'Small' Businesses: Young Entrepreneurs' Time To Shine In Manahattan

MANHATTAN, IL — In business it can often pay off to think outside the box, and there may be no group better at coming up with creative, outside-the-box ideas than children. The Village of Manhattan and the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce hope to see those ideas put to action during the Community Youth Small Business Event.

The free community event, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, will let young entrepreneurs show off their talents while giving them a taste of real-world business, all from the comfort of their own driveways, according to Manhattan Village Board Trustee Justin Young.

Children will be given the opportunity to sell their wares during a community wide showcase, similar to a community garage sale, Young said. The children who are registered for the event will have their addresses added to a map that will be available to the community so residents can go around town and see what the children have for sale.

Each registered participant will receive a "youth small business license," and the first 10 who register will get an extra bonus of an official ribbon cutting with Mayor Adrieansen, Village trustees and Manhattan Chamber of Commerce members.

Residents can expect to see some creative things that Manhattan children have for sale during the event, including music, landscaping services, waste pick up, painted rocks, soaps and candles, and a range of unique items, Young said.

"It's pretty amazing," he said. "We're pleasantly surprised with the creative names [of the businesses children have come up with] and the creativity with what they are going to be selling. It's definitely exceeding our expectations."

For more information, contact Village Finance Clerk Kristen Reinke at kreinke@villageofmanhattan.org, or call (815) 418-2053. Those interested in participating can also check the Village of Manhattan's event page on Facebook.