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Starting a Lemonade Stand: 5 Things You Need to Know
Some of the most successful entrepreneurs got their start selling lemonade. How to create the ultimate lemonade stand.
Posted 5/ 11 11 at 12:30 PM | 5 Things You Need to Know, Advertising & Marketing, Sales, Starting a Business, Home-based Business, Food & Beverage
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With the end of the school year approaching and the weather heating up, that can only mean one thing for aspiring entrepreneurs: Lemonade season is upon us. Every summer, thousands of kids across the nation spend their days running lemonade stands. This year, May 1 marked the official kickoff to the season with 120,000 kids participating in National Lemonade Day, an event created by entrepreneur and philanthropist Michael Holthouse to teach kids about running a business.Lemonade stands in America are the quintessential first business, and many successful entrepreneurs will tell you they got their start by peddling lemonade on the street corner when they were kids. Holthouse, who founded the nonprofit Prepared 4 Life to help kids acquire important life skills, believes that all the skills essential to entrepreneurship can be learned through the process of starting a lemonade stand. "If you do it properly, you can cover every single aspect of starting, owning and operating any business," Holthouse told AOL Small Business in a recent interview.
With plenty of summer still ahead for selling lemonade, we asked Holthouse's for his best tips for starting a lemonade stand. Kids, listen up! Here are five things you need to know.
1
Start by setting goals.
Setting goals is the first step to any successful endeavor. Ask yourself, What do I want to achieve by starting a lemonade stand? Your goal could be to buy something with the money you make or to raise money for a cause. Figure out how much money you'll need to make to achieve your goal, and factor that in when deciding how to price your product. Whether your goal involves making money, decorating a cool stand or all of the above, make sure that every decision you make is helping you achieve those goals.
2
It's all about the branding.
Create a vision for your lemonade stand that will make it different and stand out. You can't just put a pitcher of Country Time on a folding table and expect customers to flock. Think about what makes you unique among your group of friends and express your personality in the way you decorate your stand. How can you incorporate aspects of yourself -- like your favorite sports, games or music -- to attract customers to your lemonade stand? Give your lemonade stand as unique a personality as your own!
3
Connect with your product.
You have lots of choices for the type of lemonade you want to serve, so take some time to think about your product. Maybe your family has a special lemonade recipe you want to use, or you have a favorite brand of lemonade that you always drink. Whether you try out a new recipe that you find on the Internet or add your own special touch to a classic recipe, make sure you're selling a product you would want to buy yourself.
4
Promote!
You can start promoting your business even before you set up shop. Plan a campaign to let people in your community know when and where they can find your lemonade stand. Put up fliers around town and in your neighbors' mailboxes. Include an offer to give a discount to those who bring their fliers to your stand. Once your stand is open for business, make sure it has plenty of things -- balloons, big signs, decorative items -- that will help people notice your stand from a distance. Creating a clever name for your stand is also a great way to promote your business.
5
Be a great salesperson.
Sell, sell, sell! But most important, remember the key to selling a lot of lemonade is in creating a valuable customer experience. Remember to smile, greet your customers and make them feel special. Always be appreciative when they buy your lemonade. And don't forget to have a tip jar so customers can reward you for the great service.
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Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1st rule ought to be to buy a vender's permit to sell the ade
Well, I just hope these Self Employed are Paying their SET taxes and into their SS.. We seniors need every dime we can get..
and make sure you offer a Seniors Discount
;-)
Lemonade Day in Denver is May 22nd. Sign up at www.Denver.Lemonadeday.org! Will be a
blast and you can win a $5,000 towards college! Jon
When our children did it, they sold water balloons to the kids in the playground for fifty cents a piece, or a free one with two servings of lemonade. The crowd went wild for that one! Also we used spring water and fresh lemons. The guys in the handball court wanted us to make them lemonade for $25 a pitcher! Who says Americans won't pay more for actual quality?
