
Big Ideas Start Small
The My First Business Competition encourages kids in K – 8th grade to turn their creativity into action. From neighborhood services to handmade products, kids learn how ideas become income — and how effort leads to results.
Participants explore what it takes to start a simple business, practice problem-solving, and build confidence along the way. Families have the opportunity to support, encourage, and celebrate the process together.
The 2026 competition is now closed and winners will be announced August 31st.
Enter the ContestMeet the 2026 Winners
1st Place: Gus and Brayden’s Drinks and Candy
Gus & Brayden
Local Sponsor: First Interstate Bank
Gus and Brayden sell lemonade, soda, Gatorade, popsicles and candy — from a stall that moves around town to wherever their customers are.
Gus and Brayden take their mobile stand wherever the thirsty people are, selling lemonade, soda, Gatorade, Popsicles, and candy. Their business plan includes moving around town to find customers and spreading the word through signs and Facebook. They’re also serious savers, putting 75% of every dollar they earn into savings, while giving a portion to an animal shelter.
What stood out: A simple business idea paired with a smart strategy: go where the customers are.
2nd Place: Colourful Drinks
Arudra
Local Sponsor: Liberty Cooperative Credit Union
Colourful Drinks sells four kinds of colourful, fun lemondade along with baked goods.
With four flavors of lemonade served from colorful dispensers, Arudra created a business designed to catch customers’ attention. He developed a four-part marketing strategy using flyers, free samples, social media, and word of mouth, along with his own rhyming tagline: “A lemonade a day hydrates you all the way.” He also gives back to AARF, the Anguilla animal rescue.
What stood out: A colorful product backed by an impressive, multi-channel marketing plan.
3rd Place: Unraveled 3D Print
Noah & Stephen
Local Sponsor: CEFCU
Friends Noah & Stephen run a 3D printing business at garage sales and summer events, selling all sorts of fun designs. “Your Ideas, Unraveled.”
Noah and Stephen turned their interest in 3D printing into a business selling fidgets, snakes, keychains, and custom creations at garage sales and summer events. Their customers range from kids looking for fidgets to teachers requesting custom classroom items. They’ve even expanded beyond their products by launching their own 3D-printing podcast, Infill the Blanks, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
What stood out: They didn’t just create products. They built a brand around their expertise and found multiple ways to reach customers.
Honorable Mention: Frasier’s Track
Ivan
Local Sponsor: First Interstate Bank
Ivan took his own love of dirt bikes and turned it into a business is a practice track where kids can learn to ride dirt bikes. His marketing strategy gets potential customers involved immediately with a free ride day, and his giving goal is to help kids who need dirt bikes.
Honorable Mention: Isabracelets
Isabella
Local Sponsor: Red Rocks Credit Union
Isabella creates custom loom and beaded bracelets and sells them through an online store she designed and built herself. She’s already working on improving her SEO, saves an impressive 80% of her money toward a long-term goal, and gives to PawsCo.
Honorable Mention: Sweet Spot
Liam
Local Sponsor: CEFCU
Liam makes and sells baked goods under the tagline “Where every bite hits the sweet spot.” One of the things that really sets his business apart is his commitment to giving: 50% of his profits go to Sophia’s Kitchen, the largest giving percentage among this year’s winners and honorable mentions.
Honorable Mention: Lemonade Stand
Charlotte
“Made with aloha!”
Charlotte sells lemonade for $1 a cup and created her own marketing flyer complete with the price, date, time, location, and payment information. Her cheerful “Made with aloha!” branding and thoughtful promotion showed that even a classic lemonade stand can have a real marketing plan. Charlotte even managed to land a sponsorship from GoodOnya! Impressive.
Honorable Mention: Painting and Chores Company
Olivia
Local Sponsor: Chaffey Federal Credit Union
Olivia combined services and products into one creative business, offering chores, paintings, and even a claw machine. She identified a particularly clever summer customer: anyone who needs chores done on a hot day. She also dedicates half of her profits to hospitals and nursing homes.
Honorable Mention: Fun for All
Ethan
Local Sponsor: Red Rocks Credit Union
At just eight years old, Ethan is already building a business and has his own website. Fun for All sells toys and other items designed to keep kids entertained, with a mission of helping customers find their smile. Ethan also gives back to Lucky Day Animal Rescue of Colorado.
How it Works!
Participating in the My First Business Competition is simple — and fun! Kids get the opportunity to think creatively, solve problems, and experience what it feels like to turn an idea into a real business.
Step 1
Come Up with a Business Idea
Think about something you enjoy doing or something you’re good at. Great first businesses can be simple — like pet sitting, baking, tutoring, yard work, crafts, or helping neighbors.
Step 2
Complete the Business Plan Ad-Lib
Fill out the Business Plan Ad-Lib on this page. It helps you describe your idea, how your business works, and why customers will love it.
Step 3
Parent Approval
After submitting the Ad-Lib, we’ll send a permission form to a parent or guardian so they can approve your participation.
Step 4
Share Your Idea
Participants may create a short pitch video their parents can share on their Instagram account. If you invite us to collaborate @myfirstnestegg we’ll share as well.
Step 5
Judges Review Entries
Our judges will review submissions based on creativity, effort, and how clearly the idea is explained throughout the pitch.
Step 6
Winners Announced
August 30th

