Startup Sensation Part 2: Launch Day

Article by: Monica Lage, Founder of Break into Business
What do you get when you combine 65 fifth graders, 16 incredible business ideas, and the Chick-fil-A Home Office? The largest Break Into Business Fair to date! On Tuesday, April 29 our young entrepreneurs from Mount Vernon Presbyterian School invaded Chick-fil-A at the generous invitation of the Chick-fil-A Foundation. After spending the last 6 weeks working on their business and then faring incredibly well in the Break Into Business Shark Tank, they were ready to launch!
The young ladies of “BC Bracelets” (where BC stands for Bottle Caps) were the first to sell out – they elected to donate 100% of their $200 profit straight to Lighthouse Family Retreat! Team captain McKensey Kaseta (a BiB veteran) chided the Sharks (who had not invested in BC Bracelets) by saying, “They learned the hard way!”. Very true. Moments later, the gang at “Pets People” announced that they had cleared their inventory of hand-sewn plush dog bones (their professional-looking demo video of a dog enjoying his bone surely had something to do with that). Meanwhile, on the other side of the Fair the “Stressed Rest Express” were working through a line of customers eager to get in on their $1/minute “almost professional” massages.
After only 1.5 hours of selling, our entrepreneurs had collected over $2,500 in revenue. They will be hosting a donation reveal party (attended by a representative from Lighthouse Family Retreat) on May 19 to unveil their grand total donation – it will blow you away!
Profit aside, the most important thing our entrepreneurs walked away with was a new appreciation for what it takes to run a business. They learned that…
“When you’re trying to sell, you want to give samples and sell with a smile.” -Christine
“Running a business is hard, tiring, and fun!” -Sarah
“You won’t always succeed at first, but you have to keep trying until you get it just right.” -Will
“You have to have a budget and spend your money carefully for supplies.” – Jacob
“It takes many steps to create a business, but it is worth it!” -Molly
A huge thank you to Chick-fil-A for being such gracious hosts and willing customers, and to our entrepreneurs for putting in the hard work to be successful!