Meet the young Canberrans 'squeezing' their way into the lemonade business

Yusuf and Noah Shah are the young businessmen behind Shah Bros Lemonade. With the help of Mum Aanika, they started their lemonade stand last year and it’s become a hit!

They visited the Region offices with a few bottles of their lemonade to chat about their business.

When they were even younger, the two brothers used to pretend they ran a lemonade stand at home. But then they saw an opportunity to turn their imagination into reality when their school hosted a car boot sale.

“We decided we wanted to do a lemonade stand,” said Yusuf.

“And that’s when Shah Bros Lemonade was born!”

Yusuf is nine and Noah is six. They share the work making and selling the lemonade. Mum Aanika explained that the boys use a family recipe and will do a taste test to get the flavour just right.

Yusuf prefers it a bit sour, and Noah likes it sweet. So, between the two of them, they get a nice balance.

They have won fans at their school and at the local markets where they sell their drinks.

They’ve even taken their lemonade into the halls of local government: MLA Jonathan Davis met them at a market stall and subsequently invited the boys to personally deliver lemonade to his colleagues at the Legislative Assembly.

But running a business can sometimes come with challenges.

“Sometimes we sell out, but people still want lemonade! So now we take orders,” explained Yusuf.

The brothers have learnt some important lessons along the way. One important decision was to pick a logo: they went with cartoon lemon versions of themselves (complete with cool sunnies).

Noah said another big lesson was all the maths required to run a business.

“We had to learn how to charge people and then give them the right change,” he said.

Yusuf and Noah give 10 per cent of their profits to charities and will also put some of their profits towards the library at their school. As for the rest?

“We’re saving up to go to Japan to visit Mario Land!

Having tasted the Shah Bros Lemonade, I can confirm it is very tasty. Sweet, a little sour and super refreshing – it’s the perfect cool drink to satisfy a sweet craving on a hot day!

Yusuf and Noah also had some advice for any other kids out there who might be interested in starting their own business.

“Do lots of research, be curious and creative and have a goal,” said Yusuf.

He also recommended getting lots of help from parents, teachers and friends. They encourage other kids to follow their dreams.

“It’s fun! And love what you do,” said Noah.

The brothers enjoy running their business and keep coming up with new ideas. Aanika says she often has to remind them to slow down!

Safe to say, the future is looking sweet for these young businessmen.

You can find Shah Bros Lemonade at Lanyon Homestead, Calwell Markets, and events at their school. Follow their Instagram page to keep up to date with their activities and to find out how to order lemonade.

Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Riotact.