I’ve agonized about putting up this post because the last think I want to do is kill the entrepreneurial spirit. Life is hard enough for the entrepreneur, but with 80,000 pages of new regulations coming out every year in America it’s getting harder to keep that spirit alive.
You know the saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”? Well, it appears the only people who can do that are the ones that teams of lawyers and employees ready to deal with the mountain of paperwork and regulations they will have to abide by.
When I read this article, it really made me sad:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/08/03/the-inexplicable-war-on-lemonade-stands/
A lemonade stand was really the very first business I ever had. In fact, this is the first introduction many kids have to running a business.
I wasn’t a genius at marketing and I didn’t have any money for advertising. The lemonade was probably pretty good, but I’m sure it was just your standard lemons, water and sugar.
But I did have the entrepreneurial spirit and a few things going for me:
- Location, location, location. Our house was located on a busy street and there was always a lot of traffic. Bad for playing kickball, great for selling lemonade.
- Start-up costs were very low. Just a card table, a homemade sign, and some lemonade. I didn’t take credit cards, and a cup of lemonade back then was only about a quarter. So, it was pretty much pure profit. This is a good lesson for all entrepreneurs.
- Fearlessness – I didn’t have to worry about then that the cops would come and shut me down for not having the right permits, or a food license, or a business license, or a corporate attorney.
Kids have been setting up lemonade stands for decades with no problem. Many do it to raise money for charity or just to have spending money to go to the mall. But with a permit costing up to $400 plus, making any money at all is impossible, even with no overhead costs.
I hate to think the entrepreneurial spirit is dead. I will always fight to keep it alive and help anyone that has that burning desire to be an entrepreneur. There’s nothing like it. Without entrepreneurs there is no innovation. This is what made America great.