Lemonade Stands

Lemonade stand in Brielle.
Lovin' the lid and straw.

Whenever I drive by a lemonade stand I have to stop.   I don't stop because I'm thirsy. Rather, I stop because I once was that kid with a homemade sign, powdered lemonade, a few cups and ice if our customers were lucky.

My lemonade stand was located outside my childhood residence at 120 Delacy Avenue in North Plainfield. Our business location had little driving or foot traffic but it was a great location close to a fully stocked kitchen.

The stand was staffed with my siblings and my best friend, Katie.  On our creative days, Katie and I would come up with new recipes for lemonade and "treat" our regular customers with our tart or sugary creations.    Sometimes our stand would carry additional items like iced tea or services like manicures for customers interested in a new nail color while they enjoyed our fine beverages.

Our customers were all known by name, sometimes referred to as "mom" and "dad".   We knew which cars would stop and who would tip a few extra cents.

Now that I have my own business, I often look back on the days of my lemonade stand. I knew I was onto something.  While I couldn't spell entrepreneurship at the time -  I knew someday I was meant to have my own business.

I encourage all kids to use their creativity to express an interest in business.  I admire kids that look for activities other than watching tv, browsing the internet and playing hours of video games.  

I am happy to support, and always heavily tip for lemonade. Just put up a sign and I'll be there.