Ross Faris, founder and owner of Your Neighbor's Garden (image from YNG)

I just received a heartbreaking e-mail from one of my favorite family-run businesses. Ross Faris, the founder and owner of Your Neighbor’s Garden, a small home market in the suburbs of Indianapolis (and I dare say, one of Indy’s best semi-kept secrets), passed away last night.

The story of Your Neighbor’s Garden has always held a special place in my heart, partly because it’s such a lovely family story, and partly because it’s such a perfect example of the business philosophy that is so near and dear to my heart. I’ll quote Ross’s own posting of the history of YNG from their web site:

“Thirty years ago my son Greg and daughter Anne asked me if they could have a lemonade stand. I suggested they could make more money selling vegetables from my garden. We started with the produce on a picnic table in our front yard along Grandview Drive. And soon we erected our LOCAL PRODUCE sign at the end of our driveway and moved closer to the house. Sales were brisk so I made my garden larger and started using other parcels of land to expand our garden business.  I might add that I was in charge of production and the kids marketing. I took half the proceeds for my contribution and they took the other half.

We first called ourselves FARIS FRUITS AND VEGGIES and after a few years we changed our name to YOUR NEIGHBOR’S GARDEN because at the beginning our Highland Kessler neighbors were our main customers.”

The YNG story continued after the children grew up, and Ross ran YNG part-time for thirteen more years before he retired from a successful career and took the market on full-time, finally satisfying his life-long small business aspirations.

I didn’t know Ross very well. I went to YNG fairly often for fresh, local produce, but more often than not, Ross was busy unloading produce or puttering around in the garage next to the market itself. He was quick with a smile and a friendly hello, and always made sure we had everything we needed. He was a really nice guy, that much I know.

Your Neighbor's Garden home market (image from 4thfrog.blogspot.com)

Your Neighbor’s Garden is (despite the uncertain future of YNG, I hold out hope that Ross’s legacy will continue, so I’m writing in the present tense) the embodiment of what I imagine I would have discovered, if I’d known Ross Faris better. It’s welcoming, friendly, and the kind of place that returns you to a time when we all trusted one another. You see, Your Neighbor’s Garden operates on the honor system. There’s no cashier. There’s a locked cashbox, where you put the money for your produce, or, if you don’t have the right cash on-hand, a handwritten IOU (and you always pay the IOU, because in this day and age, if someone trusts you to give them an IOU, you never want to disappoint them!)

Your Neighbor’s Garden is housed in a small shed next to the Faris’s house. The shed is air-conditioned and there’s a fridge in the back where 4H students and other kids sometimes sell eggs from their chickens. By the street hangs a wooden sign that lists the various kinds of produce in stock. It’s very homey and sweet.

Sign for Your Neighbor's Garden (image from goinglocal-info.com)

I remember the first time I went to Your Neighbor’s Garden. I’d heard about it for years, even drove by without realizing what it was. The first time I actually visited, though, I worried that I might be trespassing on someone’s private property. When I got out of my car, Ross welcomed me with his big smile and I knew I was in the right place.

Over the years, the Faris’s added a small parking lot, started working with other local farmers, and selling at the weekly farmer’s markets in town. And if you’re a “regular” to the home market, then you encounter the same welcoming friendliness when you see YNG staff at the local weekly farmer’s markets around town.

Ross Faris was a brilliant example of a parent teaching his children about small business. Many of us started out with lemonade stands (myself included), but how many kids left their lemonade dreams behind and stopped dreaming the entrepreneurial dream? Ross not only kept the dream alive for 30 years, but transformed it the embodiment of his own small business vision.

I decided to write about this today because I’m so saddened by the loss of Ross Faris from a personal perspective, but also because I also wanted to share his story from a business perspective. So often those with small business dreams think that they have to come up with a grandiose idea or a big invention. So often, people who fantasize about leaving corporate careers behind think they have to spend a lot of money to start a business.

Ross Faris and Your Neighbor’s Garden are a testament to the idea that you can start a business inexpensively, doing what you love, do it in your own style, do it on your terms, and you can do it extremely well. From where I sit, that’s the perfect illustration of a successful Business in Blue Jeans.

Rest in Peace, Ross. You will be missed.

5 Topics to Address When Talking to Your Partner About Starting a Business: My most recent article on LifeHack.org

I’ve said it so many times. I’ve beaten this one to the ground. But honestly? I don’t think it can be overstated. I don’t think I can say it enough times. I’ve linked to articles form Forbes and Entrepreneur that say now is a fantastic time to start a business. And today, CNN has joined the fray, with an entire segment of their web site devoted to going solo.

Let’s recap- why is now a perfect time to go out on your own?

