What began as a simple lemonade stand in a Hopkinsville driveway has grown into a decade-long small business — and now its founders hope it will inspire a new generation of young entrepreneurs.
DJ’s Famous Lemonade & Links, a familiar sight at local festivals and community events, is preparing to launch the Lemonade Academy, a program designed to teach children ages 8 to 15 how to start and run their own businesses.
The idea for the lemonade stand itself began with a six-year-old’s curiosity.
Tarreka Bailey said her son, DJ, first became interested in starting a lemonade stand after watching a video online.
click to download audioBailey says the family set up their first stand at his grandmother’s house.
click to download audioThat small stand quickly became something more.
Over the years, DJ’s Famous Lemonade expanded beyond the driveway and into community events. The business also added a new food item last year — hot dogs, which the stand markets as “links.”
click to download audioNow, the family hopes to use their experience to help other young entrepreneurs through a new program called the Lemonade Academy.
Bailey said it became common for young customers to approach DJ and ask about starting their own businesses.
That interest sparked the idea for the Lemonade Academy.
“We started asking, ‘How do we teach other kids how to start their own businesses?’” Bailey said. “DJ is the perfect person to teach it because he can talk about the good parts and the difficult parts.”
click to download audioThe program will function as a hands-on entrepreneurship workshop where children can learn the fundamentals of starting a business while developing their own ideas.
click to download audioThe academy will run for approximately four to six weeks and cover several core topics related to business ownership.
The first week introduces students to the concept of business while focusing on confidence and leadership.
The second week will help students develop their business concept.
Participants will learn the difference between products and services, identify their target customers and begin building a brand. Students will also create a name for their business, design a logo and develop a slogan.
Week three focuses on financial literacy.
Students will learn basic money concepts such as profit, expenses, pricing, budgeting and reinvesting earnings into a business.
The fourth week shifts to marketing and customer service.
Students will learn how to promote their businesses through flyers, word-of-mouth marketing and social media, while also learning how to interact with customers.
The final phase of the program will focus on launching each participant’s business.
Students will design and set up their own booths or stands, decorate them with their logos and prepare their products for sale.
The program will conclude with a community event called Lemonade Academy Market Day.
During the event, participants will open their businesses to the public and sell their products to customers.
click to download audioOrganizers are also exploring the possibility of establishing a community Lemonade Day tied to the academy, with support from local government officials.
“We’re talking with the mayor’s office about setting aside a day for Lemonade Academy,” Bailey said.
The sessions are expected to be held on Saturdays at the Hopkinsville Electric System building, where officials have agreed to allow the program to use meeting space.
Bailey said the remaining challenge is securing funding for the program, which will determine how many children can participate.
“We’re working on the funding part now so we can figure out how many kids we can bring into the program,” Bailey said. “We have some kids waiting to go through the program. We’ve been working on this idea for about a year.”
The Lemonade Academy reflects the same values that have guided the lemonade stand over the past decade.
Bailey said her family uses the business as a way to give back to the community.
“We’re big Christians and a faith-based business,” Bailey said. “We donate a portion of our proceeds to different charities and to our children’s church at Cedar Grove.”
That connection to the community has been a key part of the business’ growth.
“The support we’ve gotten with DJ’s Lemonade has been unbelievable,” Bailey said.
Bailey said the academy is intended not only to teach business skills but also to help children discover confidence and purpose.
“We believe the 10 years we’ve spent as vendors can help spark interest in these kids,” Bailey said. “It gives them something to be proud of and something positive to focus on.”
Bailey said they are seeking volunteers, supporters and families interested in enrolling their children.
Applications for the Lemonade Academy are currently available through the DJ’s Famous Lemonade & Links Facebook page.
“We want any child between those ages who wants to learn to take advantage of the program,” Bailey said.
Even as the academy moves forward, DJ’s Famous Lemonade continues to operate as it has for the past decade — serving customers across the community.
For Bailey, the lemonade stand — and now the academy — represents more than a business venture.
It’s an opportunity to help young people discover possibilities for their future.
