Not very long ago, I listened to an audio-lecture on NPR about shopping and investing locally. This was from a man named Michael Shuman, he is the author of the book ‘ The Small-Mart Revolution.’ In this book he talks about the benefits of a locally owned and operated businesses. During his lecture he talked about these issues as well as some of the problems involved in attracting local investors in a fiscally responsible way.

Each community needs to develop its own self reliance and maximize the opportunities presented. This will help them to grow in a sustainable and reliable way.

Michael currently runs the site Smallmart.org and I found this article. About halfway down he has a list of things that will help you appear attractive to local shoppers.   This list includes…

1. Being locally owned - The most needed part of the equation!
2. Develop a local identity - Let people know that you are local and be proud of it.
3. Behave Responsibly - Respect the workforce and the environment if you want anyone to respect you.
4. Give back to the community - Let them know your business cares.
5. Maximize ‘Local value added’ - Do more than locate your headquarters here, put your factory or do your business here as well.
6. Cater to local markets - You can still sell to the rest of the world, but make sure you sell to those around you first.
7. Develop local partners - This could be contacting other businesses for one time events, or perhaps shopping in local stores for any supplies you need.
8. Grow deep - Expand your offerings to the local crowd.
9. Avoid predatory behavior - Just because you offer some of the same goods or services doesn’t mean that the other company is your enemy, just your competition.  Perhaps possibly even a local partner in the future.
10. Exit locally - When you close up shop, who will take over your business?

I really enjoyed the lecture that he gave, but I think I’ll need to pick up the book in order to extract as much of his ideas as possible.

Non-organic feed lots devise highly sophisticated system to make sure that every cow is getting her ration of food. Some heifers run the show, and those that aren’t the bosses wouldn’t get their fair share of corn according to the farmers.

Cows are just like us–not that we diet on corn and antibiotics, but that the leaders push everyone else around.

A boss doesn’t want to give you a raise. Big business doesn’t want to give you extra time off. You’ve heard the complaints about WalMart employees who try to form unions, gain health care, and get raises–can’t happen.

The funny thing about these farmers who notice the little guys getting pushed from the food is that small farmers don’t see how they’re getting pushed around, too. Their purchasers demand cheap meat. And so do we.

Todd and I established Aridni as a base for ideas on ethical money making. After all, we grew up next to one of the world’s largest superfund sites, an area so polluted that the acidic waters kill any animal that ventures near. The soils even dissolve a miner’s boots!

Sometimes I get so caught up in counting my net worth that I forget the worth I have the potential to bring. Saving ten bucks on a shirt made through child labor. Or buying twice as many eggs for half the price because the chickens were molted (ie starved for 10 days so they could produce 3 more months of eggs). Is it worth the addition to my net worth?

In Germany, everything is recycled–from your cardboard and candy wrappers to your dinner scraps. Figuring out the system is tough at first. But tying your shoes was tough at first now. Who think of that process any more?

What ethical choices are worth the nickels and dimes that you can add to your net worth? I guess I’m finding worth in different choices.

On Aridni, we encourage our readers to work for themselves since this is generally the best means of aquiring independent wealth; however, we also need to remain cognizant of the trials and challenges that face the self employed in our society including the burdens of paying one’s own health insurance and life insurance premiums, having no guaranteed source of retirement, and coping with the unpredictablility of each month’s income. Among the most fortunate entreprenerurs, these costs are not an issue, but for those of us who are just starting our own businesses or are experiencing a drop in revenue as a result of the economy, the above can mean the difference between being able to pay your bills or going into debt. That’s why saving and managing our resources is so important.

Take my dad for example. He has been an alternative health practitioner for 30+ years and is widely regarded as #1 in his field internationally. He used to earn over $200,000 a year, but after my mother died three years ago his business slowly started to dwindle and now is falling apart. As of last week, he had depleted the mere $30,000 in his savings account and now keeps saying that he doesn’t know how he will get through the month. Yes, he still earns over $100,000 a year, but after he has paid the mortgage, $500/month for each of three individual health insurance plans, car insurance for two vehicles, life insurance, disability insurance, homeowner’s insurance, $15,000/year for the rent of his office space, etc. there isn’t much left over to save or spend. How can people like my father avoid disaster? If you are an established business owner, I suggest that you make a list of all the costs you have each month and try to put aside enough funds to last you for a year. Do not dip into these savings unless you absolutely have to. You simply never know what may come down the road later on so it’s best to save while it’s easy to do so. In the event that you are just starting out, try to save enough for at least three month’s rent. This may mean not buying that Starbucks coffee you are craving or waiting a little while before taking a trip you planned, but trust me you will be glad you did.

