Sweet Leaf Tea and the Spicy Pickle have a sweet deal going with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado.
As part of BBBS's 90th anniversary celebration, BBBS kids will be running lemonade and iced tea stands at the Spicy Pickle at 2300 Parker Road, Unit C, in Aurora, starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 26. Anyone who donates to BBBS will receive a free bottle of Sweet Leaf Tea, and Spicy Pickle will donate $1 to BBBS for every donation received. Spicy Pickle and Sweet Leaf Tea are hoping to raise more than $20,000 for BBBS of Colorado, the state's largest, and oldest, mentoring organization for kids.
Christopher Clayton, who founded Sweet Tea when he was just 25, will be at the event with Tony Walker, the 37-year-old founder of the Spicy Pickle chain, to give BBBs kids a pep talk on how to run a successful lemonade or iced tea stand. Here's a sneak preview of Claytons rules:
1) Start with a goal in mind. How much money do you hope to earn from your lemonade or tea stand? What are you hoping to buy with the money you earn? Now take that amount and add to it how much your supplies will cost. Based on that number, decide how much you are going to charge per cup of lemonade or tea and how much you will need to sell..
2) When life gives you lemons, sell lemonade and tea too! Offer your customers a variety of drinks like lemonade and iced tea, to make sure you have something for everyone!
3) The early bird gets the worm or, in this case, the money. Set up your stand early in the day and in a high traffic area.
4) Be prepared, "weather" or not. You will sell more on hot days than cool, rainy ones, so plan your drink and ice inventory accordingly.
5) Chill out! Always make sure the drinks you sell are cold.
6) Let your customers in on your business plan. Don't be shy about letting your customers know why you've set up your stand and why you're working hard to earn money. People love to help other people achieve their goals.
7) Cold drinks, warm approach. Don't be shy and don't wait for people to come to you, Smile warmly, be friendly and ask everyone who passes by if they'd like to buy a cup of tea or lemonade. And always thank your customers for buying from.
8) Appearances count. Make sure your hands and face are clean and your stand is attractive and tidy.
9) Bank on it. Make sure that you have a small bank of bills and coins in case you have to change a large bill.
10) Have fun and pat yourself on the back at the end of every day. You're an entrepreneur and that's something to be proud of.