Join the Amarillo Acton Children's Business Fair in Amarillo, TX

Date and Time

Sat, February 1, 2025. 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Location

Amarillo, TX

Help Your Child Transform into a Successful, Confident Business Owner

The Children’s Business Fair is an opportunity for children to launch their very own startup business, and your child can be a part of it!

Before the fair, children develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and then open for customers at our one-day marketplace. The fair allows them to experience what it’s like to be a business leader, so they can turn their entrepreneur dreams into reality.

The 3rd annual Children's Business Fair will be located in Amarillo, but the location is TBD based on how many applicants we have. Come join the fun and set your soon-to-be business expert up for success!

Footage of the 2023 Amarillo Children's Business Fair

Our Mission

This event is sponsored by Acton Academy, the Acton School of Business, and the generous support of our donors and volunteers. We all believe that principled entrepreneurs are heroes and role models for the next generation.

Whether an entrepreneur is famous like Elon Musk or Oprah Winfrey, or they are one of the thousands of unsung business owners across this country, these are the people who make sacrifices to innovate, create jobs, and serve their communities.

We’re honored to help the next generation of entrepreneurs get the skills they need to start their own thriving businesses.

Thank You to Our Incredible Sponsors

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Acton Children’s Business Fair?

The Acton Children’s Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneur. As the largest entrepreneurship event for kids in North America, this one-day market gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses.

Who can apply?

Children ages 6 through 15. Young entrepreneurs will need to be able to answer the questions about their business on the application. They will also need to interact with customers and count change without parent intervention on the day of the fair.

How many businesses will you accept?

We will be accepting anywhere from 40 - 60 businesses.

Where should I begin?

Read inspiring stories about other young entrepreneurs and play games to hone your business skills.

How do I apply for my child to join? Can my child apply as part of a group?

Application must be submitted online. Please submit one application for each business. Children working as a group should submit one application that includes each child’s information. No more than 3 participants per business.

What is on the application?

The application asks kids to think through some simple, but important elements of their business:

• What product or service do you plan to sell?

• What price will you charge for each product/service? How much will each product/service cost you?

• How will you pay for your startup costs? If someone is helping you with your startup costs, how will you pay that person back?

• How will you advertise/market your business before the fair?

• At the end of the fair, how will you determine if your business was a success?

What if someone else has the same business idea?

Two cupcake businesses? Not a problem. In general, we will let market forces play out, though we will let later entries know if another applicant has a similar idea so the later entrant can decide what to do.

How will the fair be set up?

The fair will be indoors. Each business will be given a booth with a 6 foot table and 1-2 chairs. Table cloths will not be provided. We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity.

Will electricity be available?

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide electricity to the booths.

What are the rules?

This event is designed to give children the experience of selling a product or service. If a parent is found selling or promoting a child’s product or service, their child’s business will be disqualified from the competition.

Parents of younger children may sit in the booth, but the children should be responsible for set up, customer interaction, and sales.

Parents may help their child fill out the application, but we expect the children to do as much as possible by themselves.

How did the Acton Children’s Business Fair get started?

Jeff and Laura Sandefer and a few other families wanted to spark a sense of wonder and entrepreneurship in their children so they created the first Acton Children’s Business Fair in Austin, Texas, in 2007. That year, there were seven entrepreneurs and around 25 attendees. Now, there are over 115 entrepreneurs and 1,500 attendees at the Acton Children's Business Fair in Austin.

Apply for Your Child to Join the
Amarillo Acton Children’s Business Fair

Complete the form on this page to sign your child (or children) up as participants in this year’s business fair. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].

Child's Information

First Name *

Last Name *

Name of School *

Age on day of the fair *

Adult Contact for Child

First Name *

Last name *

Phone *

email *

Business Info

What is the name of your business? *

Give a brief description of the product or service you plan to sell *

What price will you charge for each item? How much will each item cost to make? (If you have a number of items for sale, please list them all.) *

How will you plan to advertise your business prior to The Fair? *

How do you plan to pay for your start up costs? (If your parents or adult sponsor are assisting with your supply costs, how do you plan to pay them back?) *

At the end of the event, how will you determine if your business has been a success? *

Do you give permission for your child's photograph or video to be taken and used without compensation by Children's Business Fair, and Acton Academy? *

Yes

Parents: Please read over this with your child and have your child agree to this contract: I promise that the work on my business was done by me, that I earned our entry fee and that I will repay any loans required to launch my business, such as materials, marketing/signage expense, and the participation fee. *

Yes

Payment

Entry fee for the Children's Business Fair is $10. Must be paid for application to be accepted.

You will be redirected to Paypal after submitting your application.

Collect payment *

$ 10

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Download our free booklet, “You Know You’re at an Acton Academy When…”, to learn what life is like as a student in an Acton Academy, how this educational model sets kids up for success in the long term, and much more. Fill out the form on this page to download your copy now!

Acton Academy Amarillo admits students of any race, color, national origin and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school; it does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.