Calgary’s next generation of businesspeople hope to leave a sour taste in your mouth.
On June 8, hundreds of lemonade stands will be open and ready to quench the thirst of Calgarians as part of the city’s first Lemonade Day.
Over 350 kids across the city have spent months planning out their first business opportunities, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more eager bunch of entrepreneurs.
The community event is aimed at inspiring young people to learn about business and finance in a hands-on way.
The event started in Texas in 2007 and has reached over one million kids across North America.
The Calgary Chamber of Commerce partnered with Junior Achievement Southern Alberta to bring it here.
“For me it’s a huge way to give back. It’s a way to increase financial literacy and start that at a really young age. It’s exactly what the Chamber is about,” said president and CEO Sandip Lalli.
Lalli’s seven-year-old daughter is in Grade 1 and they’ve been planning their own stand since March.
“Her eyes lit up. We’ve been going through the work book together. It’s funny, she’s talking about marketing and she’s like, ‘Okay, I’m going to need a cash register,’ and it’s like wow, how do you know these things?” said Lalli.
Through the support of local companies, the free event provides each child with a mentor and business workbook to plan out each step.
Kids learn how to price their product, make a business plan and interact with customers. They’re also encouraged to come up with a creative design for their stand and can sell cookies or crafts on the side to boost profit.
Each booth keeps the money it earns with a goal to save some for the future and give a portion to charity.
The event focuses on kids in Grade 4 to 7, but children of all ages were invited to sign up.
Registration is now closed with dozens of stands planned to open in each corner of the city on June 8.
For a full list of all the locations, visit Lemonade Day’s website.
