Dusting off the Classics: Lemonade Stands

• Posted on July 21, 2017

Summer has really heated up, and that means we’re all looking for good ways to cool down. One of the more iconic images of summer in the suburbs is local children manning lemonade stands, so why not help your kids make their own? If you live in an HOA neighborhood, make sure you check out any rules or regulations first!

Setting Up

If your kids are looking for something to do and a way to earn some spending money but aren’t quite old enough to babysit or mow lawns, a lemonade stand might be the perfect fit. Let’s look at what they’ll need to get started.

 

• Location: Your front yard is probably the most ideal place for a lemonade stand, especially if you don’t live at the end of a dead-end street. If you live somewhere that gets very little traffic, though, you might want to take it to the nearest park. Wherever you set up, make sure to do so a safe distance from the road, and avoid blocking the sidewalk.

• Advertising: If you want people to know about the lemonade stand, a big sign is a great way to draw their attention. Help your kids design and make a sign and position it where it can be easily seen.
• The Stand: The lemonade stand itself can be as simple as a card table and some folding chairs for the kids selling the lemonade. For the rest of the supplies, you’ll need a large enough cooler for the ice, a big pitcher for the lemonade, plenty of ingredients for multiple batches of lemonade, plastic cups and napkins, a cash box, and some way for the kids to wash their hands.
• Product: No matter how great the stand looks, it won’t matter unless the lemonade is great too. Help your kids find a recipe they love, and help them get confident in their ability to make it themselves.
• Pricing: An important factor to consider is price. Depending on how realistic you want your kids’ experience with running a small business to be, you could keep it simple and sell cheap, or you could have them aim to actually earn a profit by selling cups of lemonade for enough to offset the cost of maintaining the stand.
• Comfort: Anyone working in the stand will be spending hours tending to it, so they’ll probably need their own snacks and maybe something to read between customers, as well as shade to protect from the afternoon sun.

Alternatives to Lemonade

Perhaps your kids aren’t fans of lemonade but are still bursting with entrepreneurial ambition. There are plenty of other options besides lemonade that could still draw customers to their little stand, such as candy, chilled watermelon slices, snow cones, baked goods, popcorn, popsicles, crafted items, or even old toys.

The Law Is on Your Side

This is a particularly good year for lemonade stands in Utah, because new state legislation specifically exempts children from the usual restrictions on commercial businesses run in residential areas. That means you don’t need to worry about getting a permit for your child’s lemonade stand.

Have Fun!

We at Perry Homes hope you and your family enjoy the rest of the summer, and that any lemonade stands you set up are a fabulous success!