These days it seems that in every book we read and every TV show the girls watch, someone is having a lemonade stand. Of course this constant reminder is nothing compared to my five year old’s repetitive reminder that mom promised her she could have her very first lemonade stand when school got out. School got out a month ago.
The weather, the kids health, travel… there have been a thousand reasons we have put off K’s first lemonade stand, but finally the stars aligned and K hosted her first (of many to come) lemonade stand. (A great success I might add.)
I am a sucker for a lemonade stand. It doesn’t matter where I am going or if I am in a hurry, when I see a kid with a lemonade stand — I always stop. I have fond memories of many lemonade stands with my friends and sister set up in front of our house when we were kids. And I look forward to years of memories hosting stands with my girls. But there is something extra special about the first. (Isn’t there always!)
With the threat of rain weighing heavily on the afternoon (again), we decided not to risk a late afternoon attempt and instead cool off patrons during the heat of the day – noon! Boy was it hot! But a good time was had by all, especially the top sales gal who sold every drop of lemonade to thirsty patrons. She was so proud!
How To Host A Successful Lemonade & Iced Coffee Stand
Location, Location, Location – It is important to strategically choose your location. You want to select a visible location with plenty of slow traffic, where passerbyers won’t be able to miss that sweet adorable face inviting them to purchase a refreshing beverage. We choose the end of our street which intersects the main road. Not only would we get traffic, but many people would also have to stop at the stop sign.
Even still, we should have done more prep explaining to her that not everyone would stop. Bah-humbug!
Top Product – While mom briefly toyed with the idea of making homemade lemonade, in the end we served good old Crystal Light. And I tell you, every patron insisted it was delicious. For an adult alternative, we also offered International Delight Iced Coffee. While the lemonade was the sell out, a great many patrons were impressed by her selection. (And dad helped himself to several cups!)
Curb Appeal – You want your stand to look its best to draw in customers and that includes signage. Lucky for you TomKat Studio offers free Lemonade & Iced Coffee Stand printables. From signs and banners to straw flags and cupcake toppers, there are tons of cute blue and yellow printables to choose from. Print one or print them all. Just don’t forget the extra tape in case it is a windy day. (Click the image below to download the free printables.)
Price Point – One of the important inherent lessons behind a lemonade stand is about money. Learning how about coins and how to make change is an import part of running your own stand. We priced our refreshments at $.25, which allowed K to easily accept quarters and to make change. She also learned about tipping thanks to several generous patrons.
Know When To Fold ‘Em – Initially I didn’t think a single pitcher of lemonade and iced tea was enough. But I caved to my husband’s insistence, agreeing that I could always run home to make more. One pitcher was perfect. K attended to her stand for just over an hour and sold out every drop of lemonade and more than half of the iced coffee. Could she have sold more? Sure, but attention spans were waning and it was getting hot. We were out there for the perfect amount of time, and K was thrilled with her success in being able to sell out.
The big question now is, “What is she going to do with her $6.75 earnings?”
Her response, “Put it in my piggy bank!”
Good girl!!!
4th of July #IcedCoffeeLove Twitter Sweepstakes
Do you love International Delight Iced Coffee? Here’s your chance to showcase your love on Twitter for a chance to win prizes. From now through July 2, tell @InDelight why ID Iced Coffee is your favorite way to cool down this summer. Be sure to include the hashtag #IcedCoffeeLove and a link to the official rules http://bit.ly/11PxAGq for your chance to win.
The Grand Prize Winner will receive an International Delight cooler, four tumblers and a $200 Visa Gift Card (to use toward a favorite water park!). Plus three First Runner Ups will receive an iced coffee tumbler.
Now that summer is finally here, how will your family have fun keeping cool?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.