Bootstrap Businesses

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. If 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 free two-year new or renewal subscription to THE MOTHER EARTH NEWS.

As soon as I saw Ruth Ross's recipes in MOTHER NO. 42 ("You Can Bake Steamed Breads . . . Right on Your Stove Top!"), I knew I was onto a fail-safe cash project. And what made it so great was that I'd recently bought some large enameled pots . . . perfect for stovetop steaming!

I knew instinctively that two of the breads in particular would be real moneymakers, because—just reading their names—I couldn't wait to taste them!

Within minutes, I was buying a supply of dates, raisins, and walnuts, and that evening three of us enjoyed Ruth's Boston Brown Bread and Steamed Date and Honey Bread ... with cream cheese, homemade fig preserves, and assorted other toppings (they were delicious even plain).

As we ate, I thought about ways to sell this good stuff, and that same night I made up a batch of both breads and even tried my own variation: Orange Date Nut Bread. While the goodies steamed, I hand-printed half a dozen posters, and next morning—armed with my ads and with dishes of the breads cut into small, tantalizing samples—made the rounds of my neighborhood.

By noon, I'd tacked up my posters at the Laundromat, the local hospital, two small grocery stores, a drugstore, and a cafe. At the hospital, I passed around samples and took orders on the spot. Everywhere else, I just left the bite-sized persuaders ... then raced home to catch the telephone orders.

It was that simple. And, though I've now taken down my posters, the orders are still coming in as fast as 1 can handle them. I sell my loaves for $1.00, $2.00, or $3.00 . . . according to whether they're made in 1-, 1-1/2-, or 2-pound coffee cans, I clear about $350 for 40 hours of work (my profit on a $1.00 loaf is between 65¢ and 70¢ and it runs proportionally more for the larger loaves). And, with my large kettle and rack arrangement, I can steam 14 to 16 small loaves at a time.