Over the past few years, folks everywhere have become more passionate about the importance of shopping local and supporting small businesses. This July, kids and teens in Williamson will be given the chance to test the waters in the world of small business thanks to Young Entrepreneurs Day.
Planting the Seed for the Next Generation of Business Owners
Young Entrepreneurs Day will be hosted by the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce and Healthy in the Hills, “to encourage youth to appreciate the importance of small business in their community, and the value of supporting local shops,” says Chamber of Commerce president Chris Dotson.
Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Randall Sanger says he believes YED is extremely important for our future business leaders and our community. “The future of the Tug Valley area lies in the hands of our youth. We want to start at a young age strengthening their business skills and showing them they can have a successful business in our area,” says Randall
Prior to the event itself, each young entrepreneur will be paired with a member of the Chamber of Commerce to learn about business, marketing, and other important things about preparing for a day of business. Randall says he hopes the participants leave with a sense of what it takes to run a business. He believes pairing with a chamber member will give them insight into the dos and don’ts of a successful small business
“We’re hoping to plant the seed for the next generation of business owners in our area and start giving them the tools they need to become successful entrepreneurs,” Chris says.
Get Creative!
There will be 3 age categories: 8-11, 12-15, and 16-18. All businesses must feature handmade/handcrafted products to encourage participants to be creative, and organizers encourage those participating to get creative and hands-on with advertising their businesses.
Chris says, “We want to see a variety of products at YED. We all love a good lemonade stand, but we’re also hoping to see our area's youth think outside of the box.”
Support the Youth
How can you help? Throw some support to these young entrepreneurs!
Randall says, “We need our community to come out and support these kids, encourage them and buy their products. One of the biggest strengths of the Tug Valley region is our love for community and we need to show that in a big way by always supporting our youth's endeavors. I hope they have fun, learn a lot, sell a lot and realize how vital they are to our area.”
“As with any small business, community support is vital to their success. For one day, these kids are small business owners and they need your support! It’ll be interesting to see what our young entrepreneurs bring to the table,” adds Chris
Young Entrepreneurs Day will be on July 25, 2020, and it will take place at the Williamson Farmers Market. Registration deadilne is July 9th. To learn more about the event or get registered, check out the Facebook page! Organizers look forward to seeing what young business owners have to offer. “Our Chamber members, the Healthy in the Hills Staff, and the Williamson Farmers Market Team are excited to see what our young entrepreneurs bring to the event,” says Chris.