Your First Business
Understanding business entrepreneurs — turn your ideas into real business steps.
Start CourseBuild Your Idea with Confidence
Our Entrepreneurship Module helps kids turn an idea into a real business step-by-step. It’s the perfect way to strengthen competition entries while building creativity, problem-solving skills, and confidence.
See a Winning Idea in Action
Watch an example pitch to see how a great business idea can be explained clearly and confidently. This short video helps kids understand how to share their idea, highlight what makes it special, and present their business in a way that’s easy for others to understand.
Open to legal residents of the United States and Anguilla. To participate in the My First Business Competition, children must be enrolled in Kindergarten through 8th grade and have permission from a parent or legal guardian.
Entries should reflect the child’s own ideas and effort. Parents and guardians are encouraged to support and guide participants, but the goal is for children to do as much of the thinking and creating as possible.
Participants may submit a written description, drawing, or short video explaining their business idea. Businesses do not need to be fully launched to enter, but ideas should be realistic, age-appropriate, and safe.
The competition is open from June 1 through July 31, 2026. Entries submitted after July 31, 2026, will not be considered.
Three winners will be selected based on creativity, effort, and clarity of the business idea.
Prizes for 2026 are:
- 1st Place – $300
- 2nd Place – $200
- 3rd Place – $100
No purchase is necessary to enter or win.
Entry must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian, or with a parent or legal guardian’s consent and supervision.
Employees, contractors, and immediate family members of My First Nest Egg are not eligible to win.
My First Nest Egg reserves the right to disqualify any entry that is incomplete, inappropriate, unsafe, fraudulent, or otherwise not aligned with the spirit of the competition.
All judging decisions are final and made at the sole discretion of My First Nest Egg.
Entrants retain ownership of their business ideas. By submitting an entry, parents and participants grant My First Nest Egg a non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free license to display, reproduce, publish, distribute, and share submitted materials, including written submissions, drawings, photographs, videos, and business ideas, for educational, promotional, marketing, and competition-related purposes.
As a condition of receiving a prize, winners and their parent or guardian must agree to allow My First Nest Egg to use the winner’s first name, age, photograph, video submission, and business idea on My First Nest Egg’s website, social media channels, educational materials, marketing materials, and other promotional content without additional compensation.
By submitting an entry, parents or guardians confirm that they have read and agree to these rules, give permission for their child to participate, and represent that the submission is the original work of the participant.
By participating, entrants and their parents or guardians release and hold harmless My First Nest Egg, its officers, employees, contractors, and affiliates from any claims, damages, or liabilities arising from participation in the competition or acceptance of any prize.
Void where prohibited by law.
Our goal is to celebrate creativity, encourage initiative, and help kids experience the confidence that comes from building something of their own.
Past Winners
2026 Winner
1st Place Winners Gus & Brayden:
Gus and Brayden’s Drinks and Candy
Local Sponsor: First Interstate Bank
2026 Winner
2nd Place Winner Arudra: Colourful Drinks
Local Sponsor: Liberty Cooperative Credit Union
2026 Winner
3rd Place Winners Noah & Stephen: Unraveled 3D Print
Local Sponsor: CEFCU

2025 Winner
Winner Chloe is all smiles in a sample from her Christian-based clothing line, Worn with Purpose, and is excited to celebrate this accomplishment!

2025 Winner
As a winner, Cooper is proudly holding the shirt he designed and is investing in more inventory to grow the brand!

2024 Winner
Winners, Wyatt & Colton, are expanding their window washing business with their cash prize!

2024 Winner
Our winner, Magnolia, is taking her art gallery business to the next level with her cash prize!

2024 Honorable Mention
Bennett earned an Honorable Mention and prizes from our partner City and County Credit Union for his impressive business, Robot Amazing.

2023 Winner
Our winner, Evvy, is taking her cake baking business to the next level with her cash prize!
2025 Winner
Winner Chloe is all smiles in a sample from her Christian-based clothing line, Worn with Purpose, and is excited to celebrate this accomplishment!

2025 Winner
As a winner, Cooper is proudly holding the shirt he designed and is investing in more inventory to grow the brand!

2024 Winner
Winners, Wyatt & Colton, are expanding their window washing business with their cash prize!
2024 Winner
Our winner, Magnolia, is taking her art gallery business to the next level with her cash prize!

2024 Honorable Mention
Bennett earned an Honorable Mention and prizes from our partner City and County Credit Union for his impressive business, Robot Amazing.

2023 Winner
Our winner, Evvy, is taking her cake baking business to the next level with her cash prize!