Another thing to keep in mind if you are self employed is the amount of time you need to dedicate to maintaining your business (i.e. recruiting clients) and how much time you must devote to your current tasks at hand. This is where networking becomes cruical. One of my dad’s problems was that once he became “successful” he simply assumed he would always have the same level of clientel and did not devote enough energy to obtaining new patients. So when people stopped being able to see him due to their own financial woes, he did not have people to replace them. Now, he is starting to seriously network again for the first time since he started his business.

While the self employed don’t have to worry about “losing their jobs,” in many ways they have less financial security and less cash flow than those of us who hold conventional jobs. Although they don’t have to pay for the overhead of a personal business, they have more monthly costs to contend with and in today’s world it is becoming increasingly important for these individuals to save not only for their own retirement, but for unpredicted expenses. The CEO of a trade association who earns $200,000 a year has significantly greater cash flow than someone like my dad who has to spend at least half of is income on overhead.

So if you are considering starting your own business, by all means go for it, but don’t forget to take into consideration the obstacles you will inevitably encounter as you start out.

Once you discover that “you are the one to run the show”, now it’s time to get things rolling and start your business. However, you may be reluctant and unsure of this whole owning your own business idea. To help you with the transition of working for someone and then becoming your own boss, here are some words of inspiration- the good things about owning a business.

Boredom is nonexistent- No longer can you stare at the computer, you will work with motivation.

Constant challenge- Because your days are never completely the same, you always have some sort of a challenge awaiting you. This could be anything and everything from being interview for the local newspaper, developing the business plan, or creating a new window display.

Time is your own- The longer and harder you work, the more you reap the benefits, not someone else. If you have an appointment or are running late, the boss (you) won’t care.

Create an ideal work environment- The environment of your business is what you make it to be. If you want candles in the bathroom, by all means, have candles in the bathroom.

Never again will you have to beg for a promotion or raise- Need more money? With hard work and careful planning, you can make it happen.

Work fits your life- Now is your chance to develop a career that fits into your life, not the your life fits into. You probably won’t be working less, but you’ll be working when you want to. This means that you will be able to attend that niece’s birthday party or the children’s plan.

No boss- You are the boss and it’s great! You make the agenda, create a schedule, hire and fire, and reap the benefits. Now nothing is better than this.

It takes a certain type of person to own a business. Do you want to own your own business? Are you that type of a person? Are you the type of person that has the motivation and confidence to enter the business world?
Ask yourself the following questions.

Are you a planner? Not only will you have to develop a business plan for this year, but also the year after, and the year after that, five years from now.

Are you organized? Chances are that you will be starting out small. This means that you will be a secretary, CEO, CFO, marketing director, public relations representative, and sales director. The more organizational skills you possess the better.

Are you a people person? You will need to satisfy customers (or clients), investors, employees, vendors, and possibly landlords. Communication skills are a must.

Are you confident? At first we are all quite nervous when beginning something new. But you must be confident in yourself and your business. If you show your own self-assurance, chances are that your employees will as well. A business will be far more successful if all the workers are confident.

Are you flexible? At this point you need to be completely flexible with everything. This includes the flow of your money to the rate your business grows. You must have your plans in place, but be flexible if your plans must change.

Are you able to ask for help? We all need help sometimes, especially when beginning something new on our own.

Are you willing to take risks? If you are serious about developing your own business, the answer must be YES! In order to make your business dreams a reality, you must be willing to take risks.

Are you a strong leader? To avoid issues within your business you want to be a boss that both inspires and leads.

Can you live on a fluctuating income? This means eating, bills, taking care of your family, all while developing a business.

