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I lost my job last fall. Didn't say much about it but it is not the think I like to talk about. I was so depressed through the Holidays that I wanted to just crawl in a cave and die. I started to hang around the Barns & Noble since they had free WiFi. While there, I read Entrepreneur magazine. I read about a lady whose kid had died and in grief, she started making pretzels and selling them. To make a long story short, she ended up selling the business for $300 Million. You following me camera man?
So, my girlfriend and I don't know much about business. She is Pilipino American and I am a black German American. What a mix! But her mom make this toasty little treat called "lumpia". It is like a Chinese eggroll but toastier and thinner. I love them.
I never have seen them sold at a stand or anything so I decided to give it a try. We have a friend who has started and lost more businesses than she can count so we figured she could help us. We brought her in. She has already been an S Corp and taught us a lot that we did not know. She used to sell tee shirts and whistles on the beach.
We began making batches of lumpia and selling them at swap meets and flea markets. Did Okay and learned a lot about what people wanted and how to reduce waste. Up to recently, we have done all the labor. We even set up a stand in a gas station (for free) but it did not go well. We also set up in about every park using a home made cart and a gas stove. Got run out twice! We set up in an International Market and did pretty well.
Last week we went to Daytona and tail-gated. I will not tell you how much we made for tax reasons but it was a lot!!. We are now focusing on outdoor events and we also have space in our local Mall as a Kiosk. We are beginning to roll adnd actually realize real profits.
Look, this may fail or it may make it. I don't know for sure. My biggest debt was about $1600 for equipment which has been paid off. We are learning everyday and know we have so much more to learn. But it feels so much better than sitting in the house and whining about not being able to find work! Just trying feels better than waiting for something. At least we are in control!
I hope for you to someday see my picture in every Mall's eatery like Jared's in the near future. I am only 22 years old.
The thing we have here that was not available a few years ago is the ability to connect. DU gives you the ability to exchange an idea with thousands of others with only a click of a button or two. Find people of common interest or even complementary talents and put something together. If we can do it, anyone can. And it is really fun!!
If you don't believe me, ask the people running this web site!!
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