Were you born an entrepreneur? Did you spend your childhood standing on the street corner selling lemonade to strangers? Did you go door to door selling greeting cards, Girl Scout cookies and later Avon? During the summer months did you put on backyard carnivals with games to play such as ring toss over the coke bottle or knock the stuff animals down with a softball? And, yes if you did it three times in a row you won a prize --perhaps a blue ribbon or something special like a key ring or small stuff animal. Or perhaps you babysat for the neighbors and as the best babysitter in the area took a piece of the action when you were able to slot another babysitter into a day and time when you were not available? Well, those are the things I did. And, yes, I believe I was born an entrepreneur. My mom may have bought the lemons, the sugar, the cups and the ice. But I made the drink, constructed the stand and painted the sign and, most important, made sure to pay her back every penny for the goods I used. I knew then as I know now you aren't in business if you don't account for every penny of income and expense. Every business is a game of profit and loss and too many businesses forget some expense that eventually puts them out of business. Take for example, the backyard carnival. I had a little "surrey with the fringe on top" that needed to be pedaled to take kids for rides. Getting a kid to pay $.10 for aride was easy but getting another kid to pedal it wasn't always easy. Good thing for me I had a sister -- better known in those days as cheap labor. She believed being allowed to help me with the carnival was her pay so I hired her. The games were different in that the $.10 it cost to play was all profit unless someone actually won and then those prizes cost me about $.50 a piece. I had to be careful to make sure I didn't have too many winners. It makes you realize just how important it is that those people running casinos get their winners and losers margins accurate as too many winners puts you out of business. Of course, no backyard carnival would be any fun without the food. I sold hot dogs, cotton candy and slush cones (yes, I owned a machine for each of these and the ingredients are nothing more than sugar and water and a little food coloring - these were my big money makers) and of course, my special lemonade. On a beautiful Saturday afternoon I could make as much as $150. And, that was after expenses. Of course, the swings and slides that just happened to be in my backyard brought me in some extra revenue that I didn't have to expense. Every year the carnival grew bigger and kids from other neighborhoods knew about it and found their way to may backyard. Even today, as a woman business owner and serial entrepreneur, the backyard carnival will always be my finest entrepreneurial dream. Why? Because I made money, made kids happy and even had enough to donate to charity at the end of the summer. Running a small business is about more than making money. It's about having a life that aligns with your beliefs and makes the world a better place because you have taken a risk that allows others to benefit and you to share your enthusiasm. When was it that you knew you were an entrepreneur?
Article Source: http://bizymoms.com/business
Vicki Donlan Consultant, Speaker and Author of HER TURN: Why It's Time for Women to Lead in America Visit: www.vickidonlan.com