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Discovered! 505
Odd Enterprises

Hidden Dollars

How to Make
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Small Business
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You Can Own
a Business

Outside the store you will see a hitching post, and chairs on the porch where one can sit and "whittle" to ones heart's content! Inside the store is a real old-time Franklin stove, an honest-to-goodness penny-candy counter topped by old-fashioned candy in large jars, antique music boxes to delight the children and checkerboards for those not quite so young, and of course the cracker-barrel, stationed in a prominent position. Informality is the key-note of the country store, even to the red-flannel underwear in piles on tables.

When he started this store, he also started the custom of serving tea at 3 P.M. to all who happened to be present. He brewed it on the Franklin stove and served it from paper thin china. At 3 P.M. all business came to a standstill and everyone gathered around the cracker barrel.

In recent years, due to the increasing number of customers, the serving of tea was moved to the basement of the place. A beautiful place, full of kerosene lamps, an 18th century safe, Colonial clocks etc., none of the real antiques among them for sale. His merchandise really brings back memories of years gone by; stone-ground meal from Vermont, maple syrup, hand made milking stools from New Hampshire, honey, flannel shirts and denims, Maine forged hunting knives, Zanzibar, peppermint sticks, and licorice ones too.

For atmosphere and showmanship, there's a brass-fronted 1912 Ford parked out by the store. While his advertising is limited to a small ad coming out in a few publications once in a while, the owner has built a first-rate mail-order demand. Solely through 1,000 new customers per month. Quarterly he sends out catalogs describing his line which he states is "only the best from the East and the West."

There's room in this country for other types of old-fashioned country stores. If you can picture yourself enjoying being the proprietor of such a "human" store, give some thought to developing such a business. If you like to mingle with people and chat with them and if old-fashioned but useful merchandise appeals to you, chances are your efforts might be crowned with success running such a store as described in this sketch.

COOKED DINNERS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR—329
Enthusiasm plus a new idea are responsible for the success of one woman who opened a different kind of restaurant—a Casserole Kitchen. She had always thought it would be very convenient if one could call up some place and order dinner, and the thought generated into an idea-plan. Why not operate a Casserole Kitchen herself? A delicious meal, served hot, ready-to-eat to couples who lacked either time or ambition to prepare it themselves, right by their own firesides. Her plan was to pack the dinners in baskets and deliver them to the kitchens of customers, ready to serve, and hot. Casserole cooking, you know, is the use of a long, slow heat, usually in the preparation of a "one-dish" meal. Cooking by this method serves up deliciously flavored, tender concoctions such as fricasseed chicken in a rice ring, plus tiny green peas, liberally buttered, or lobster-a-la-Newburg. Along with the main casserole dish she usually serves fresh hot home-made yeast rolls, and a crisp tossed salad devised from at least five different greens and garnishes—the salad accompanied by a closed container of French dressing.

At the start of her venture she didn't know a blessed thing about where to buy this or that or how much to buy, but she was persistent, determined. Where there's a will there's a way. From the very first day she started to serve customers she kept a record of their likes and dislikes. In due time she knew what quantities of food to buy and the kind, just as any average restaurant proprietor knows through experience.

By providing special, attractive dishes and paper containers and decorated baskets, the various tempting foods she prepares capture the fancy of all customers, but the beauty of it all is that folks get the dinners delivered to them ready to eat. Her customers all live within a radius of ten blocks of the Casserole Kitchen. Deliveries are made for her by a few boys in their teens who live in the neighborhood. At the time when the information was obtained about her business, she was employing a general assistant, a baker, a Swedish cook, and a salad maker, besides the delivery boys.

A business like this could be operated by any enterprising couple, especially if either knows how to cook. Good food, excellent service and a desire to please are the ingredients of success for this kind of venture. A great deal of promotion or publicity would probably not be necessary. It would be, more or less, just a case of making known to the public that fine, inexpensive dinners are available, delivered. This could be accomplished through newspaper display advertising and also through the medium of direct mail. For that matter all the people living within a reasonable radius of the place of business could be contacted through the telephone.

Efficiency in preparation, economical quantity buying and speed in handling are all made possible through limiting the menu to just three or four special main dishes. Orders could be taken perhaps as late as 5 P.M. Generally, deliveries would be between four and eight o'clock. Dishes and equipment could be picked up later or during the next delivery of dinners.

