Eversmith Tallman is a returning business. He sells Smitty’s Hot Sauce.
Grayson Ratliff was proud to enter his business, Feather Homes I to the Expo this year.
Chamber of Commerce President Sandy Cox said, “We are also really excited to see how this event continues to grow ever year. A lot of our businesses sold out of items last year. We have a lot of variety here today: lemonade, jewelry, artwork, foods, just a lot of creativity on display.”
Sisters Leah and Lyra make lemonade at home from scratch. Their business is called Leah and Lyra’s Lemonade.
Brother and sister Merritt and Holden Taylor have caught the entrepreneur bug!
Sheriff Scott Howell said he was proud of all the youth and their businesses.
Zaire Smith- Maxwell says she loves making jewelry and attending expos. She is pictured in the middle between Leslie Smith on her left and Jeannette Smith on her right.
Ava and Luke Helms
A baker, Braelyn Anderson says she is excited to enter her unique business, Driftwood Bakery, into the expo for the first time this year.
ANSON COUNTY — The county’s best and brightest were on full display at Saturday’s Chamber of Commerce sponsored annual Kids Expo for young entrepreneurs. The event was again held at 1st Baptist Church of Wadesboro. In addition to the Chamber, SPCC co-sponsored the event.
“We are so very thankful for the church allowing us to use their wonderful facility and parking area. This is the perfect venue because it is one where we will never have to cancel thanks to the Fellowship Hall, so we are extremely thankful,” says Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Sandy Cox. She added, “We are also really excited to see how this event continues to grow ever year. A lot of our businesses sold out of items last year. We have a lot of variety here today: lemonade, jewelry, artwork, foods, just a lot of creativity on display.”
Cox said she finds herself amazed every year by the creativity of the youth that enter their businesses into the Kids Expo. Because she says she feels the Kids Expo helps to enhance growth for young entrepreneurs, Cox says she looks forward to supporting whatever businesses the youth of Anson decide to one day bring to the community as future adults.
District 55 candidates John Powell Jr. and Clancy Baucom both attended the event and said they too were proud of the youth and their creativity. Both candidates said how important they believed cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit in the youth is for the betterment of the county’s future.
Commissioner Chair James Caudle shared, “I think this is a great opportunity for our youth to show off their talents, as well as encouraging them to learn more about the fundamental skills of business and commerce. I am proud of the Chamber of Commerce for putting this together and it makes me excited to see what our youth are continuing to accomplish throughout the county.”
Sheriff Scott Howell also came out to see what the Kid’s Expo was all about.
He said, “The great thing about today, to me, is how the Kid’s Expo shows parents and children are spending time together finding new activities they like and having hands-on, fun experiences as a family.”
Howell said he felt like the Expo helps build confidence and promotes independence.
“I am proud to see our youth choosing to engage in positive activities. Some of the projects I saw today show kids’ imaginations are exploding with ideas. These families are making memories together they will remember for a lifetime. I can see from their excitement this is something the children will carry on as a tradition with their kids one day,” said Howell.
A returning favorite, Eversmith Tallman brought his Smitty’s Psycho Sauce, which he sells for $10 a bottle.
“Most people say it lasts them for about a year, a little goes a long way,” says Eversmith. He says his sauce is shelf stable, but he recommends storing the sauce in the fridge as it is vinegar based.
Brother and sister Merritt and Holden Taylor were pleased to be at the Kid’s Expo selling their wares.
Merritt’s Fruity Freeze Pops are all natural and she says she got the idea of making them because she loves dessert so much. Holden’s Holders are handmade, and Holden says he makes them out of materials his grandmother gave him, and says his business is special to him because of her. Parents, Jeremy and Whitney [Scarborough] Taylor, said they could not be prouder of their kid’s entrepreneurial spirits.
Saturday was Leah and Lyra’s Lemonade’s first year at the Kid’s Expo. The girls are sisters, and though they look like twins, the girls say they are 13 months apart.
“We use fresh lemons to make our lemonade,” says Leah. Their mom vouches for that; she says the duo uses about 15 lemons to make their special lemonade. Lyra says they got the idea because they love lemonade. “We just asked our mom if we could do it and she said, “Yes,” explained Lyra.
Ava Helms and Luke Helms were another pair of siblings at the Kid’s Expo who caught the entrepreneurial bug. While the Helms are not new to entering similar expo’s, they are new to the Anson County Kid’s Expo, and both said they were having a great time.
Ava says she makes all kinds of unique jewelry; “Dangles, studs, holiday -themed, mermaids, really a lot of things.” She says her desire to start a business comes from her love of the Tuttle Twins book series, which is designed to teach children important historical, economic and civic basics through fictional storytelling. Ava says, “The series has really taught me about how supply and demand work.”
Luke makes one-of-a-kind pins. He says he is most proud of the American Flag pin he makes.
This year was also Zaire Smith-Maxwell’s first year at the Kid’s Expo. Her business is Creative Touch by Zaire, and she has been making creative, intricate jewelry for the last two years. “I really enjoy what I do and getting to come to these types of events, they are a lot of fun,” says Zaire.
Also his first year at the expo, Grayson Ratliff entered his business, Feather Homes. He says he got the idea to build birdhouses for bluebirds because he loves to see the birds come to their homes. Grayson says the homes are built specifically for bluebirds and the holes of the homes are cut at a certain diameter to suit the bird’s needs.
Another first-year contender at the Kid’s Expo, Kenleigh’s Creations, goes together with her father and local author Sam Cole. The father-daughter duo sale Cole’s children’s book for $25, along with Kenleigh’s slime and catapults. Kenleigh’s creations either come free with the purchase of a book or can be purchased separately for the bargain price of $1.
Braelyn Anderson decided to enter her business, Driftwood Bakery, into the Kid’s Expo for the first time this year as well. She said she really enjoys her business because she and her parents collect the driftwood she uses together. “We find the driftwood on the banks of the Pee Dee,” says Braelyn. She adds, “And I really love baking.”
A familiar face at the Kid’s Expo, Princess Charming Shoe Charms, a business owned by Adalyne Presson, is in her third successful year at the Kid’s Expo. Adalyne is in fifth grade and has been running her business by word of mouth for the last three years. She says she loves making jewelry and charms.
Winners for age groups 4-10 for Most Original Business Idea were Merritt’s Fruity Freeze Pops and Highest Business Potential was Fortune Pops, owned by Cooper and Owen Wyatt. Best Creative Booth went to Ainsworth Crew: Char, Cal, and Rea Ainsworth.
Winners for age group 11-17 for Most Original Business Idea was DNA Wood, owned by Ansley and Dawson Raker. Highest Business Potential went to Snack Attack, owned by Nora Edwards and Best Creative Booth winner was Lily Pad Creations by Lily Nance.