1. Corporate work isn’t as “safe” as it used to be. You don’t even have the illusion of safety anymore, do you? If you’ve seen the news, you’ve seen how many of our largest companies, even the ones that have always seemed so stable, are laying off scores of workers.  I’m really not trying to scare you here, but, let’s face it…you could be next. And that’s something you should be thinking about.
2. We’re all pulling together these days. Lately, if I have a chance to throw work to a reliable, high quality freelancer, versus a larger company, I’ll do it. Why? Because I’d rather my dollars go more directly to the person doing the work than through the financial filter of bureaucracy and paperwork. That is, if I pay a large company to have one of its employees design a web site or logo for one of my clients, I’m essentially paying for that company’s overhead- the office building they’re in, the person who processes my payment, the boss of the person designing the web site or logo, the guy who empties their trash cans, etc. etc. etc. But if I’m paying the freelancer directly, my money goes directly into that person’s pocket. Sure, there’s be some overhead expenses there, but in the end, the person who’s doing the work gets more of the money and that matters to me in this economy. And I’m not the only one.
   So what does this mean to you? It means if you’re thinking about going solo and you’re good at what you do, you’ll have people like me out there who would rather hire you than a big company.
3. Services are more affordable than ever. Everybody’s trying to get more clients these days. So a lot of people are cutting their rates to be more competitive (someday I’ll write another article on why that’s not necessarily the best strategy, but that’s a conversation for another day). And there are more freelancers working on their own now, and their pricing doesn’t always include the massive overhead of a big company. That means you can get all kinds of services much cheaper than any other time.
4. We don’t know where the economy is going. Honestly? We don’t know right now if things are going to get better or worse. And it’s possible things might get harder. So doesn’t it make sense to at least create a business that generates some pocket money or enough to cover the electric bill? Start a micro-business now in your spare time, and it’ll provide you with that little extra to help out, and then down the road, should you lose your job or decide you’re ready to transition out of the corporate world, you’ll be able to build that business without much effort (yes, really).
5. What, exactly, are you waiting for? If you’re waiting for the “right time” let me tell you: the right time is now. If you keep waiting, the “right time” will never come and one day you’ll look back at a lifetime spent working like a slave for someone else. Even if you don’t know what kind of business you want to start (or can start), that’s still no reason not to get something going now. In fact, that’s a perfect reason to hire an expert- someone who can show you your options and help you design your business to suit your lifestyle goals.

I can’t tell you how many times people have said to me, “I wish I could work from home like you,” or, “I wish I could do what you do.” Now, it’s not for everybody, but believe me when I say that virtually anybody can do something like what I do- not exactly what I do, but you can work from home (or anywhere in the world- and I have!). You can build a business based on what you know, that brings in a stable income, one that’s large enough so you don’t have to work every day or even all day. Even in this economy.

I was recently reading Entrepreneur Magazine’s article on hot trends for 2009. Now, I don’t always like Entrepreneur and other small biz magazines because I think sometimes these publications focus on businesses that require substantial startup capital. While there’s an obvious need for brick and mortar businesses, they’re not the first thing on my mind when someone comes to me to start a business, especially in this economy.

That said, I do like the current issue, primarily because of the “hot trends” article. The top trends aren’t exactly big news, if you’ve been paying attention to the world around you lately. I think we all know that alternative fuels, environmental services, and “green” businesses are the wave of the new future. And health care is always big, but there’s definitely a trend away from plastic surgery, as we move in a more “natural” direction, so the beauty industry is growing. Interestingly, Entrepreneur points to both ends of the spectrum where retail is concerned: discount retailers and luxury products are of interest these days. Predictably, credit and debt management services and tools provide a rapidly-growing area. And it’s no secret that with the current economy, technology, social networking and business coaching are predicted to be huge in the coming year.

So what should you do with this information? Well, it depends on where you are in your entrepreneurial adventure. If you’re already in business, take a look at the top trends and see if you can make some slight adjustments to take advantage of what’s coming. If you’re in the remodeling business, for example, do what’s needed to get certified and trained so you can be the number one green remodeler in your market. If you’re in the beauty industry, transition into being an organic spa, or become your area’s spa answer to plastic surgery.

If you’re not in business yet, take these areas into account when you’re planning your business and branding. Make sure you take into account which of these areas will grow, not just in 2009, but in the years to come.

Of course, these are predictions, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that they’re fairly solid ones.  Now’s the time to ask yourself how you can use this information to your advantage!

Have you been waiting to start a business, afraid this economy isn’t the right climate for an entrepreneurial venture? Have you been afraid that you don’t know how to start a business, can’t afford a business, or just aren’t ready?

In this 90-minute teleseminar, I will show you how to find everything you need to start a successful passive income-generating business- the tools, the training, the resources and the support- with low overhead and minimal risk.

