Choosing the Best Location
Find out where you’re allowed to set up a lemonade stand. Your city may have rules or laws about where you can set up your lemonade stand. You may also need to get permission or a permit in order to sell lemonade. Check out your local rules about lemonade stands online to make sure you’re doing everything correctly. Ask your parents to contact your local government to find out. Look online and check your local government’s website to find out if your local laws about lemonade stands are posted there.
Look for spots that get lots of foot traffic so people will walk past you. Look for a sidewalk at a busy corner or intersection, near a golf course, the entrance to a grocery store, or near a large event such as a festival or a big sports game will have lots of people walking by. On a hot, sunny day, those people may be thirsty and are more likely to want to buy lots of your lemonade. Pick a location that has lots of people walking by. Make sure it’s okay to set up a stand in front of a building or business. Try asking the owner if it’s alright for you to sell lemonade there.
Set up in your front yard so you can get more supplies. If your house is on a street with a decent amount of traffic, it may be the best bet for you to set up a stand that can sell lots of lemonade. You’ll be able to fetch more supplies from your house when you run low. You can even keep lemonade and supplies cold in your refrigerator so they’re even more refreshing to customers. Setting up in your front yard also makes it easier for your parents or another adult to keep an eye on you and your stand.
Pick a spot with shade so people are more likely to stop. People are more likely to stop and buy a refreshing cup of lemonade if your stand is set up in or near a shady spot, especially on a bright and sunny day. When you’re looking for a spot to place your stand, look for the coolest, shadiest spot. Under a tree or near a building with shade are great spots to set up a stand.Tip: If you have a canopy tent that you can set up to create some shade around your stand, that would help make people want to stop and buy some lemonade.
Go to a local park to sell to lots of people if it’s allowed. Parks with lots of people and kids running around are great areas to sell lots of lemonade to hot and thirsty buyers. If you’re allowed to do so, choose a location at or near a park or playground with lots of people so you already have a strong customer base to start out with. If you’re able to stay set up for a few hours, you’ll likely have customers come and go throughout the day, which will help you sell more lemonade.
Make sure your stand is visible from the road so people will stop. People driving by the area need to be able to see your lemonade stand so they’re more likely to park and buy a cup or two. Set up your stand and table so it can be seen from the road by people driving, walking, or even biking past you. Use signs to help attract attention to your stand. Tie balloons to your stand to attract attention.
Pricing Your Lemonade
Add up the cost of your supplies to help determine your price. You want to be able to at least make enough money from your stand to cover your costs, so calculating how much you spent to set up your stand is a good start. Add together the price of the lemons or lemonade powder, how much it cost you to make your signs, and anything else you spent to start your stand. For example, if you spent $10 on everything to start your lemonade stand, you could price your lemonade to be $.50 a cup so you would need to sell 20 cups of lemonade to make your money back. Adding up your costs will also help you determine how much of a profit you made selling your lemonade. Between 25 cents and $1 is a fair price for a cup of lemonade.
Find out what other lemonade stands are charging. If there are other lemonade stands in your area, setting your prices a little bit lower than theirs can help you sell more lemonade at your stand. Take a look around at any competing stands in your area and find out what they’re charging and what deals they’re offering. For example, if Timmy’s stand a few blocks away is selling lemonade for $.75, you could charge $.50 for a cup of your lemonade. Pay attention to any specials that other stands are offering so you can try to compete with that as well. If Sarah’s stand is offering the first cup of lemonade for free, then you could offer a similar deal.
Offer different types of lemonade to sell more at your stand. Whether you’re making your lemonade fresh or you’re using a lemonade mix, you can offer a few different flavors to attract more people. Giving people more options will make groups of people more likely to purchase lemonade, which means you’ll sell more. For instance, you could offer a sweeter version of lemonade as well as a more tart flavor.Tip: Add some fresh fruit to the pitcher of lemonade, such as strawberries or blackberries, to offer a fruit-infused version of lemonade.
Consider offering other treats for sale at your stand. Selling additional items such as cookies, candy, or other sweet treats can get people to buy more lemonade and spend more money at your stand. But be careful not to distract from your main item, the lemonade! Try selling salty snacks like pretzels or popcorn, which will make people thirsty and want to buy more lemonade from you!
Have a 2 for 1 special to sell lots of lemonade. Encourage people to buy lots of lemonade by offering specials such as 2 for 1. Or you could offer the first cup of lemonade for free with any purchase to encourage people to buy more lemonade or goodies from your stand. List the special on your sign so they can see it from a distance. Tell people about your special whenever they approach your stand.
Be ready to break change for people so you can sell more. Some people may only have larger bills and will need you to give them their change so they can buy lemonade from your stand. Have enough cash and coins so you can give people their change. Use a calculator to help you figure out the amount of change you need to give somebody quickly. If you’re a kid, make sure an adult is with you when you have lots of money on you. A good rule of thumb is to have at least $100 in ones and fives.
Attracting People to Your Stand
Create a large sign with your prices to attract attention. One of the easiest ways to bring people to your lemonade stand is to make a large, bright sign that says “Lemonade” in big letters. Include the prices of the lemonade you’re selling, as well as any specials you’re running at your stand. Use lots of bright colors and eye-catching graphics such as images of large lemons, pitchers, an ice-cold drink, or a cute sun. If you’re offering fresh-squeezed lemonade, put that on your sign! A simple recipe for fresh lemonade is to combine 1 cup (240 mL) of lemon juice, 1 cup (200 grams) of sugar, and 4 cups (950 mL) of water.
Place smaller signs around the area to get the word out. If it’s allowed, posting smaller signs on trees, stop signs, or posts around the area telling them where your stand is located will help drive more people to your stand. Make the signs bright, fun, and easy to read, and be sure to clearly state where your stand is located. Include your prices or specials on the signs if you have enough room. For example, you could have a sign that says, “Emily’s Lemonade Stand! Located at the corner of Elm and Oak, first cup free with any purchase!”
Use a social media post to advertise your stand. Make a post yourself or ask your parents to post about your lemonade stand on social media so you can get the word out to a larger audience. List the location of your stand as well as your prices, specials, and any causes that you’re raising the funds for. Be careful listing your location online. Make sure an adult is present with you at all times when you’re selling lemonade at your stand. Tip: Use a Facebook advertisement to market your lemonade stand to people outside of you or your parents’ friends list to attract more customers.
Talk to people as they pass by to get them to notice you. Bring people to your stand by talking to them as they walk by. People are less likely to say no if you politely offer to sell them some lemonade. You’ll sell more lemonade by getting people’s attention and not sitting in your stand quietly. For example, you could say something like, “Excuse me! Warm weather we’re having, can I offer you a nice cup of lemonade?”
Make sure you have all of the supplies you need so you can keep selling. Be sure to have enough cups, ice, plates, napkins, and anything else that goes along with the lemonade that you’re selling. People will buy more lemonade from you if you have everything that they’ll need. Have an extra pack or two of cups that you can open up if you need them. If you don’t need them, they can stay in their packaging so you can use them later. Keep unopened packs of napkins handy so you can break out more if you end up needing them.
Act professionally and keep your stand clean. Run your stand like a professional business to impress your customers and make them more likely to buy more lemonade from you and tell people about your stand. Be courteous, polite, and tidy up any messes that occur at your stand immediately. Pick up any cups or napkins that people leave behind.
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