If you answered YES to these questions, “you are the one to run the show.”

Somehow in the adorable family, suburban home, and picket fence of the American Dream, we got tricked. We wanted security, and we thought American industry could provide.

But when you think of Donald Trump, what are the two nasty words you also think of? “YOU’RE FIRED!”

Where’s the security in that? I’m starting to wonder if being self-employed isn’t really the most secure option out there. Think about it: you sure can’t be fired or laid off. Self employment is risky at first, but if you work hard enough at the right business idea, you’ll succeed. You’re the boss, so you don’t have to deal with the dirt to move up or fight your way through the muck for raises and promotions. Heck, when you’re the boss, you the only people you work with are the people you want to work with.

The greatest bonus, I think, is that your ideas get heard and get implemented. The harder you work, the more money you make.

One of my greatest friends spent his entire life focusing on aviation; he felt bound to be an airline pilot. Yet when he landed his dream job, he found the position wasn’t such a dream. He was barely home, barely sleeping, and barely breaking even. He was paying rent in several cities, eating out when he stayed at hotels, and getting paid little by the hour… but only for certain types of hours that he worked.

He was put on part-time, dashing his dreams. He started becoming an independent airplane mechanic. No one thought “airplane mechanic” sounded prestigious. But he LOVED it. He was making far more money, setting his own hours, and doing the work that he chose to do. Now his dreams always consist of self-employment, never the airlines.

How come we never think that being an established self-employed person is secure?

One of the tasks I have been assigned to work on during the morning is the creation of an employee handbook. I labor over how many vacation hours an employee at my company can earn so that he can see his daughter’s Christmas play at school or take the family to the country. Oh the poor suckers who must stick to these rules and regulations that I enter onto my screen!

My boss is at the gym, buying large elaborate Starbucks beverages, and taking time to look beautiful for the day while I work. …while it hits me. She won’t have to follow any of these policies. I’m getting paid by the hour to make up rules for myself and co-workers. Working for someone else feels like a loss of freedom.

I know that the best thing that I can financially and economically do right now is to continue writing this policy manual and following the commands of my employer. But I’d like to generate more income.

An employee finds a second job. An entrepreneur finds an opportunity.

My weekends are tied up with an out-of-town investment project for the future. Yet the rest of the week?

My current schedule Monday through Friday:
7 to 5:30 spent preparing for work, working, loading the dishwasher, and not really feeling productive in my personal development. Sure I feel that my boss benefited from my day, though I’m not sure if I have. So I’m left with the rest of the evening. Aridni articles are being written. The daily tasks like laundry, dinner, and bills are being paid. But what about the rest of the time?

I have set a goal: develop supplemental sources of income that are capable of generating enough money to pay my half of our monthly housing expense, $400.

Questions I am asking myself as I prepare this journey that you should consider for yourself:

1. Why have I chosen my goal—what’s so important about it? And what is the purpose?
2. What nonessentials am I willing to cut from my life so that my goal can happen?
3. What’s my deadline? Or am I even setting a specific deadline?
4. If my goal isn’t achieved by one strategy, will I give up or will I try another strategy?
5. What types of resources and support systems do I need to tap into?
6. Is my husband willing to stand by me, listen to my ideas, and encourage me? And when he isn’t there to fuel my tank, can I still survive?
7. Where am I going to hang those little sticky notes of motivation in my house?
8. What are those stick notes going to say?
9. Every night, ask myself: What did I learn today that can make my performance better for tomorrow?

1. Build a team. I was offered a position at a commercial construction company yesterday. What do I know about construction? Absolutely nothing. Most places hire you for skills that you already possess. This man was looking for ambition, someone with heart, someone ready to use her resources with an open mind to learn and grow with his company. I think that he was on to something.

2. Target your pitch. I love the phrase, “narrow your focus; broaden your appeal.” I think it’s exactly what has to be done for success.

3. Be consistent. Providing a constant level of results, processes, and attitude seem essential. Nothing like finding a roofer that does fantastic work on one property for you only to discover that on the next project you hire him for, the roof leaks cats and dogs and the bill is twice as much.