Visit http://www.businessinbluejeans.com/teleseminars/ to learn more and to sign up for this event.

If you’ve been following my blogs or e-zines, you know that I write many of my articles because of comments I’ve heard from my clients and subscribers. This one is no different. One thing I’ve been hearing a lot of lately is, “I want to start a business, but I just can’t afford it right now,” and “I want to invest in learning how to start a business, but I don’t have the money to put into it.” This is a legitimate, honest concern, and I want to talk to you about it. Because I get it.

I’ve been there. I had times when I was living paycheck to paycheck, barely getting by, praying nothing would go wrong with the car or the furnace. And in a single day, I’ve received $3,000 in bills that I didn’t know how to pay. And I’ll never forget those moments of abject fear and panic, wondering where I’m going to find that money. I’ll never forget wanting to do things I didn’t think I could afford, needing to buy things and knowing I couldn’t.

So I want to talk with you about what I call “the scarcity conversation,” which is a term I picked up from a client, who once said to me, “I’m scared to death because I know in my heart that I should start this business, but I don’t know if I can spend the money to do what I need to do to make it succeed. I’m having a major scarcity conversation with myself.”

Okay, so what is a “scarcity conversation,” anyway? A scarcity conversation is the dialogue you have in your head (or sometimes with other people) and you hear any of these words cropping up with regularity: “I can’t afford….” “I don’t know how I’m going to pay….” “I wish I could ______, but I don’t have the money for that.”

Why is a scarcity conversation a problem? If you’ve read my blogs and e-zines, you know that I approach business in a way that’s different from most other startup experts. I have a hybrid approach that brings in all kinds of disciplines, including psychology and personal growth- because I know that mindset and not just what you’re thinking but how you’re thinking have a massive impact on the level of your success. So the first reason wny you want to get out of the scarcity conversation is because it constantly hammers away at the mindset you need to succeed. The scarcity conversation is all about fear. It’s about uncertainty. It’s about self-doubt. And you absolutely must get out of those thinking patterns to be able to make decisions as an entrepreneur, without doubting everything you do.

The second reason to move out of the scarcity conversation is also mindset-related. The “I can’t afford it” mentality locks you into a way of thinking that you’ll find extremely difficult to get out of, and that becomes a real issue in business. When you’re constantly thinking, “I can’t afford it,” as a business owner, you’ll start to apply that thinking to things that your business desperately needs. The “I can’t afford it” type of scarcity conversation has a way of growing and spreading so that it starts applying to anything, even things you need to grow your business. You won’t put your dollars in the right places if you have “I can’t afford it” floating around in your head.

Business in Blue Jeans would never have become the success it is today if I hadn’t gotten out of this mindset. I forced myself to stop thinking in terms of scarcity at a time when my business wasn’t growing and I needed help. It would have been the easiest time to let “I don’t have the money for that” become the scarcity conversation in my head, but I took another path. I thought, “What does my business need to grow and thrive?” and that’s when I hired the consultants and attended classes and seminars that made the difference. And all of that knowledge I gained got filtered into my own system to form the DENIMMS© Program, my unique, proven, 7-step training program to business startup and success. If I had said, “I can’t afford this,” I’d still be back where I was, when getting $3,000 in bills was panic-inducing.

The point I’m making is this: If you spend your life focusing on what you can’t afford, things won’t change. But if you change your focus, everything will change. If you focus on putting your money- investing it- where it can bring you back the most return, your life, your business, your mindset will transform.

Instead of having the scarcity conversation, have an investment conversation. And I don’t mean stocks and bonds. I mean a conversation about what you can invest in that will make the difference for you. It’s like that old adage, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” For you, that can be transitioned into “Find a consultant who can give you a fish, and you’ll invest in a nice fish dinner. Invest in a consultant who will show you how to fish, and you’ll be able to feed yourself for a lifetime.”  Figure out what classes, workshops and consultants will teach you how to fish- not just give you the fish for now- and invest in what they have to offer.You’ll be making a wise investment that will take you to a place where “I can’t afford it” will be a thing of the past.

Incidentally, that client I spoke of at the beginning of this article, the one who said, “I don’t know if I can spend the money to do what I need to do to make it succeed”? She went on to invest in her business. She invested in designing a  business that would work for the lifestyle she wanted, and got trained on how to create a unique brand with a clear target market, how to create and launch new products, how to let the world know she exists, and how to establish herself as an expert. And her business is thriving.  She no longer has the scarcity conversations because she knows when she invests her money in her business, it’s going to come back, multiplied.

Another big company is in trouble. Warner Brothers is cutting 800 jobs, over 10% of its global workforce. Disney is expected to follow suit in the very near future. People, Warner Brothers is ranked first in the domestic movie industry.

