Lemonade stand contest helps kids focus on business
When life give you lemons, make lemonade and enter your stand into a contest.
Summer sales jobs are a little more competitive in Bucks County since the public library system began its kids contest a couple years ago, encouraging the use of lemonade stands to learn more about business.
Stephanie Deeter, public services manager for the Bucks County Free Library, says it all stared three years ago when the library decided to expand the scope of a fund bequeathed to the Lower Makefield/Yardley branch. Meant to assist local businesses, the fund now also helps the libraries’ young patrons learn about business.
County kids ages 7 to 12 have until Aug. 5 to enter their stands into the contest for a chance to win $500. Deeter says applications haven’t begun rolling in yet because of the work entrants usually like to put into their projects.
Take for example the roughly 15 stands in last year’s contest. The kids, who can work alone or in teams (but who all need parental permission), took detailed minutes of their meetings so they could determine the best place to set up, how to get the lemonade and how much to charge customers. At the top of most to-do lists are conversations with the townships so participants can make sure they don’t need a permit for their stands.
“We want to have them think about it before they set [the stand] up,” Deeter explains.
All the hard work will pay off in early September when one lucky stand will win $500. The winner(s) can decide how to spend the prize, but Deeter says most end up giving it to charity. Honorable mention and runner-up prizes will be doled out as well, after a group of local business owners finishes judging the stands for best business practices and creativity.
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