Bootstrap Businesses

Stanley Ring, a portable scriber from the Green Company; Harold Kennedy, making toys for sale from discarded materials; L. Hulka, Setting up a lawn care business; John F. Barber, printed a ski guide; Vicky Johnson, making and selling greeting cards.

By the Mother Earth News editors

March/April 1979

If you now operate-or have ever operated-a successful home business that was inspired by an article you read in MOTHER, tell us (in 500 words or less) when and where-and with how much "seed money"-you started your venture. Because it your story can be fitted into an upcoming installment of BOOTSTRAP BUSINESSES, you'll receive [1] the warm satisfaction of knowing that you helped someone else find the happiness you enjoy and [2] a tree two-year new or renewal subscription to THE Mother Earth News (restricted) .

A few years ago, my wife and I had four children in their teens ... and our family seemed in a constant turmoil over how to earn enough spending money. So, after a good deal of thought on the matter-and no acceptable solutions-I turned to my back issues of MOTHER. Soon I came across an article entitled "Hand Lettering Makes Sense" (MOTHER NO. 24, page 14)... and suddenly I had the answer. Lettering by machine was my idea, and I knew just how to go about helping my youngsters set up business.

I was working-at the time-as Controls Design Engineer and Purchasing Manager for a small industrial equipment manufacturer and was, therefore, in the perfect position to order the necessary supplies. I carefully priced various brands of engraving equipment and settled on a portable "scriber" from the Green Company-complete with attachable hardware and a supply of blank nameplates-for a total investment of $509.

In no lime I'd taught the entire brood how to operate the equipment, and the four began taking turns filling orders. While my contribution to the family business involved purchasing supplies and doing the bookkeeping and billing, it was the teenagers' responsibility to set up jobs and do the engraving. And-after paying immediate business expenses-the children and I split the profits down the middle.

Now-at the end of a year and a half of part-time engraving-our little enterprise has managed to pay for the engraver and all supplies ... and my youngsters have spent 18 months in a learning experience that has allowed them to earn their own spending money!

There's a good deal of potential for growth in our project... but, for my clan's purposes, our business-as is-has been the perfect family sideline!

Stanley Ring Newtown, Conn.

I'm convinced that anyone who listens to MOTHER can become independent and self-sufficient ... because I did!

It started when I read "Work for Yourself" in MOTHER NO. 52, page 36. MOTHER'S good advice set me to scrounging and recycling… until I'd come up with some old shipping skids tossed aside by Mr. Big Business. I removed the nails and sorted the boards by width ... and then I began to create. From the widest planks I built a removable top that attaches to our dining room table and doubles its size ... I used the narrower boards to construct a bookshelf and a gun rack... and then I hit the jackpot with a use for the leftover scraps.

Those little bits of wood were soon formed into tiny model wagons. And-before I knew it-I had orders (or more ... from friends and neighbors who'd seen my toys when they happened by. Then word of mouth began to take its course, and my temporary pastime became a permanent home business.

I started out with no "seed money" at all... making use of scrounged materials and a jigsaw that I already owned. Now, I've expanded quite a bit and cut down on my work with a router and templates. In addition, I've improved the covered wagons by attaching toy saddle horses- which I purchase in batches for pennies apiece through a local five-and-ten-cent store-to each miniature prairie schooner. (I've drawn up plans for the construction of my little moneymaking wagons and would be glad to send copies to those who're interested ... for $2.50 to cover postage and handling.)

The tourist trade in our locale has helped my enterprise tremendously. Five of us have been eating quite well on my craft business for over a year now ... and we're on the verge of beginning construction on a brand new home. Bless you, MOTHER... we owe it all to you!

Harold Kennedy Contau Lake Gooderham, Ont., Canada K0M 1R0

Not long ago, I discovered-firsthand-that a young housewife in search of employment is likely to run into a blank wall, unless she's willing to do the "office" route. As a result, I found myself stumped and frustrated as to employment possibilities. I simply could not come up with an idea that appealed to me ... until I read "You Can Earn Extra Cash With a Lawn-Mowing Business" in MOTHER NO. 46, page 81. That article sparked the idea for a similar enterprise which was more in my line: a vacation home-care service!

