On November 22, our young entrepreneurs once again showed our community what children are truly capable of. From handmade crafts to tech-inspired services, the creativity and courage on display at our 6th Annual Acton Children’s Business Fair were extraordinary.

And this year, their work even made the news — a proud moment that highlighted what we’ve always believed:

When children are given freedom, responsibility, and real-world work… they rise.

The fair proves it every year.

But the fair is only the beginning.

If your child lit up with excitement during the fair…
If they surprised you with their grit, creativity, or professionalism…
If they left asking, “Can I do this again next year?”

Then the months after the Children’s Business Fair are where the real growth happens.

Here’s how to keep that entrepreneurial flame burning — all year long.

1. Visit Local Businesses — Let Your Child Meet Real-World Role Models

Entrepreneurship becomes real when children meet people who live it every day.
Simple local outings can spark big inspiration:

✔ Visit a bakery and ask the owner how they started

✔ Stop by a craft shop and observe packaging, pricing, and merchandising

✔ Explore a farmer’s market and chat with vendors about their best-selling products

Something powerful happens in these conversations:

Children begin to see entrepreneurship not as a one-day booth… but as a possible future.

And adults love encouraging young entrepreneurs — it’s in our nature to mentor the next generation.

2. Encourage Micro-Apprenticeships

Children learn best by doing real work beside real people.
You can create small, meaningful “apprenticeship moments” by helping them:

  • shadow a family friend who runs a business

  • help a neighbor with a skill aligned to their booth

  • spend an afternoon in a kitchen with a baker

  • ask a local maker how they photograph and package their items

  • set up a 10-minute “entrepreneur chat” with a shop owner

The goal is not long-term employment.
The goal is exposure, courage, curiosity, and responsibility — the foundation of every great entrepreneur.

3. Let Them Rebuild, Refine & Iterate on Their Booth

Growth happens through reflection and iteration.

After the fair, sit down with your child and ask thoughtful questions:

  • “What went well?”

  • “What would you change next time?”

  • “Which booths inspired you?”

  • “What did customers ask most often?”

  • “What slowed you down?”

Then encourage them to:

✔ redesign their sign
✔ improve their packaging
✔ adjust pricing
✔ streamline their product
✔ explore a new idea entirely

This is the essence of the entrepreneurial journey:
Face a challenge → reflect → try again, wiser and stronger.

4. Introduce Simple Bookkeeping

Money becomes meaningful when it’s theirs.

Help your child understand their business through a simple framework:

  • Revenue: What money came in

  • Costs: What they spent

  • Profit: What’s left

  • Investment: What they’ll reinvest

  • Giving: A cause they care about

Bookkeeping teaches:

  • responsibility

  • math with a purpose

  • delayed gratification

  • resourcefulness

  • financial literacy

And most importantly: agency.

A child who understands how money flows feels capable and empowered.

5. Celebrate Their Growth (Not Just Their Sales)

Success at the Children’s Business Fair isn’t measured only in dollars.
It’s measured in:

✨ courage
✨ creativity
✨ problem-solving
✨ resilience
✨ kindness
✨ customer service
✨ integrity
✨ follow-through
✨ and grit

These are the qualities that matter most — in business and in life.

When your child refines their idea, serves customers bravely, or keeps going after a slow hour… celebrate that.

They are practicing skills adults spend decades learning.

A Final Word: The Fair Was One Day. The Journey Is Lifelong.

We are humbled — truly — to be on this journey with families who believe that children deserve real challenges, real responsibility, and real opportunities to shine.

Our November 22 fair was a milestone, not an ending.

Let’s keep the momentum going.
Let’s help our young entrepreneurs continue building, experimenting, refining, learning, and dreaming.

Because someday, years from now, they may say:

“My journey started at the Acton Children’s Business Fair.”

And we’ll be able to say:

“We saw the spark from the very beginning.”

Kori Stack
Kori Stack