Stuff

Canada - Tough times for shorties (report on buisness)

By SARAH STEINBERG

Those of us in the business sector know that tough times can call for tough measures, but things must be getting really bad out there if underage workers are literally being handed lemons. I spoke with local businessperson Joliette, age seven, while her silent-but-deadly sister Sarah, age five, looked at me with a blank stare (an old business trick: intimidate the reporter). We talked mostly about their latest enterprise.

Vice: A lemonade stand -- how'd you come up with the idea?
Joliette: At school. My friends said it to me that he selled lemonade. So then I wanted to do it.

How long have the two of you been in this venture together?
We did it since this morning. And now we do it again. But this morning we didn't sell cookies.

Why not!?
We didn't have them.

You did not have the cookies. Must have been some problem with your supplier. In a lot of businesses there's a division between the creative and the more money-oriented side. Who's who here?
I would say she's more money.

And you're the more creative side? How so?
I did the poster. I got the idea to do cookies. And that's it.

That's it. And where is the lemonade from? No doubt some cheap factory in China.
I made it.

Right here in the Cana of DA. Good. Other Canadians could learn a thing or two from you. What are you going to do when the weather turns?
I have an idea.

OK. What is it?
Sell lemonade and invite peoples in our house!

You sure you want to invite strangers in your house?
If you don't know somebody it could be somebody that you don't know -- that could be dangerous.

You make an excellent point.
So we could just invite our friends.

A pyramid scheme?
Yeah, it's your friends. It should be free.

So have you been very affected by the recession?
No.

If this business works, would you consider expanding? Moving into other juices?
Yeah.

What kinds?
Maybe apple juice.