So why am I telling you this? To scare you? No. I’m telling you because I really want you to think. Think about your future. Think about your destiny. Are you really, truly safer working for a big corporation? Do you know where you stand?

I’ve heard from a few folks who read my recent “Now really IS the time” post and have said they know people who have decided to put their entrepreneurial plans on hiatus. I’ve heard from others who are those people.

I know this is a scary time. I know it’s stressful, I know you’re afraid, I know the risk seems greater right now.

And I’m not telling you that you should start just any business. I wouldn’t recommend certain kinds of high-investment, high-overhead or high-risk ventures right now.

But I am recommending that you consider a style of business you may not have considered before- a business with low overhead, low risk, and frankly, low fear. In this economy, it’s not about halting your plans- it’s about adjusting them so they make sense and aren’t so intimidating.

I know, I know, you’re asking, “But what kind of business is that?!” It’s a Business in Blue Jeans. And if I told you everything in my blog, I’d be out of business. But what I will tell you is that there are ways to take your business idea and your business model and transition it into a Business in Blue Jeans. There’s nothing saying you can’t still pursue the rest of your idea down the road when the economy improves and things are a little safer to take the leap. In fact, I encourage many of my clients to start a low-risk venture first, to provide the funding for the higher-rise, higher-investment ventures they dream of. I call this a “leapfrogging business plan” and I’ve seen it work for several people (myself included, actually).

So if you’re thinking that now is not the time to start a business, that it’s too risky, too scary, or too expensive, think again. Shift your perspective, shift your business model, and ultimately, start funding your bank account for a time when you feel safe enough to start that bigger venture.

This week I heard from a few people who said, “I’d love to go out on my own, start a new business, but I’m waiting until the economy gets better.”

Okay. Fears about the economy are completely understandable. A lot of people are scared right now and it’s not hard to relate. But are you really safer with a big corporation than on your own? Let’s look into that a little:

• Do you know what’s going on with your company?
  Are you familiar with the books and do you know how stable the company is? What if your company isn’t doing as well as you think? Big corporations often work to build consumer and investor confidence, using press releases and other morale-building techniques to let everyone know how safe and secure everything is. It’s not unheard of for a company to conduct massive layoffs, just days after a positive-sounding press release. So again, let me ask: do you know what’s really going on with your company?
• Do you know if your company plans lay-offs?
  I’ve heard from some of my friends that their companies have made assurances to some while laying off others. Does anyone really know if their job is safe? Even in a great economy, you might feel safe, but most of us have had unexpected things happen. Let’s face it- companies aren’t evil but they may not always tell you everything. And it’s entirely possible that they may truly not plan to fire people, but may ultimately have to down the road.
• Do you have a backup plan?
  What’s your backup plan, in case something in your situation changes? Do you have one? Are you prepared, in case something goes wrong? Even if you think you’re safe and your job is secure, now is a crucial time to set up a backup cashflow. If you set things up now, you have plenty of time for your business to build and grow, so that if/when you need that income, it’s already in place.

I’ve shared two articles this week, one from Forbes.com and one from WomenEntrepreneur.com. Both say that now is a perfect time to start a business. The reasons why? First, you’ll find that services are more affordable. You’ll be able to get help for your startup are more reasonable pricing, and outsource at better prices as well. Second, this is a time when you’ll be more invested in the success of your new venture, so you’ll work harder and be more likely to succeed.

Although your instinct in a time like this is to play it safe, now is the time to take a risk. You can mitigate some of that risk by avoiding ventures that require a large initial investment or overhead (Business in Blue Jeans is all about safety- and all of my products and services focus on it!). You can also mitigate your risk by starting something part-time while you’re still employed. Hiring someone to help you can be the key to your success.

I know starting a business now can feel like a scary endeavor. But I can absolutely promise you that now is the time to do it and if you do it now, you’ll be glad you did. What would have happened if Walt Disney, Bill Gates and others like them decided not to start their companies when they did (and remember, Disney, Microsoft and Hewlett Packard are just three of the many companies started during economic conditions just like these)?

Everybody’s agreeing with me!  LOL  Entrepreneur (actually, it’s WomanEntrepreneur) says in this article that “though it may seem counterintuitive, hard economic times like these can actually be a good time to start a business. With layoffs occurring more frequently in the corporate world–and pensions and full health-care benefits a thing of the past–workers are risking less by exiting their corporate jobs.”  They recommend following your bliss, mitigating risk, and sticking with it.

Wow, that sounds like something I would say. 

I just read this article and Forbes is agreeing with what I’ve been saying in my e-zine for months now! Forbes says this is a great time for a startup and many of our strongest, most well-known companies (like Disney, Johnson and Johnson and Microsoft) were started in recessions.

Check out the article and start thinking about your startup today!