A NEW COCOANUT HUMIDOR—330
A Hawaiian in Honolulu makes a living by taking the husks of cocoanuts and shaping them into unique containers for cigars. Of course this man is skilled in the art of wood-carving. He cuts faces out of the cocoanut surfaces and emphasizes the features with a few dabs of paint.

Tourists are attracted to this novelty and the Hawaiian's little home business is thriving. A humidor he has made outsells anything in his line. He added a cigar to a hole in the lips of the cocoanut face. Men and women bought this particular novelty as fast as he could turn them out.

Here is an ideal premium for mail order men selling cigars, tobacco by mail.

TEN KINDS OF PIE AND "ALL APPLE"—331-332
Distinction or uniqueness in any line is bound to pay huge dividends sooner or later. A Cafe called "The Home Of The Green Apple Pie" does a business far in excess of many cafes due to the fact they specialize in one pie only…apple pie. It is said they have passed the one-million mark in making their famous apple pie. That is indeed selling pies en masse.

Each year this cafe uses more than three carloads of apples. The pie makers in the kitchen average two pies per minute. Naturally this unusual record in apple-pie has made the cafe known for hundreds of miles around. People make long trips in their automobiles to come to this cafe. Besides, they make very good apple pie.

The "apple" contributed much to the success of a ballroom in Kansas called "The Big Apple." It is located near a small town right in the center of a huge apple orchard.

The Big Apple is exactly what the name implies. The ballroom is shaped like a huge apple. Even the stem is used for a chimney.

Whenever people think of recreation, "The Big Apple" is foremost in their minds. They motor many miles to come to this apple-shaped two-story building.

"Shape" your business to the unusual when the usual isn't doing so well financially.

A PICTURE-LENDING LIBRARY—333-334
Do you happen to like pictures? Is your taste considered good in selecting paintings, scenes, etc. If so, here's an unusual kind of business that may appeal to you. London, England, boasts of a picture-lending library under the name of "Picture Hire, Ltd." There customers can rent a picture by the week or month for a small fee. It is usually 50¢ a week. The customer has the privilege of purchasing the picture outright later on if so desired. Where a service of this nature is available people may have more original art adorning their walls than they ever had before. Pictures can be changed according to the season, mood or nature of the occasion.

In this country a service of a similar type was started by a young teacher who had to quit his job because of a bad heart.

He started his picture lending service as a hobby in hopes that it would cheer him up. He tested his plan out on several other invalids and it was well received. The patients were tired of looking at the same pictures on their walls.

The idea was to change the pictures each week for a small fee. The success of the substituting service allowed him to not only build up a clientele among those who were ill but also among the families with strong, healthy children. Being a teacher, he knew what those children were studying in school, and when they'd come home, they would find their walls gay with pictures that tied up with their school work. He developed what might be called a lending library of pictures—and the schools in his city took up the idea and patronized him.

Many of the pictures were paintings done by the local artists. The customer could rent the paintings for any number of months. Usually the renter would finally like one particular picture so much that he would buy it outright.

DELIVERY SERVICE FOR EVERY STORE IN TOWN—335
John used up most of his capital to purchase an old delivery truck and set out to land some of the local merchants for his customers. By offering to deliver groceries for 10¢ on a four times a day schedule he managed to get the business of two chain stores, three butcher shops and two independent grocery stores. John made regular prompt deliveries. The people knew they could depend upon his service and as a result his business grew larger every week. The women started to buy more groceries and heavier articles, knowing of his delivery project and the small fee asked.

In a month his business had jumped to 129 packages a day and in two months he was delivering about 150 parcels per day. John's profits from this first venture into the delivery business allowed him to branch out into another town, hiring a helper to drive another second hand truck he had purchased. This was also a success.

Many stores would be willing to discontinue their deliveries if they could be sure that a dependable firm would take over this headache for them. A good many shops have discontinued their delivery service and there are others who never had such a service. All of these people should make up a large market—a market to be found in practically every town and city in the United States.

For smaller packages a fleet of powered scooters would be able to cover the community at say around 10¢ a mile. In this manner a druggist could have his remedies delivered, a florist his flowers, a credit firm its monthly statements and invoices and so on. By offering to deliver such statements, etc., at a savings of $50 or so on 5,000 pieces, a few large accounts could be landed and the work handled every month. The price quoted, of course, would always be under the cost of mailing in an envelope.

