My first forays into entrepreneurship were mowing lawns and washing cars. Susie sold lemonade.

You gotta give this Verizon ad props for wryly bringing to life the iconic start-up: the lemonade stand. Any successful small businessperson can relate. Susie’s identifying her market, expanding capacity by bringing on help, and relying on technology to keep thing flowing smoothly as demand soars.

The ad isn’t just clever, it’s funny. Susie goes from sitting by herself without technology, to creating a commercial empire with its aid. Along the way, she uses a tablet to order elements of a jungle gym for her new office. And when her dad returns home and asks, “Where’s Susie?”, he’s greeted with a steely-faced, besuited young boy who volleys back, “Is she expecting you?”

At the end of the day, it’s Susie that rules. But Verizon’s advert smartly takes the company’s share of credit for supplying the tools that she relies upon.

Tags: business, cellphones, lemonade, technology, verizon