FAQ
What is the Silk Route Children's Bazaar?
The Silk Route Children's Bazaar inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneur by giving them the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses in a one-day market.
How many businesses will you accept?
We will accept up to 60 businesses.
Where should I begin?
Start with our resources page. Read inspiring stories about other young entrepreneurs and play games to hone your business skills. Also, visit our Bazaar Highlights page and the visit Acton Children's Business Fair on Instagram to be inspired by the creative and original ideas of past particpants.
How do I apply? Can I apply as part of a group?
The application must be submitted online. Please submit one application for each business. Children working as a group should submit a single application.. 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?
We aim not to duplicate businesses. If we have received a business plan similar to yours, we will inform you and encourage you to develop a new one.
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. Tablecloths will not be provided. Please let us know if you need an electrical outlet near your table.
Will electricity be available?
Yes, we can provide electricity to the booths. Please let us know in your application if you need an electrical outlet near your table.
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 with them in the booth, but the children should be responsible for and do all the work of setup, 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. Furthermore, the foundation they started has enabled 3009 fairs to be held in 628 cities in 26 countries and helped 71 833 kidpreneurs to showcase their products.