A Tisket, A Tasket, Puppies In A Basket

When I started my companies, KLR Marketing Services/ Written Solutions just a few years ago, it was not by choice, thats why I call myself "The Reluctant Entrepreneur". I had been employed in a very lucrative position prior to starting my own companies, however, my poor sweet younger brother became terminally ill, and already stressed completely by the demands of the job and my single-mother status, I was forced to resign. I had no clue as to how to be an entrepreneur, but faced with continuous mounds of bills, I was forced to learn. The lessons I learned were long and hard, but my flexibility kept me afloat. I sold anything and everything from vitamins to books. Below is a small excerpt from my monthly newsletter aimed at those struggling to achieve success in their own business! If I can do it, so can anyone!

As well as consistency and mounds of advertising when trying to sell any product or service, success also depends heavily on FLEXIBILITY. Everyone loves to market what they LOVE, but sometimes what needs to be marketed is that which sells (sometimes the twain shall meet, but thats even better). Keep an open mind, with an eye out for possibilities at all times. If what you are currently selling is not selling, well then, maybe its not saleable. You may love it, but does anyone else?

Sales can also be seasonal, and its a big mistake to block out a niche market that may be limited but very lucrative, depending on the season. The first year was especially hard, as I had resigned my lucrative position just shortly before Christmas. I had several mouths to feed and no way to do it but to sell. I browsed the local newspapers relentlessly and sold everything and anything. I did notice a local breeder having a sale on puppies right after Thanksgiving of that year. Jack Russell Terriers they were. The breeder had what he called "an overflow of that particular breed" and I got a great deal from him ( I mean, how many customers come in and ask for almost a dozen pups at a time)?

My family, as usual, thought I was crazy when I bought ten of these pups at "rock-bottom" prices, and set them up in my basement in a plastic kiddie pool. (I also used the "Christmas money" to purchase them, so I was not popular in my home that year). Well, let me tell you, my family was soon "eating crow".

Right after Thanksgiving, I bought a large wicker basket, an elf cap, some green and red ribbons, and sat on my porch with those puppies all bundled in a basket.
Now let me tell you, if you think you couldnt sell puppies from a basket a few weeks before Christmas, wearing an elf cap, and yelling, "Ho, Ho, Ho" to all passersby, youre wrong. Those dogs sold out after the first day and I kept buying and selling more until Christmas Eve of that year, recovering not only my initial investment, but making thousands in the process. We had the best Christmas ever, and no one in this office or in my family ever questions my "zanniness" again. (Theres also a large Jack Russell Terrier population in my immediate area now, and all the pups resemble each other).

The lesson here, again, is the flexibility to see an opportunity and to go with it, even though everyone else may question your judgment and your sanity. If I can be successful so can you. It only requires the ability to be flexible and spontaneous, and the ability to be determined enough to see things through.

About the author.

Katheryn Mary Labosky
"The Reluctant Entrepreneur"
KLR Marketing Services/ Written Solutions
256 E. Bertsch St.
Lansford, PA

steavie@ptd.net
http://www.written-solutions.com