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An Entrepreneurial Adventure

Road Less Traveled

Oct 24, 2011 by Bonnie Simon

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I recently read that though unemployment is up, so is self-employment. I find this to be heartening news. It brings to mind an image of a modern pioneer picking out a path and taking it, willing to take a chance and explore the unknown. I love the idea that thousands of Americans have taken on the challenge of building their own little portion of the economy.

Personally, I’m on my second try this year. As you may recall, I quit my corporate job last March (what kind of crazy person quits a good job during a recession??) to start a business designed to link local farms to local consumers. And guess what? It didn’t work. I admit that freely and without shame. Simply put, when you don’t know what you’re doing, the only way to learn is try and fail. I’m not the first person to note that this week. Steve Jobs gave us the most recent example of the role of failure in entrepreneurial success.

I looked at the entire summer experiment as a cheaper version of graduate school, my “homemade MBA” and it was much more educational than any class. I learned to do market research for free at the library, I developed hands-on experience with operations and finance, I got mired in the regulatory environment surrounding food businesses and I painstakingly developed the strategy and courage to start marketing effectively.

Best of all, I made wonderful new friends and built a network of partners!

I discovered I absolutely love the variety and excitement of running my own business. I also found I don’t want to be in the food trade. I want to be, and have the skills to be, a productive part of the local community and I believe in the power of local communities to sustain satisfying lives for their members. I’ll tell you what, though… I don’t have any desire to make the same food product over and over, nor do I ever want to set up another farmers market booth. It’s too hard!!

And all this for a fraction of the cost of tuition!

So what’s next? Since I have the benefit of all this new knowledge, I mulled over what to do with it. Could I find another viable business idea? I talked at length with my business advisor (a.k.a. Dad) about facilitating meetings for corporations. He gave me great ideas about how to do that, but I know I don’t have any passion for the corporate world.

I had to ask myself more questions. What do I have passion for? What do I do well?

I have passion for local communities. And what do I do well? What do I love?

Writing.

Stay tuned for the story of the business I formed last week, Community Writing Services, LLC. I promise lots of excitement, whether it succeeds in its own right or simply adds to my adventure as a modern pioneer.

About the Author

Bonnie Simon Has Written 35 Articles For Us!

I am an urban homesteader in Colorado Springs, CO where I raise chickens, make my own yogurt and am learning to grow some food, all within sight of downtown in a 1950s era neighborhood. I am starting a small business designed to fill the gap between local farms and local dinner tables.

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