4. Smile. Sometimes, I want to grit my teeth—how could someone be so stupid? Yeah, I get frustrated rather quickly. Yet no one will do business with me or return to me if I’m bitter. Be nice, Katie, be nice.

5. Jump the cliff. We have two ways to live: in safety or with risk. It seems to me that every truly successful person lived the life of risk. A lot of unsuccessful people also lived the life of risk. But you never know if a risk is going to generate a million bucks or send you to ground zero. Are you willing to jump?

6. Find free cheerleaders. Anyone believes in you if it means they can get a few more bucks out of the deal. (Readers, are you thinking of real estate agents, too?) The key is the people who do this stuff for free…i.e. your family. I think they have to be behind you to some degree—you know, pick you up when you’re bouncing off the rocks when you chose to jump the cliff.

In case you haven’t heard, the Alaskan oil pipeline just broke. Eight percent of the nation’s oil supply is now cut off. It only took a four percent hit to cause the energy crisis during the 70’s.

We have to find a way for energy other than oil. Let me amend that last sentence, we have to implement an energy source other than oil.

While it really wouldn’t end any oil dependency that America has, what about the coal-to-oil idea? It becomes profitable when crude reaches $35-$40 per barrel. We’ve got ethanol, biodiesel, and who knows what else is out there. So where is the next Rockefeller and what is the hold up?

There is a fortune to be made by whoever implements a solution for energy. I have a feeling that it’s going to be a young company that will tackle this. The only questions are when and what company? Who is going to be the Google of energy?

A couple weeks ago I wrote an article about why gas is cheap at $3.00 a gallon. Then when the article was linked to by another site, the person basically said that I must have invested in crude futures. While I hadn’t at the time and still haven’t done so, it might not such a bad idea.

Last night, we saw the legendary EVEL KNIEVEL. He’s a 60-some-year-old man infamous for his motorcycle jumps, crazy stunts, and daredevil ambition. Evel isn’t the kind of man that we ever connected to Aridni. But why not?

He’s an icon for risky achievements. No, the man doesn’t have any outstanding world records. He can barely walk now, and every jump and dare he’s ever dared to do has multiplied by three by younger generations that follow his footsteps. Nonetheless, this guy is gonna live in history. Evel did something that was very new in his day. The people following him won’t know such success, even though they do more daring motorcycle stunts today because they aren’t the first; Evel was the first. If you do the same in your ideas, you might find success, too.

This week’s guest writing team is… Todd’s family. Todd was notorious for finding niches to hit it big as a vendor. This motorcycle event was always one of them. The family checked the party out since Todd couldn’t do his regular sales.

Potential for wealth abounds. The problem, of course, is that we haven’t quite found that copper vein in our minds. Keep digging, though. Watch the world, and talk to people. Focus on these three points:

1. Invent or start something. New gas station, automatic orange peeler for the home?
2. Re-invent something already out there. Another cut of jeans or sluce box?
3. Find a new way to present something. Chinese hair grower in the USA? Bubblegum lip gloss for men?

Do you want to get some financing for your new product, invention, or company? Lets take a look at what some of the standards seem to be, based on the Venture Capitalism’s three c’s for loans. This article is essencially geared towards taking your business and expanding or improving it by taking out loans.

And of course those three c’s would be cash, credit, and collateral.

1. Cash - It is important for you to be an investor in your own project. If you are throwing down a good portion, say 20% for example, then you are laying the groundwork of good faith. If people know that the person they are investing in cares enough to lay down his own money, they are more likely to invest.
2. Credit - Even though as they say on the investing commercials ‘past performance does not guarantee future results’ it can give you a clue. If someone’s FICO score is awful, there is a good chance that they do not know how to manage their funds. Then on the other hand that person could be great from then on out.
3. Collateral – What happens if you spend the money expanding the business, only to find out that your idea was a flop. The investors are not going to be particularly happy about that. With good cause too, you could have just lost all of their money without anything to show for it. By having collateral, you are saying ‘If I can’t make payments, I’ll back it up with my house’ Could be risky for you, but if it means getting your loans you have to be able to take that risk.

These c’s can be basic rules of thumb for any type of loans. With that, you are one step closer to getting your business set for growth!