2024 Kid’s Expo top performers share their secrets of the trade

WADESBORO — Stand out businesses from the 2024 Kid’s Expo, held for the first time at the First Baptist Church of Wadesboro, share information about their prize awarded products, why they enjoyed participating in the expo, and how interested customers can place orders.

A 2024 Kid’s Expo winning business, Princess Produce, is owned by 7-year-old Rivers Scarborough, who says she enjoyed participating last year.

“I like having customers come to my booth to purchase my canned goods, pies, and flowers. I like talking to them and telling them what I made from my garden. My mom helps me because some things I can’t do by myself,” Scarborough said.

Rivers’ mom, Ashley Scarborough, got the idea for her daughter’s business during COVID. During the first summer of living like hermits, the Scarborough matriarch decided to keep her daughter active and engaged by marrying her love for all things gardening with a marketable commodity, her produce.

“Rivers grows her own vegetables and makes canned goods to sale… I thought it would be fun for Rivers to have produce stands to sell her vegetables,” Ashley Scarborough said.

Bitten by the entrepreneur bug early, Rivers started her business at the tender age of three, under Lil’ Princess Produce, in honor of a very special sign made by an early customer. As her fame and clientele grew, Rivers’ business morphed into its current name, Princess Produce. Rivers’ mom has established a Facebook page for Princess Produce for anyone interested in placing an order.

“My mom and Dad helped me plant a garden during COVID and I started summer produce stands at their office. People really like my homemade chow-chow, sweet pickles, and pies,” Rivers Scarborough said.

Brother and sister duo, Paytin and Daniel, participated in the Anson County Kid’s Expo for the first time this year. Paytin Amara is the proud owner of Amara’s Scent Shoppe. Her fine-fragrance products are essential oil based. Providing true bang for your buck, Paytin’s scented concoctions are all natural and lacking in allergic reactions. Some of her best sellers include a perfume, Floral Delight, and a room spray called Oasis.

“I especially enjoy the citrusy scents like lemon and orange, but the most fun for me is mixing several different oils together and coming up with something new entirely,” Paytin said.

Her first year at the event, Paytin enjoyed meeting new people, earning extra money, and getting an opportunity to test launch new products and marketing techniques. To put an order in for a custom signature fragrance of your own made by Amara’s Scent Shoppe, visit Etsy!-Paytin (Amara’s Scent Shoppe) or keep an eye out at local kid’s expo events. Her brother Daniel feels his businesses’ exposure at the Kid’s Expo provided him with invaluable, lasting experience and a chance to earn repeat business. Owner of GrannGames, Daniel says he is already hard at work on an order he took from someone at the expo. Knowing that custom 3d printing is in high demand, Daniel’s dad suggested he start his own business a year ago last month.

“Due to numerous requests, I decided to sell my work. All of the 3d prints I have sold were designed by me,” Daniel said.

Daniel said his favorite 3d print is his Nintendo Switch Organizer, though his best seller is actually the lite version of the same product as it is more portable despite being able to contain less.

“The best way to contact me is through my email granngames@gmail.com or at the Kid’s Entrepreneur pop up market in Mint Hill on October 19, so feel free to check in if you like,” Daniel said.

When it comes to participating in the 2024 Kid’s Expo, Daniel said, “I believe it is a good opportunity for three reasons: for one, it is free to enter and so the only money to lose is in production costs. Next, it provides valuable experience for newer entrepreneurs’ and lastly, you can gain customers.”

Second year veterans, McCormick Cookies, finds participating in the expo helps them develop business skills while increasing their confidence in speaking with people professionally. The brother and sister group credit their mother with teaching them how to make their cookies from scratch.

“We were going on our first trip to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, when our momma taught us how to make cookies.”

Future oriented, the family’s youngest members decided to start their own business based on their new skill.

“We decided that baking cookies for others would be a great way to earn profits and save money… we have continued to sell cookies for our homeschooling events, 4H events and vacations.”

McCormick Cookies specializes in lemon cookies, though the customer has a plethora of tempting choices including chocolate chip, oatmeal raison, chocolate hazelnut, and peanut butter chocolate chip, all made from scratch.

Customers can place bulk orders for cookies for events or holidays at (910) 331-1672.

Anson County Chamber of Commerce President Sandy Cox was pleased with the successful outcome of the 2024 Kid’s Expo. The event saw its vendor number swell in size with it change of venue. She added she hopes the venue will be held at the church in 2025.

“I have heard from a lot of people who attended last year they enjoyed vendors having more room to spread out,” Cox said.