Ottawa youth take on business fair to learn about entrepreneurship

A young children’s business fair gave business minds in the capital a chance to show shoppers what they bring to the table. CTV’s Camille Wilson has more.

Young business leaders took their entrepreneurship skills to the Ottawa Children’s Business Fair at the Horticulture Building on Sunday.

Nearly 60 booths with entrepreneurs ranging in age from four to 18 showcased their creations and innovations, including food, crochets, crafts, plants, jewelry, dog treats, clothes and books.

Alecia Liu, the 11-year-old creator of Alecia’s Pink Pencil, sells handmade crochet products with positive messages on them. She says the event has taught her to be confident and to know her stuff.

“First, I think about the cost of my piece, how much it took me to make it. Then, I add my work for some money for myself. Then, that gives me the final cost,” said Liu.

The youth at the event have developed a brand, created a product or service and shared it in the marketplace.

“Usually, people will borrow from their parents and then pay them back afterwards to have a better way of managing that. I know some people fundraise,” said SJ Anderson, coordinator of the Ottawa Children’s Business Fair.

Siblings Dahlia, Kara and Bodhi Parent, co-creators of DIY Pencil Bar, received the Best Financial Awareness Award.

“We borrowed money from our mom to start the company. Then, we paid it all back from our last two sales,” said Dahlia.

They say they’ve learned a lot about financial decisions.

“We have to make a lot of decisions for what we want to spend money on and what we don’t,” said Dahlia. “We decided that we were going to put the total of all this stuff together, and then we give yourself a little profit.”

The siblings said they created the business to have activities together and reduce the time they spend on their screens.

Organizers say the event is about the entrepreneurial side of the world, both with managing a business, costs, products and engaging with customers.

Ashitaa Siddarthrhaa and Dia Bahadury took their skills from art class to the marketplace.

“We make handmade art out of all the techniques we learn in art class, like acrylic paint, sketching, using colored pencils and we create different things,” said Bahadury.

For Siddarthrhaa, its her first time selling her products, and she’s learning a few things for next time.

“You don’t know what other people like. This is the first time, so I’m just curious to see how it will be,” said Siddarthrhaa.

Siddarthrhaa and Bahadury said they’ve learned a lot about how to make a profit.

“Count the cost of what it took you to make your product and then sell it so you get profit. Then just keeping track of everything that you’re using,” said Bahadury.

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