An event is coming to Kitchener which will allow children, aged six to 14, from Waterloo region and the Guelph area to put their entrepreneurial skills to the test.
The Waterloo Region Children’s Business Fair will be held at Catalyst 137 on May 11.
The event, which allows kids to sell their products and services to the community, is being organized by sisters Azra Usanovic and Dina Bajric. Usanovic says they modelled it after a similar annual fair which was started in Texas about 10 years ago,
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“They started it in the hopes that they would inspire young children to become entrepreneurs and start thinking about these things at an early age,” Usanovic said.
She has partnered with Junior Achievement Waterloo Region and the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre (WRSBC) in bringing the idea to the Waterloo region
“I think it’s something that has been missing from the area,” said Sara Bingham, Entrepreneurship and Technology Advisor with the WRSBC.
She has volunteered her daughter to help with the event.
“There are so many entrepreneurial parents in the area, it’s time to get the next generation ready,” Bingham said.
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Usanovic, who will be starting a private school in Waterloo region in 2020, says that it is a great way for kids to learn some new skills.
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“I think this is just an awesome opportunity for kids to learn how to start a business and how to sell a product or service by actually selling a product or service to a customer so learning by doing,” she explained.
Usanovic said that so far they have had 10 applications for kids to participate but there is room for up to 75.
“I’ve actually had an inquiry from the parent of a four-year-old today so we’ll see,” she said. “She says her son already has his own business and is very eager. So, who am I to say no?”
She points to the fact that many people who have had successful startups got their start early in life.
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“Many successful entrepreneurs state that they started their first businesses when they were just children before they moved onto bigger and more innovative things as they got older,” she explained.
Applications will be accepted right up until March 31 or until the event is full. There is a $10 fee if a child is accepted as a vendor.
Usanovic says that while the fee will help pay for the event, it will also help kids understand that there are costs associated with opening the business.
The event needs volunteers if anyone is looking to get involved.
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