Jumpstart Evanston is Bringing Lemonade Day to Local Entrepreneurs Ages 5-12

Save the date for Saturday, August 9, this year’s official Lemonade Day! Kids ages 5-12 can register online to gain access to entrepreneurial materials and resources to start their own lemonade stands. Selling lemonade to their friends and neighbors is a great way to learn the basics of running a business and practice financial skills that children can apply throughout their lives. 

“We want to give kids the entrepreneurial itch,” says Rocco O'Neill, Community Development Director for the City of Evanston. “This is a great opportunity to show that the entire community cares about local business, no matter how new or small they are.”

Kids can participate in Lemonade Day for free. They will receive all the resources needed to sell lemonade in their desired areas. Registration is open until August 9, but early participants can gain access to the educational materials and make plans for their booths ahead of time. 

Kids Work Through Strategic Business Decisions

While many kids understand the basics of running a lemonade stand, the program created by Lemonade Day allows them to learn additional business skills that adult entrepreneurs use when developing their companies. For example, kids make profit and loss statements to identify where they want to allocate their budgets and how much revenue they generated. They are encouraged to brainstorm creative names for the lemonade stands and consider how to attract customers.

Lemonade Day also tries to help kids build healthy financial habits. They are encouraged to “spend some, save some, and share some” to allocate their profits fairly. A kid might save part of their profits, use some of it to buy a new toy, and then donate the rest to the local animal shelter. 

Lemonade Day Connects Kids With Math Lessons

Not every kid who participates in Lemonade Day will become an entrepreneur, but the event provides a fun and educational opportunity for kids to have fun with their friends, siblings, or parents.

Additionally, 87% of kids say they have a greater connection between math and the real world because of their participation in Lemonade Day. Through the online resources, kids use basic addition and subtraction, along with percentages and money handling. When kids encounter these concepts in school, they can remember how they were applied to running their lemonade stand. 

Lemonade Day and Jumpstart are a Natural Partnership

Lemonade Day in Evanston is supported by Jumpstart, a program designed to help entrepreneurs by providing resources, training, and networking opportunities. Jumpstart and State Bank contributed $2,500 to Lemonade Day to ensure kids across Evanston can participate for free. 

“Approximately 15% of the Evanston population is between the ages of 5 and 14,” says O'Neill. “Not only does this program engage our youngest demographic in entrepreneurial ideas, but it also engages their parents. That’s a much larger portion of residents.”

Nearly 66% of Evanston households are families, which means a single child participating in Lemonade Day can reach their parents, siblings, and extended family who might live with them. They all get to see the community resources offered to the newest generation of business owners while also watching community members enthusiastically support them.  

“This is a great way to show that Evanston cares about entrepreneurs,” says O'Neill.

Kids who participate in Lemonade Day are three times more likely to run a business in the future. A single day can plant a seed for lasting future careers. 

Learn More About Entrepreneur Resources in Evanston

Kids can register for Lemonade Day online, while adults can sign up to be mentors, partners, and volunteers. Local business owners can also support Lemonade Day by letting kids set up stands near their companies. Lemonade Day wouldn’t be possible without support from the Evanston community. Together, we can make this an unforgettable experience for local kids.

If you are also an entrepreneur, explore the opportunities offered through BusinessWyoming.com. Browse our list of tools, loan options, partners, and resources to find what you need for your business. Whether you sell lemonade or enterprise software, the City of Wyoming is here to support you.