product or service. Once they obtained those tools, they implemented the skills they learned from the workshop on the day of the fair.
Every day more and more children are suffering from overstimulation, fear-of-missing-out, anxiety and depression from constantly being bombarded with negative messaging. Not just in the media, but sometimes from those they trust like family and friends. The Cleveland Children’s Small Business Fair is one tool they can use to combat that.
Teaching children how to run a business is teaching them life skills! We are giving them the confidence to know that they are capable of taking an idea and utilizing their creation to thrive in life. We are doing more than teaching them how to complete a sale, or market a product. They are learning how to challenge their perspectives, how to problem solve through critical thinking, and how to succeed in the face of adversity! We are equipping them with a set of skills and resources that will serve them well into their adult lives.
This event is sponsored by Acton Academy, and the generous support of our donors and volunteers. We all believe that principled entrepreneurs are heroes and role models for the next generation.
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Randa Jackson
🗓️ Started hosting in 2024
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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 children in North America, this one-day market gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses.
The Acton Children's Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneur. The largest entrepreneurship event for children 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 50 businesses.
We will accept up to 50 businesses.
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.
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 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.
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 an indoor event with booths. Each business will be given a booth with an 6-foot table and 2 chairs.
The fair will be an indoor event with booths. Each business will be given a booth with an 6-foot table and 2 chairs.
What are the rules?
This event is designed to give children the experience of selling a product or service.
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.
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.
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.
