Travis’ Lemonade Stand
(The following is a true story from Section 8, Lake of the Woods. The names have been changed to protect the innocent)
Travis was visiting his grandparents in Lake of the Woods one recent weekend when he decided that he was going to put up a lemonade stand. Travis is about eight years old, plays soccer and has the entrepreneurial spirit and drive of any CEO his age. In fact, he was so excited about selling lemonade that he didn’t sleep well the night before.
When that monumental Saturday arrived in late March, it was as if Mother Nature knew what Travis’ plans were and decided to give him every chance to succeed. It was easily and spectacularly the first most beautiful day of the year. Akin to bears coming out of hibernation to the sound of birds chirping and creeks flowing, the neighborhood outside was beginning to stir, coming alive with homeowners sneaking out of their houses to assess their yards, bushes, and flowerbeds after the winter.
My wife and I were analyzing an azalea in our front yard that looked to be damaged after half-budding prematurely in February, when suddenly a lady walking along our street stopped in her tracks to inform us that there was a lemonade stand open for business just a few houses down. She secretly whispered to us that she had been “given a dollar by Travis’ grandmother to buy some lemonade”. Then, casually added, “it’s delicious”.
Now my wife and I are convinced that grandmothers know how to plant seeds, but who really stops for lemonade stands anymore? As we came over the hill there were five or six neighbors in a half circle around Travis and his Lemonade Stand, none of whom we’ve met yet and we’ve lived in our LOW home for almost two years now. Over the course of about the next hour, we met those six, and many other neighbors who stopped by for lemonade. Who knew there were so many Washington Nationals fans on the block? By the time all was said and done, a remarkable potluck neighborhood block party had been set up the first weekend of May, attended by 25. A magnificent event!
But before we go, we reckoned we’d give Travis some grades on his lemonade stand:
- Product: Using fresh ice and an ice bucket with good quality lemonade: A
- Packaging: Using up the grandparent’s leftover Atlanta Falcons logo plastic cups from the Super Bowl party, very thrifty idea: A
- Advertising: Nice poster board, well configured, Reasonable price (15 cents, with most leaving bills and not wanting change back). A
- Salesmanship: Bringing neighbors together for the first time that may result in permanent bonds and friendships: A+
Thank you, Travis. Your future as CEO looks very bright indeed.
