What is the Palm Coast Children’s Business Fair?

Celebrating it's fourth year, The Palm Coast Children’s Business Fair Sponsored by Culinary Wellness inspires children to discover and grow their inner entrepreneur mindset. This one-day market gives them the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses.

How many businesses will you accept?

Celebrating our third year hosting and we're excited to see all the vendors growing their businesses! We will accept up to 44 youth developed 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? Should I promote the Fair on my social media platforms, church groups, fliers? 

Application and payment must be submitted online. Please submit one application for each business (up to three (3) participants per business. Once the application has been approved - a non-refundable vendor participation fee of $45.00 is required within 24 hours to secure their spot at the Fair. Children working as a group should submit one application that includes each child’s information. Reminder - No more than three  participants per business application.

Social Media Platforms & Email Communications: Participants and their parents are responsible for checking their emails, and our social media platforms for important updates and announcements.  Yes!!! It is highly recommended that consistent social media posts and marketing on the Fair and your participation is done as much as possible to ensure that the community comes out to support all the kid entrepreneurs. Culinary Wellness's Team works extremely hard to promote the Fair and engage the community but they can only do so much.  It is up to the kids and their families to reach out to their social networks, family, neighbors, friends, church groups, and the like to come out to support them and the Fair.

What is on the application?

The application asks kids to think through some simple, but important elements of their 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.

How will the fair be set up?

The fair will be held indoors at the Palm Coast Community Center. Each child will be assigned an entrepreneur vendor space, and they will be responsible in providing their own table, complete set up, their table cloth, all their marketing materials and products. It is encouraged they bring enough water and snacks.

Will electricity be available?

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide electricity to the assigned spaces.

What are the rules? 

This event is designed to provide our local youth ages 6-17, the experience of selling their 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 kids/teens should be responsible for their own set up, customer interaction, sales, marketing, promoting and social media posting of their participation at the Fair.

Parents may help their child fill out the application, promote the Fair on their behalf on their social media platforms, but we expect them to do as much as possible by themselves.

Parents can assist in the set up/break down but they cannot help sell their child's products, interact directly with customers regarding any sales and/or handle cash or credit card transactions.  If a parent is seen by one of our team members to be doing any of the above mentioned, their child will be disqualified from participation and asked to leave the Fair immediately.  

Email Communications: Participants and their parents are responsible for checking their emails, and our social media platforms for important updates and announcements.  It is also the responsibility of each participant to promote and market their participation and the Fair on their social media platforms to ensure that the community comes out and supports all the entrepreneurs! 

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.