The Lemonade Stand September 7, 2007

One Saturday morning, my oldest son decided to open a lemonade stand, to earn money for the remote control helicopter he really wanted. He and my middle son squeezed lemons, made a sign, put out the cups, and then started asking every neighbor they could find if they wanted to buy some lemonade.Two little boys across the street turned out to be very willing consumers, promising to buy more lemonade when the stand was next open. But, the next time the lemonade stand was open, they weren’t home. My son came into the house to ask me, “Mom, when are those boys going to be home? I really want their money!”

Inside, I had to laugh at the honesty of a five-year old. He didn’t care about “providing a better product” or “filling a need for a necessary service.” Like any true entrepreneur, he was interested in the people who would give him money. But I do believe he will take better care of that remote control helicopter than any other boy when he finally earns enough “money and cash.”