Startup Sensation Part 2: Launch Day

May 5, 2014 | Middle School News, Uncategorized

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 โ€œBC Braceletsโ€ (where BC stands for Bottle Caps) were the first to sell out โ€“ 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, โ€œThey learned the hard way!โ€. Very true. Moments later, the gang at โ€œPets Peopleโ€ 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 โ€œStressed Rest Expressโ€ were working through a line of customers eager to get in on their $1/minute โ€œalmost professionalโ€ 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 โ€“ it will blow you away!
BreakintoBusinessProfit aside, the most important thing our entrepreneurs walked away with was a new appreciation for what it takes to run a business. They learned thatโ€ฆ
โ€œWhen youโ€™re trying to sell, you want to give samples and sell with a smile.โ€ -Christine
โ€œRunning a business is hard, tiring, and fun!โ€ -Sarah
โ€œYou wonโ€™t always succeed at first, but you have to keep trying until you get it just right.โ€ -Will
โ€œYou have to have a budget and spend your money carefully for supplies.โ€ โ€“ Jacob
โ€œIt takes many steps to create a business, but it is worth it!โ€ -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!