Summer just isn’t complete without a visit to a lemonade stand. An ice cold glass of lemonade is the perfect way to beat the summer heat, but we all know that it’s the cute kids selling the lemonade that make it so sweet. Show me a lemonade stand with cute kiddos and I will stop every. single. time. Not only are summer lemonade stands adorable, they are also a great way to teach kids about so many important life skills and lessons.
We have had many lemonade stands over the years and I love teaching my kids about the ins and outs of sales and marketing, and encouraging them to use their creativity to have fun and make a difference. Every time we set-up a lemonade stand we pick a charity that we will be raising money for, this year we teamed up with the Epilepsy Foundation to help support and raise money for Lemonade for Livy. Lemonade for Livy is an initiative that raises epilepsy awareness and funding for research by asking people to host lemonade stands in their hometown during the course of the fourth weekend in July. Lemonade for Livy encourages families to tap into their creative side and to have fun giving back.
If your kids have been asking to have a lemonade stand all summer now is the perfect time to set one up and help out a worthy cause, like Lemonade for Livy. To help you put together your own creative and fun lemonade stand I’m sharing my top 5 tips and free printables.
• Location – Picking the right location is key to your success. You can have the best lemonade on the block, but people have to to be able to see you in order to buy from you. Set-up your stand in a highly visible location like the entrance to the neighborhood or near the community swimming pool for great visibility. But, if you decided to set-up in front of your house make sure you give it some eye-catching curb appeal.
• Marketing – Now that you are ready with the cutest lemonade stand and a great location you need to advertise to bring out the customers. Make signs for the kids to hold and get peoples attention as they drive by. Print up flyers and put them up throughout the neighborhood. And don’t forget about promoting your stand online. Share a photo on social media and tell people what times you will be set-up so they can stop by.
• Make it Extra Special – Don’t skimp on the quality of your product and don’t just offer plain lemonade. Give customers a choice of traditional lemonade or a flavored lemonade. We like to add ingredients like strawberries, mint, pineapple or watermelon to give it an extra special touch that customers will take notice of and keep coming back for more. One of the other ways we create an extra special lemonade stand is by using the free lemonade stand printables to create fun cups, straws and signs that grab peoples attention. I found packages of these cute polka dot cups at Michaels for only $0.75. I printed the lemonade printables on sticker paper and the kids added them to the cups for an extra special touch. Using the printable straw flags was not only an extra fun way for guest to sip their lemonade it also served as a reminder of our charity and what we were raising money for.
• Price it Right– People don’t necessarily stop and buy lemonade because they really wanted a glass of lemonade. They buy because your kids are so darn cute, or they want to support your cause. Don’t be afraid to price it right and charge a lot. We usually sell our lemonade for $0.50, but we like to add on extras like cupcakes, cookies, popcorn, gumballs and lollipops and charge more for these items, which helps increase our profit margin. This is also a great time to teach your kids about counting money and basic business principles. Use our free Lemonade Stand Sales Tracker to keep track of how much money your kids earn with their lemonade stand.
• Sales Skills – Your kids enthusiasm is what helps make their lemonade stand a success. Talk to your kids before hand about what good customer service looks like. Remind them to use their manners and be friendly and polite. And make sure they remind customers when they arrive what they are raising money for. People are much more likely to leave a tip or donation if they know that the money will be going towards a great cause.
There is simply nothing we love more in the summer time than a cute lemonade stand. I love seeing my kids get excited about making lemonade, greeting customers, and raising money for a great cause. I hope you will consider joining in the fun and hosting your own lemonade stand in July for the Lemonade for Livy event. For more information about how to get started with your own Lemonade for Livy lemonade stand click HERE.
Are you looking for more creative ideas for your summer lemonade stand? Make sure you check out these popular posts:
10 Tips for a Successful Lemonade Stand
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Brenda Young says
July 7, 2016 at 8:50 pmHow cute would this be for the kiddos at our next garage sale? Pinning!
Mariah says
July 14, 2016 at 2:37 pmThat is such a great idea to have a lemonade stand at a garage sale. Thanks for pinning and stopping by!
lemonade bar says
April 5, 2017 at 6:11 amYou gave me very nice ideas to use for our lemonade bar. Great article, thanks!