Girls Inc. members learn entrepreneurship through lemonade stands

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There’s nothing sweeter on a hot summer day than a cup of ice-cold lemonade.

Especially when it’s served by a group of enthusiastic and adorable girls raising money.

But the money wasn’t the sole purpose of Girls Inc. of Jackson County’s lemonade stands this summer. By making and selling the lemonade, the girls became entrepreneurs, learning the ins and outs of starting and running a business.

For the sixth summer in a row, Girls Inc. summer campers participated in the national Lemonade Day project.

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Girls were divided into four groups — Butterflies, Fireflies, Ladybugs and GIT (Girls Inc. Teens).

The girls spent one day a week for nine weeks with staff working on their lemonade stand businesses, including planning, budgeting, investment, getting supplies, marketing and selling to meet demand and reach goals.

Each group hoped to make at least $100 from their efforts.

To sell the most, they had to come up with ideas of how to make their lemonade the best, including how much to sell it for, names and themes for their lemonade stands, job assignments for each “employee” and how to use their profits.

Through word of mouth, social media, posters and signs, the teams advertised the lemonade stand project to attract customers.

For several hours July 16 through 19, the groups set up their stands outside the Girls Inc. building on North O’Brien Street in Seymour. They took shifts selling their lemonade to other Girls Inc. members and staff, family, neighbors, friends and the public for several hours each day.

Some groups made their product stand out by having different colored ice cubes and adding sprinkles or whipped topping to their drinks. Another group added value by selling miniature candy bars with their lemonade.

Although $1 a cup was the popular price point, some groups sold smaller cups for 50 cents, and others decided to sell for $2 a cup.

Although everyone got a chance to pour and serve, there were other jobs, too, including taking and counting the money.

The girls got to vote on what they wanted to do with the money they raised. The Butterflies decided on a gymnastics and ice cream party, the GIT group donated their funds back to Girls Inc. to remodel the teen room, the Fireflies chose to spend their money on an outside fun day and the Ladybugs went with an extreme desserts party.

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