I decided that I would "oversee" vacationers' property for a flat daily fee ... and so I began. My initial investment was $115, and for that amount I [a] filed a fictitious name statement with the county and published it in the newspaper for four weeks ($32), [b] saw a lawyer once to draft individual client contracts ($10), [c] had the contracts plus flyers, business cards, postcards, and fee schedules printed ($53), and [d] advertised in three newspapers and "throwaways" for two weeks ($20).

I set my basic rate at $3.00 per day: This includes a daily visit to the home, a complete security check of doors and windows, mail and newspaper pickup, watering of house plants, and lighting arrangements agreed on in advance with my client. (I charge extra for pet care and for any additional services requested by the customer.)

My first week in business earned me a total of $75 ... from three customers who had at least one pet each. The time expended on each visit-excluding travel time-turned out to be just 15 to 20 minutes... so that my pay averaged out to between $5 and $10 per hour.

My business is a unique one... and it's satisfying and financially rewarding as well. If anyone out there is interested, I'd be glad to answer questions and send copies of my printed forms for a couple of dollars to cover postage and processing costs. I'm willing to bet that there's a need for a vacation service in your neck of the woods, too!

L.Hulka P.O. Box 831 Nevada City, Calif. 95959

When I lived and worked in Yellowstone National Park three winters in a row, I noticed a growing interest in cross-country skiing. In addition, I'd found a definite lack of published material on ski trails in the Yellowstone area ... but it took MOTHER to give me the push I needed to remedy that situation!

Two articles-"You Can Start Your Own Publishing Business" (Issue 38, page 86) and "You Can Write and Self a Regional Trail Guide" (Issue 41, page 109)-really set my wheels in motion, and soon I was mapping out the contents of my book-to-be. I knew that the park kept only one road open to winter automobile travel ... and that most folks would be driving in for just a day or two of skiing. So I determined to concentrate on those trails (most of which I already knew firsthand) that started at the main road's edge.

As my ski guide evolved, it became more than just a listing ... I began to incorporate some of the history of the area as well as such important considerations as safety, clothing, equipment, and wildlife/back-country etiquette. Before too long, I felt I had a marketable product... and I named my "masterpiece" Ski Touring in Northern Yellowstone National Park.

Next, I made arrangements for a local printer to run off 5,000 copies of my book, for a total investment of $980. I priced my guide at $1.25 each retail and 75 cents wholesale, and-following MOTHER'S advice on sale and distribution-I immediately sold 2,000 copies ... enough to more than cover my initial investment!

These days-even when I sell my book at wholesale prices only-I make enough profit to meet my expenses and to put aside something for my future plans and projects. I can honestly say that I'm makin' it on my own, now. Thank you, MOTHER... it sure feels good!

John F. Barber Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.

I recently read an excerpt entitled "How to Go to Work for Yourself" (in MOTHER NO. 52, page 36) which put me on the road to self-sufficiency.

For quite some time I'd been making original greeting cards for my family and friends-little "notes" that depicted flowers, sunsets, and other natural scenes-with a meager set of children's colored pencils. I dreamed of establishing a business doing airbrush painting, but had neither the equipment nor the guidelines by which to set up such an enterprise ... until MOTHER showed me the way.

I started by making arrangements to sell my greeting cards through a local boutique ... and from those first small profits I began to purchase supplies. My initial investment was a $35 air gun (fortunately, I already had access to an air compressor, a $200 piece of equipment necessary to operate the gun) ... and I was in business!

My first job-air brushing 12 T-shirts for a nearby health food store-earned me $25 ... a sum that enabled me to buy a three-month supply of T-shirt paints. My next projects-an air-brushed sign on the side of a plant/pottery shop and a custom airbrushed guitar-totaled $45... just $5 more than I needed to acquire several new brushes and enough lacquer paint and thinner to last me a year. At the end of my first week I had all the supplies and equipment necessary to do any kind of airbrush job imaginable... including custom van painting and murals, and pin-striping T-shirts.

Though I still charge minimum prices and devote the majority of my time to my 1-1/2-year-old baby, my business now averages about $500 per month. Not a bad little income, I'd say, for an average work week of two 5-1/2-hour days!

Vicky Johnson Long Beach, Calif.