The Acton Children’s Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneurs. The largest entrepreneurship event for kids in North America, this one-day market gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses.

Start with our resources page. Read inspiring stories about other young entrepreneurs and play games to hone your business skills.

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.

Applications must be complete to be considered. Vague answers (e.g. 'crafts' or 'jewelry') won't be accepted - tell us specifically what you're making or selling, your pricing, and your plan for advertising and covering startup costs. Vague or incomplete answers will lower your chances of acceptance.

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?

Two cupcake businesses? Not a problem. In general, we will let market forces play out, though we will inform later entrants if another applicant has a similar idea so they can decide what to do.

The fair will be an outdoor event. All vendors must bring their own 6-foot tables, tablecloths, and chairs. Tents are not permitted. Umbrellas encouraged.

Electricity is available only by request and includes an extra $5 charge on top of the regular booth fee of $20. There will be limited electricity booths and designated in an assigned area.

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 complete the application, but we expect children to do as much as possible on their own.

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.