Bucolic Dreams

At first I typed in Bubonic Dreams - that is something very very different!

As for Bucolic Dreams, I'm referring to the influx of new "farmers market" folks who are coming into my workspace this month. I know I sound like the gritty jaded old general saying this, but so many of them really have no idea what they're in for. Let's put it this way. A lot of people dream of one day opening up a cute little bakery where they can serve grandma's famous apple pie. In their heads it's all very pleasant and a real "salt of the earth" change in their life that they feel has to be better then the stress of their current corporate gig. Only the reality of opening a bakery is as follows:
1. You have to get there at the crack of dawn (or earlier) to start baking
2. You have a myriad of health permits you have to obtain and abide by
3. You have to be willing and able to throw around 50lb bags of flour, sugar, etc
4. You have to enjoy being covered in egg yolk at least 70% of your day
5. You have to enjoy peeling 8000 apples a day

That's just the start of it. Not that someone shouldn't open up their apple pie bakery, but I'm astounded sometimes by the difference between the notion in someone's head and the actual reality of the situation. Yet so many people are willing to go in completely unawares.

As the farmers market folks are coming into my shared workspace, many of them have the same notion. In fact I think more than most this year as many have been downsized from the corporate world in the last year and are thinking this is a great opportunity for them to showcase that special talent they have and how hard can that really be? One gal even went ahead and bought a business from another person in my workspace. This gal not only has NO experience in this business but also has 2-3 other side businesses going on simultaniously. As the seller told me earlier in the week "Does she not realize how busy I was with the business?"

Guess I'm just surprised sometimes how often people put down money and start up companies with limited experience behind them. It'd be like me starting up a logging company. But then again, I am a fairly risk adverse entrepreneur so who I am to talk?

Then again, my new product idea does require me to use skills that are outside my area of expertise. Specifically, sewing. I ordered a sewing machine online and it should be here on Monday and I'm antsy to get started and see if this idea will actually pan out. I guess not unlike the people I mentioned above, I have an idea in my head that with the help of this trusty sewing machine I'll be able to whip up this cool little idea in no time flat. Perhaps even run an extension cord outside and make this product on my porch in the summer?

So I guess one could argue that I'm the pot calling the kettle black!