Kid businesses – that’s where many an entrepreneur got his or her start. Whether a paper route, or collecting used soft drink bottles, or mowing lawns, or selling lemonade, the seeds of entrepreneurship are often sown with that first neighborhood business a child engages in. On June 7, 2014, kids who participate in Lemonade Day will get the chance to experience the thrill of making and selling a product, a thrill that will propel some of them, no doubt, into a successful business career. Lemonade Day is a program that teaches kids the fundamentals of entrepreneurship by facilitating the creation of that most basic kid business: a lemonade stand.
On May 21, I spoke to Lemonade Day participants, parents, and friends at New Jerusalem Full Gospel Baptist Church in Flint, Michigan. The occasion was a kickoff for the upcoming Lemonade Day event, and was intended to inform the young participants about entrepreneurship and get them fired up. I was heartened to see so many young people anxious to give business a try, and was even more encouraged by the young adults and adults who expressed a desire to control their own destiny by starting and owning a business. These would-be entrepreneurs need advice and support to turn their ideas into viable businesses.
Thanks to Kimberly Blair of FM Financial Credit Union for sponsoring Lemonade Day, and for inviting me to speak. I always enjoy returning to my hometown to interact with, and hopefully inspire, young and old alike. It was great to see that the “Flintstone” spirit is alive and well. Folks in Flint seem determined to turn their lemons into lemonade.
