Lemonade Stands: Tips To Help Make Your Kid's Stand The Best

Some things are summer cliches for a reason.

Lemonade stands aren't just a great way to embrace the August heat, but they can also teach your kid how to be a Mark Zuckerberg-esque young entrepreneur.

Just take it from Norm Brodsky, who has founded six successful businesses and is a bona fide lemonade stand expert to boot. As the judge of Inc. Magazines' best lemonade stand in America contest, Brodsky has seen everything from lemonade stands on wheels to stands that can make upwards of $300 in just one afternoon.

"The idea of lemonade stands is not just to create a cute thing in the neighborhood, but it’s a way kids can go out and learn (and earn) things for themselves,” Brodsky, columnist and senior contributing editor to Inc. Magazine, told The Huffington Post. “They not only learn where money comes from, but they understand what goes into every dollar they make.”

According to Brodsky, setting up a lemonade stand isn't much different from starting any other business. You have to be strategic, creative and know how to use the resources that are available to you.

Here are some tricks that Brodsky has gathered from judging some of the best lemonade stands in the country:

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According to Brodsky, "The rules of real estate are the same as the rules of lemonade stands: it's all about location, location, location!" While it's easy to set up shop outside your house, your business is going to be limited to thirsty neighbors. Go to a busy street corner or look up if there's a local baseball game -- pick a place with a lot of street traffic.

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According to Brodsky, "The rules of real estate are the same as the rules of lemonade stands: it's all about location, location, location!" While it's easy to set up shop outside your house, your business is going to be limited to thirsty neighbors. Go to a busy street corner or look up if there's a local baseball game -- pick a place with a lot of street traffic.

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[Scott Bain]

10:39 AM on 08/26/2011

On August 20, 2011 a group of young activists decided to protest the unlawful shut-downs of childrens lemonade stands across the country, many of them on their own property. The police showed up in force for 3 peaceful protesters, trying to intimidate them and the people buying the lemonade, many of them children. They were charging 10 cents per lemonade, hardly a profit with the rising prices of today. Nevertheless, they were taken to jail for this. [What a great way to spend our tax dollars, right?] Even a tour guide and his group from Spain, who were here to experience the greatness of our country themselves, were taken aback by what they witnessed.

This was a grievous insult to liberty in what has come to be a long line of insults, and the only way this will change is for each and every one of us to hold them accountable.

Please take a moment of your time to contact Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan today and ask that the charges be dropped! 202-727-3400 You can also visit the following link to watch the video for more information on the incident. http://speakup-usa.com/?p=1532

If you don't stand for your countrymen now, who will stand for you when you need them most?

[Daisytoo]

07:46 PM on 08/08/2011

I wonder how much money the disgracefully competitive parents plunked down on lemonade stand #3?

Never thought I'd become such an ardent advocate for benign neglect of children .. but really, parents, back off!!! It's a lemonade stand for God's sake.

[Daisytoo]

07:40 PM on 08/08/2011

And hope you're kids are not hauled off by the Feds for making money w/out first paying the govt. off via $$$ licensing permits $$$.

[Joseph Schmoe]

04:42 AM on 08/08/2011

Just like Little League: take a kid's summer fun and completely ruin it by turning it into some faux competition and maybe "your child's start to become a multi-millionaire!"
Better you teach your children the value of cleanliness, politeness and the simple pleasure of helping others.

[Daisytoo]

07:43 PM on 08/08/2011

I couldn't agree more!

[askmeificare]

03:00 PM on 08/09/2011

it did mention donating to charities

[cdecisneros]

09:37 PM on 08/07/2011

Be sure to check to see if you need a permit for it. You do not want to get shut down by THE MAN.

[rb4028]

04:43 PM on 08/06/2011

Tip #1 make sure the new progressive communist Obama government in the whitehouse in Washington does not shut down your kids lemonade stand with new laws taking your American freedoms away! ( you know how jelous they get when someone works capitalisim ) and tries to start a business of their own to try to make America great again!

[Gronkie]

09:26 AM on 08/06/2011

We used to sell Kool-Aid, but we would also sell old comic books, creepy crawlers, and even nice rocks we had picked up. The champs on my block were a couple of brothers that would create a backyard carnival that would last a week or so, then a restaurant in their garage complete with tables, menus and they'd be the servers, etc. Those guys used to make a fortune. I've often wondered what happened to them when they grew up. I have no doubt that they became wealthy entrepreneurs. Kids businesses are a great learning experience, and tons of fun!

[mathohyeah]

01:52 AM on 08/06/2011

My kids make a homemade sign, put out a few chairs and a small table. They charge .25 per cup, unless someone wants to help them sell; helpers get free lemonade. Also, they give free lemonade to all delivery persons. It's about having fun, drawing neighbors outside, and helping people cool off on a hot day. They only make about 7 dollars, but the memories are priceless.

Charging $1.50 at a kids' lemonade stand reminds me of these modern-day tooth fairies who give twenty dollar bills and such. All of a sudden the whole thing is just not as sweet or cute anymore, in my opinion. I probably would not buy lemonade at a stand where kids were selling it for $1.50, unless I knew the kids or it was for a charity.