A Lesson in Capitalism

"The secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well." -John D. Rockefeller
As part of our Summer Bucket List, aka the "attempt to relieve ourselves of our guilt for abandoning Peanut while we go to Europe for two weeks" list, we wanted to make a lemonade stand with her. She started asking last summer, but we ran out of time. So I promised myself we'd do it this summer. This past weekend was the time.

I had laid out a business plan:

• Signage must be big, bright, and welcoming. (Peanut and I spent a good hour laying on the floor with magic markers, creating our masterpiece.)
• Location is key. (My Director and I actually disagreed over this. She, as you might expect, turned out to be right. Dammit.)
• Give 'em something no one else has. (We made FRESH lemonade with real lemons and mint from our garden.)
• Set a strategic price point. (At $0.75 a cup, 2 for $1, why not get two? Besides, we're the only game for miles, no? If you're stopping, you're buying.)
• Create a welcoming storefront. (We went for summer bistro.)

Here is the result:

Don't you love the handheld arrow she made?

It also helps to have a great slogan:

 

(That's me trimming the forsythia bush in the background.) 

What you don't realize when you decide to set up a lemonade stand for your child on the corner outside of your house, is that when she runs inside the house every three or four minutes to get something she so desperately needs all of a sudden, you end up sitting there alone looking like a creep. But when Peanut was there, she was a professional. As a reward for her hard work, we told Peanut we'd take her to the toy store so she could buy something for herself with her profits, as long as some of the money went into her piggy bank. (She made $15!) 

She carried her money in an American Girl box.
That bunny was out of her budget.

After the toy store, we went on a couple of other errands, including a trip to DSW for My Director and me to buy comfortable yet stylish walking shoes for our trip. Satisfied with our day, I asked Peanut at dinner, "What great summer memory did we make today?" To which she promptly responded, "Shoe shopping." 

Even at discount shoe store prices, she's going to have to sell a lot of lemonade to support that habit.

As I got out the supplies to make the sign, Peanut predicted this would be "the best day ever." That reminded me of THIS POST from last summer, where she said the same thing.