8.17.2013

20 Tips and Tricks to THE MOST Successful Summer Lemonade Stand

 
{Andrea's daughter shares another great article with us!}

In reference to my 101 things to do over summer vacation, I set out to do number one.  Have a lemonade stand.  But I wanted it to be the most successful and fun lemonade stand that I could have it be.  So I did some research, and here are 20 tips and tricks to having the best lemonade stand ever!
 

1. The first most important thing for running a successful lemonade stand is your location.  You have to find a place to set up that is busy, but cars aren't going too fast.  Try to find a shady place where people are walking as well as driving, and a place where they can pull over to get some lemonade.

2. When running a lemonade stand, you have to stand out.  There are so many lemonade stands out there, and you have to be the best if you want people to come to you.

3. Add another product.  People want to eat, not just drink.  If you have lemonade and a food, they might buy both.  And food makes you thirsty, right?  Your money will go skyrocketing!  You can also add different sizes of cups to reach different people's budgets.

4. Be enthusiastic.  When people are driving by, they won't notice you unless you are enthusiastic about it.  This means big signs, big posters and big movements from you.  Now, I'm not saying stand in the middle of he street so they will notice you, but be excited and happy so that they will come to you.  When you are serving your costumers, be happy and polite to them.  Compliment them.  Talk to them, and start a conversation.  They will enjoy talking to you, and might stay long enough to buy more...

5.  Aim towards kids.  Chances are, parents won't pull over unless they have kids in the car.  Get the kids to notice you, and you're sold!

6. Advertise. Set up signs around town to tell people to come to you.  Be sure to include the price, the location, and and products you are selling on the signs.

7. Watch the weather.  You don't want to set up shop on a rainy day, or a cold, windy day for that matter, so just keep and eye on the forecasts, and make sure it will be sunny and hot.

8. Be prepared.  You want to have napkins if they spill, change if they have more than needed, and more than needed of your food if you have more customers than you expect.

9.  Have partners.  Get people to help you with your stand.  You usually want to have one person with you at all times, just in case, and one person who is willing to go home and get more of your product if you are running low. Explain their jobs to them and how much you are paying them to help you with it before the stand.

10.  Know the laws.  Are there any laws in your neighborhood about no vendors in a specific area?  You need to know if there is before you set up shop.

11. Decorate. Make your stand big, colorful, fun to look at, and exciting.  Don't go too overboard, but have a bright, colorful sign, a nice tablecloth, and maybe some balloons and pinwheels.  Another interesting thing about colors is that scientists have proved that red and yellow make you hungry.  So aim for those, if you can.

12.  Be cheap.  First of all, don't buy the most expensive lemonade mix in the store, or you won't make any profit.   Then, when you are out on the road, Think what you would want to pay for a glass of lemonade.    I have some friends who cost a dollar for a glass of lemonade.  They made 15$ dollars.  Pretty good, right?  Well, I also had some friends who cost 50 cents a cup, and they made 30$!  Do I have to say anything else?

13.  Be clean. Always wash your hands before preparing and serving food, and keep a bottle of hand sanitizer on the table to show people that you are clean.  Use it every few cups you sell.

14.  Have deals.  You can have discounts or "buy one get one free", but customers love them either way.

15.  Taste test before selling try out your lemonade before selling and give some to your family to try.  Ask them how they like it and what you could do to make it better.  Once you have it perfect, you are ready to sell.

16.  Use sunscreen.  Even making money from lemonade stands isn't worth getting burnt.  Put on an extra layer every 2 hours, since you are in the sun the whole time.

17.  Hand out fliers. It would tell the date, time, price, and products, but it would also have a coupon.  If you brought the flier in, you could get a discount on the products.

18.  Make it extra special.  Whether it is using bright, fancy cups, using a straw or putting the food in a cute little bag, it will make them smile.  They might want more, or even better, tell their friends abut it.

19.  The animals get hot, too.  Offer a bowl of water for passing dogs, and the owners will thank you.

20. Do it for a good cause.  Advertise that you are donating some money to charities.  If people find out you are donating some money to a charity, they might want to donate more.  Have a jar on the table that is just for donations, and use it.  If people see you using it, they might put some in, too. 

If you are looking for decorations for your stand, here are some fun sites with print-outs you can use.

 
See also my:
 
 
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