Get Your Ice Cold Lemonade!

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Nothing gets your young entrepreneurs going like a good ole’ fashioned Lemonade Stand. It’s a spring and summer tradition that everyone has participated in, and with sturdy and lightweight Lifetime Tables and Chairs, the Lemonade stand is certain to make a comeback in your neighborhood.

Your little ones can be the first on the block to bring out the refreshments with these simple tips and solutions to making a quick and successful stand.

Checklist

• A Lifetime Personal Table or 4-Foot Fold-in-Half Table
• A beautiful Spring or Summer day
• Fresh Water
• Ice
• Fresh Lemons (or a suitable powdered lemonade)
• Sugar
• Plastic Lemonade Pitcher
• Plastic or Paper cups
• Large Mixing Spoon
• Tongs for the Ice
• An Apron
• “Lemonade” Signs
• Cash Box
• Change (lots of quarters, nickels and dimes to make change!)
• A safe and highly visible location
• A great attitude and huge smile!

Steps

1. Select a warm, sunny day to open your stand. Not too many people like to sit out in the rain and sell lemonade.
2. Find a safe and highly visible location for the lemonade stand. If your street is not well-travelled, find a safe corner in your neighborhood, set-up the lemonade stand at a garage sale, a sporting event, your local church or even at a supermarket. Be sure you have permission to set up anywhere that is not on your own property.
3. Pick your favorite kind of lemonade recipe. We recommend fresh-squeezed lemonade, but a powdered lemonade can be just as refreshing on a hot day. You can also substitute lemonade with a fruit punch, other juices or even soda – it all depends on what you have on hand. Make sure that when you are preparing your refreshment that you wash your hands and have a clean pitcher to prepare it in.
4. Decide on the right price for your ice-cold refreshments. Keep in mind how much your supplies cost, and make sure your price is fair and attractive. Mark your price clearly on the signs you post at your stand. Have a small cash box on hand to store your earnings. A nice selection of change is good to have, especially when people only have bills to pay for their drinks with.
5. Set-up your Lifetime tables with a couple of chairs to sit on – it can get hot out there! Make sure your spot is level and not too close to streets or traffic. Set-up your pitcher and cups on the tables for everyone to see. It’s also a great idea to keep a cooler full of fresh ice to keep your drinks cold when they are served.
6. Attract attention! We all know that your children are cute enough to attract attention on their own, but it’s a great idea to add to your stand to attract as many customers as possible. Post flyers all around your neighborhood. Use bright colored balloons or streamers to decorate your tables, and make signs large enough to be seen across the street. Hang your signs so everyone can see “Fresh Lemonade!” It’s also a good idea to have an extra sign on hand to hold up high in the air to attract customers.
7. It’s also VERY important to stay clean and safe while operating the stand.
8. Have a trash bag on hand to dispose of used cups. This will keep your area clean and free of litter. You also want to wear an apron and have plenty of paper towels or napkins on hand to clean up any spilled drinks. Use a spoon or tongs to put ice into your cups, and always keep your pitcher covered.
9. Never let your little entrepreneurs run their lemonade stand alone. Make sure they have friends, brothers, sisters or even you with them at all times. And instruct them to NEVER cross the street or approach a car to make a sale.
10. Most importantly, have a great time selling your refreshments! Tell them to be polite, friendly and always have a great big smile on their faces as they talk with people. At the end of the day, it’s not a money making venture, it’s a childhood memory that they will surely pass on to their children.

Tips

• Take some hints from professional lemonade sellers: www.lemonadeblog.com

Free Downloads

• Printable Lemonade Stand Flyer.
• Printable Lemonade Recipe