By Darlene Brace
On Sunday November 10th, Mayville had its 1st Children’s Business Fair in the Chautauqua Municipal Building gym from 12pm-4pm. Children ages 6yrs-14yrs participated in the fair and were able to be an entrepreneur for the day. The children were excited about the products they had created, and they were able to launch the startup of their business at the fair that day.
This innovative idea was in coordination with a non-profit organization called the Acton Academy that has been having these children’s business fairs in Austin, Texas since 2007. The first business fair in Austin was coordinated by Jeff and Laura Sandefer. They wanted to inspire their own children as well as others, giving them the opportunity to be an entrepreneur for the day. Their first event in Austin only had seven participants. Now it has grown and features over 100 participants annually, and it is the largest kid entrepreneurship event in North America. The Sandefer’s enjoy coordinating these business fairs so much that they have made it possible for other locations and organizations to follow their model. To read more about the Acton Academy and the children’s business fairs, go to https://www.childrensbusinessfair.org/.
Sorena Gilkinson who is a small business owner and resident in Mayville came across the Children’s Business Fair idea one day when she saw a post about it on Facebook. She thought it was a great idea and that her own children as well as others might like to participate in this amazing opportunity. The children would be able to be creative, learn about being a business owner, and have fun being an entrepreneur for the day. Sorena proposed the idea to her friend, Ariel Cartwright, who is also a small business owner and resident in Mayville. Together they decided to coordinate this event, and they organized and operated it under their new community based not-for-profit called Inspire Good of WNY Inc. in Mayville.
The Mayville Children’s Business Fair was able to accommodate up to thirty businesses. Being that it was the first year here, it was a challenge to find enough participants. Initially, there were only a few children signed up. Sorena and Ariel thought that they might even have to cancel the event, but as they promoted the event on Facebook and sent out flyers to schools and businesses in the area, the interest in the event grew. Because of their persistence, this year’s event ended up having seventeen business participants. The two women were thrilled the interest in the fair had grown, and the fair could go on as they had planned.
To participate, there were rules that had to be followed. The children were allowed to work alone or together in small groups of two or three. It was required that the children do all the work of creating their business idea. Parents were not allowed to help create, set up, or promote their child’s business. The parents had to be present at all times and ensure that their child had everything they needed, including start up cash.
The seventeen businesses participants had the opportunity to talk about and promote their business to customers, and they were able to sell their products at the fair using real money for transactions. There were a variety of businesses presented, that included items like candles, Christmas wreaths, clay creations, baked goods, jewelry, pens, hair bows, and more.
As the day went on, the excitement mounted as the businesses were judged in three categories and three $50 cash prizes were awarded. Toward the end of the event, the judges awarded the Most Original Business Idea to Sisterly Scents, that featured candles and potpourri. The second award was given to Peyton’s Bracelets for the award of Highest Business Potential. For Best Presentation, the award was given to Aubri’s Stuff, that included photography and jewelry made from recycled materials. The prizes had been donated by Handcrafted from the Heart, The Mayberry Jungle, and Inspire Good of WNY.
This was a great opportunity for children to learn about what it takes to be an entrepreneur and run a business. There was a steady flow of people for most of the event, as over a hundred customers attended and made purchases at the fair. Sorena said, “It was a great experience for the children. They had fun, learned a lot, and even made a little bit of money. We would like to thank the families that participated and to other people that helped make this happen. Next year, we are hoping to collaborate with local businesses and have more children’s businesses represented. We anticipate the 2nd Annual Children’s Business Fair to be even bigger and better that the first one.”
Continuation Caption: For Best Presentation, the award was given to Aubri’s Stuff, that included photography and jewelry made from recycled materials.