let's just say.... "the lemon (and sometimes the apple) does not fall far from the tree."
So let me tell you a story about two little entrepreneurs I met a few weeks ago at AJ's & KS's lemonade stand. Ashley & Kayla, two girls determined to change the world one cup of lemonade at a time, or maybe just change their world... developed a game plan to start a business and went through all of the details of that business. They created a name, made signs, thought of a marketing plan, set their hours of operation, determined the product they would sell, the materials needed, the price point for their product and most importantly, the investment it would take to open up their business. These were things they had previously learned when selling cookies for Girl Scouts.
As I listened to the budding entrepreneurs talking adult-like in the backseat of my car, I smiled and let out a chuckle here and there. At this point, I was merely just a driver taking them home after a nice meal at Outback Steakhouse. I was not a mom nor an aunt and any interruption or distraction from this serious initial partner meeting would not be tolerated. I even tried jumping back into mom mode about other things in life and Ashley quickly reeled me in and said, "I thought we were talking about selling lemonade. Who cares about taking pictures at weddings?" WOW! She's only 8 peeps! She is focused, determined and ready to take on the world!
I almost wondered if the idea would die down once we walked through the door of our house but it didn't. In fact, they went from 0-60 in about 20 seconds. All of a sudden, I was rummaging through the garage looking for items they could make signs with, grabbing paints from the guest room and looking for paint brushes that actually worked.
Once the signs were complete, the girls and I headed to Walmart to buy their product. Their total investment was $8.45. Fortunately, we already had 16 oz. cups, ice leftover from a recent event and stickers leftover for further branding on the cups. On the way home from Walmart, the girls suggested I make a post on Facebook asking friends and family to head over to their lemonade stand between 9-1 on Saturday. Here is what they asked me to post:
Come to aj&ks's fresh lemonade stand 9:00am to1:00pm at ashley's house. We appreciate your business. $1.00 for 16 ounces.
We took a few photos and the girls went off to bed so they could get up early to open up for business.
8:00 am came fairly quick the next morning. John helped make their stand easier to manage with a professional tip jar, an ice chest, and a real cash register. (dad's are the best at this stuff.) I threw in some extra touches with a nice white table cloth and some lemons in a jar for effect.
Business started slow and their first sell wasn't actually a sell but rather a donation. A runner ran by and threw a $5 bill at them. They were super excited! It lifted their spirits and I think it made them hold their signs just a tad bit higher. Throughout the day, Ashley made phone calls asking people to visit, and they happen to stop by. The list of visitors included: Papa, Gran, Aunt Karissa, classmates Mason, Emma and Ashton and her troop leader Tina.
Another important thing they learned is that people love the option of a drive thru lemonade stand. So next time they have a lemonade stand, they may consider putting this on their sign.
They ran out of product just minutes before closing time and closed up shop. They went inside and counted their days earnings and did pretty well! Ashley chose to save her money and Kayla chose to spend half of hers at Justice. After all, she is a TWEEN headed to 6th grade!
I'm very proud of my little entrepreneurs! They did a great job and made great choices! It's also great to know the ole' lemonade stand is still a viable option for children these days! Great job girls!!!