I think those are some good promotional tips that not only would increase lemonade sales, but make the activity more enjoyable for kids. Interestingly, I know of a few adults starting home based businesses who could benefit from investing a little more time in tip #1. Great article.
Dear jonjfranklin,
I live in Florida, but I am so proud to hear of such a great enterprise for young children and their families. Congratulations on your fundraiser, $5,000 to a school, that's awesome.
I know you are busy right now with this event. But, the money needed for schools and charities across our country never ends. If your group or school is looking for a way to raise money year round, who isn't? Then please take a look at our free fundraiser. No candy, no cookie dough.
We have an online store with 1000's of products including our best selling ink and toner and when an order is placed, you and your group or school receive 15%. We mail donation checks 12 times a year.
Lots of schools recycle ink and toner, but very few actually sell it. It's the perfect fundraising product.
Because every home, office and classroom uses it. Our prices are under the prices that your local retail office supply sells ink for. It is a necessary purchase that is purchased over and over. Our program costs absolutely nothing. Plus 15% is a big donation, compared to most off and online fundraising.
Simply sign up at our website, www.ShopForStudents.com and you will receive your unique link by email right away. A few days later we will send you a custom designed banner just for you. You can incorporate the banner and link together into a newsletter, email or a blog.
This is the safest, easiest and certainly healthiest no cost fundraiser of course created by a dad of two young daughters.
We invite you to join us.
Laura
Well, I just hope these Self Employed are Paying their SET taxes and into their SS.. We seniors need every dime we can get..
and offer a Seniors Discount
Well we tried to sell some Lemonaid out front of our Wriggleyvill Town home, accross the street from Cubs Baseball Park.. And guess what happened?
The City Inspector came by and told us we had to have a City permit and that cost $15..
and a Liquor License...since we were also selling Beer...
;-0)
and make sure you have Trigger Locks on your Guns in the House please.. and hide the Bullets
"over 365 people die every yr from Ladder Accicents"
over 500,000 a yr have ladder accidents..
We enoucrage you use a Ladder, your local Fire Dept and EMT's Need the work
!
;-0)
Schools would have more than enough $ if they didn't have to use so much to provide Free Food to all the Kids.. We always brought our own Lunch.. and if a Kid didn't eat breakfast and their parent didn't feed them? The parent Got a $25 fine, then a $50 and then the 3rd time they lost their kid..
Did you know over 3 million Illegal Kids are in our schools and getting everything for FREE! costing the ave of $12,000 per each kid.. You do the math on what it is costing and taking that away from your yourschool... the ave school has 20 illegals in them = cost over $240,000 yr out your Taxes and the schools Budget.. you wonder why your school is always comming up short of $?
and then guess what happens to those kids? They end up going back to Mexico.. On your Dime!
and then guess what happens? They come back as adults and bring their Kids with them to do it all over again..
Not Improving your Community One Bit.. Just draining your $ and Resources from your kids and your community and the Gov't won't do anything about it.
And when one of thoe Illegal Kids hurts an American Citizen kid? All they do is Deport them ..
It happens 11 x every day in High Schools just in California alone!
John Stossel, FOX News..
Isn't that nice? Your Taxes at work..
Greetings:
I hope that within all your various discussions about the Lemonade stands for kids, thet you will check with your local police, city hall and whoever else. I do remember some time last year, the police (cennot remember the state)arrested some kids for selling without a license. So why not clear all this issue up before we give the kids a go ahead only to be arrested by the police who now will have an image problem with the parents and then after words have been said, the kids will resent the police and then little Johnny or Suzie will have a terrible experience and then the parents will start a legal action against the police and the city and then before you know it we have all this going on in the summer when the kids would not have made any money!!!!!!.
CEK
The best part of the lemonaid stand..........I got all the supplies from mom (free), I pocketed the money and bought candy with it. Mom cleaned up the mess because I was too sick from eating candy. Kinda like voting for the wealthy to pay for the entitlements of the do nothing, lazy, free hand out Obama supporters!!!