NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — Children became business owners at the first Lowcountry Children’s Business Fair.
Twenty-one vendors created a product, designed their booth and sold to customers in Park Circle.
The children sold homemade sweets, 3D-printed designs, and bracelets. To continue the celebration of each business, each owner got the chance to ring a bell after getting their first customer.
The businesses were judged by volunteers for originality, highest business potential and best presentation and creativity.
For the six-to-eight age group, mini makers won the most original idea for their 3D designs; Hayden baked goods and lemonade won best potential.
Bath bomb baker and Cutie card tied for best presentation and creativity for the nine- to 12-year-olds. For the final group, ages 13 to 18, Cream cycles won best presentation and Willa’s jewelry won best potential.
Learning entrepreneurship
Arrie Seals, founder of Children’s Muse Academy, created the fair in partnership with Acton Children’s Business Fair. Seals said she wanted children to make their ideas into real businesses and profit.
“Entrepreneurship is all about trying,” Seals said. “You really got to take a leap of faith. So, I’m really glad that their parents signed them up so they can give it a shot and see what happens.”
Neveah Swanson, owner of Cutie Cards, said she turned her interest in art into a business.
“I really liked art and so I decided to make that into a business,” Swanson said. “It took me a while to learn that like you have like to not just make every card by hand but like I ended up making one card and then making it into taking it to the printer. And they would print them all, so I’m not doing every single card by hand.”
Swanson started the business three years ago when she was just in fourth grade. Now, with the support of her family, she’s working on a website, has created a Facebook page, and has learned how to streamline her creative process.
Terra Gooden, a sixth grader and owner of Sweets by Terra, said her mother’s business inspired her.
“My mom owns a business. I want it to be just like her, so I made my own business and took a sniff it and made it my own,” Gooden said.
Once trying, she hopes other kids will just trying a business idea. But importantly, starting this business has helped her understand how to handle business expenses on her own.
“I’ve learned a lot how to handle money,” she said. “I’ve also learned how to keep things sanitary and how to do things correctly, so it doesn’t go wrong.”
Family support
Christopher Smalls, owner of CJ’s Cool Cup Creations, turned one of his favorite snacks into a business with support from his mother, Stephanie Smalls.
“He has been asking me for a while to start an Italian ice business,” Stephanie Smalls said. “At first, I didn’t think that he was serious because he likes to eat Italian ice. But he kept asking and he kept pushing and when we saw this opportunity for the kids’ entrepreneurship fair, we decided that this would be a great place to start.”
Stephanie Smalls said the fair gives children a chance to learn what it takes to run a small business.
“I think that this is a very great space for the kids to start at least because they could see that it’s a lot of hard work,” she said. “We started maybe a few weeks ago getting all of the equipment and everything together. So, I think this is a great opportunity so that kids can learn how to become entrepreneurs and how to run a small business.”
Christopher Smalls said customers are supporting his business.
“I told my mom, I wanted to create Italian nice business and she said yes,” he said. “Now I get now I get to do it. And from now on, everybody’s coming to my business. Everybody is supporting my business.”
For Seals, the event was about serving children and showing them their potential.
“Children are our future leaders and we have to uplift them because they’re precious now,” Seals said. “I’m just trying to serve the children.”
The event was free for the public to attend. There is already a wait list for the next business fair, but registration is open for future business fairs and the Young CEO Camp in June.
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