how kids can make money fast

11:12 PM |

• Read "Tom Sawyer." Pay attention to the part about painting the fence. Hint: You don't have to do all the work yourself.
• Use your age advantage in creating the stand. Make a deal with the best architect in town: If he designs a great lemonade stand for you for free -- and you win the contest -- you'll make sure he gets recognition on national TV.

• Find a niche. A niche differentiates your stand from your competitors' stands. One idea: Hook up with a good cause and pledge a percentage of the profit to it.

• Be nice to your parents. You'll need capital to build your stand and buy ingredients. Unless you have savings, you'll have to find sympathetic outside investors, namely, your parents.
• Location, location, location. Set up your stand in front of your house only if you happen to live next door to the biggest mall in town. Look for a place with a lot of foot traffic. The more people who pass by you, the more sales you'll make.
• Don't skimp on quality. Buy the best ingredients -- and let your customers know about it.

• Charge a lot. You're a kid; you have the highest quality lemonade; and you need the money. If you're supporting a good cause, that's another reason people should be willing to pay more.
• Diversify. Whoever said that a lemonade stand could sell only lemonade? What about, say, cookies?
• Follow your instincts. It doesn't matter if you make mistakes. Just make sure they're your mistakes. Learning from mistakes is how lemonade champions are made.
• Win the contest. Ask a professional photographer to take your digital photos. (You don't ask, you don't get.) Have a teacher check your essay. But remember, in business, winners make a profit.