FIVE & TEN CENT GROCERY STORE—336
It has been said that there is a greater response to anything novel by the American people than by any other nationality. Consequently, a five-and-ten-cent grocery store chain would probably be welcomed by that part of our population tucked away in small one-room and closet kitchen apartments or "rooms with cooking privileges." In France this is not a new idea. There one can purchase one stalk of celery, one egg, etc., and the idea has proven very successful, in fact it has proven itself superior to our large-quantity buying plan in cases cited above. Moreover, from the grocer's view, there is a higher margin of profit. To the consumer's advantage, cost for storing (refrigeration) are lowered because they are able to buy just what they need each time. They are also afforded a greater variety of food by not having to buy in the large quantities now offered. Such a novel idea might be a good advertisement for the opening of a new grocery.

SIGN CROCHETER—337-339
Crocheting large commercial signs is an art practiced by an enterprising individual. As you can imagine, hand-created signs would naturally rivet attention and would last considerably longer than the average window-display sign. Business men would be impressed in the amount of time required to make such signs and the necessary skill. And such signs would be sure-fire in "stopping" window-shoppers and customers. Crocheted signs would be ideal for promotional schemes or displays, and an unusual business like this would be tops for man and wife; the husband to handle the promotion work and selling, the wife to do the crocheting. Incidentally neighbor women could be hired (during their spare time) to do some of the crocheting. There is one case where a housewife made $114 at the start selling crocheted "lingerie pins." These were small safety pins with a covering of crocheting. Made in light blue, pink and white. The pin was covered with crochet cotton and a crocheted rose covering the head of the pin. Ladies Aid Societies and Similar organizations in many states acted as agents.

There is another instance where a lady crocheted a shopping bag out of crepe paper which caused a lot of favorable comment. She turned it inside out when it became soiled and used it for several years. These could be sold quickly to women shoppers and should bring an attractive price. As with most of the ideas, plans, methods and opportunities revealed in this book, a couple could work this proposition successfully.

Not only crocheting, but sewing can be developed into a profitable enterprise. Take the case of the man who specializes in one type of dress and nothing else. He sells graduation dresses by mail to students. Not high school girls, but college girls! His business is so busy that he has 3", many as 36 sewing machines working at one time! The profits are said to be over $25,000 each year and he's been operating this ingenious set-up for ten years!

PICKING THE RIGHT TITLE—340-342
This is about a useful and well-paying service conducted in the interest of authors. One woman adds considerably to her income simply be creating and typing titles for stories, in her spare time. After reading over an author's manuscript, she creates a suitable title. As her skill and experience in this field increased, her clientele multiplied. She advertises her service in various newspapers and the writers' magazines.

A charge of $1.50 is made for each title, plus (and this is important) a 5 per cent commission on all sales of the author's "brainchild." In some instances, a story will bring the author a sizeable check, and the more he gets, the more she gets in her 5 per cent.

In pursuing a "career" like this one, it isn't necessary to be gifted as a writer. It is just a matter of acquiring the knack of picking out the best title for the article, story or book. With a little practice, one could determine whether or not he or she could develop this particular ability.

Writers oftentimes are in need of help in many ways. For instance, there are countless ways of stating the word "said." A professional writer (especially fiction writers) has to know a lot of synonyms. Often hours, days, even weeks are spent searching for just the right word, or just the right synonym. One Oklahoma clerk prepared a comprehensive list of synonyms, and for over two years has been selling them. Most of the words were obtained by reading magazines, books and newspapers, plus consulting the dictionaries and thesauri. Words were selected according to the mental photograph they depicted. His contribution was sold, of course, to authors through advertisements placed in suitable publications including several writers' magazines. He cleared about $50 a month in his spare time.

A Vermont mother nets $80 a month by offering mimeographed "local color" lists to many authors. Her material was secured from library books. In her files is included such material as North Woods, Timber country, Pennsylvania Dutch, Army, etc.

FARMS FOR VACATIONISTS—343
Many would like to spend their summer vacations on a farm. BUT, the farm should be ideal, what a city person would actually expect of a farm, and not what some farms really are — broken-down hillbilly shacks.

A big city vacationist found so much enjoyment on his yearly vacations to various New England farms that he decided to found the "Farm Vacations Inc." — an organization that caters to people seeking a farm vacation in an ideal spot and with cozy surroundings. This man never recommends a farm that has no bath. The latter is a luxury most all city folks will never do without.

The man and his wife have a list of several hundred recommended farms, the majority of them visited and inspected personally in order to guide their farm vacationists. Their income is derived from either the farmer or the person seeking a good farm on which to spend his or her vacation—and these vacations cover the summer, fall and Christmas season.

Two girls ran a similar service. They got the idea when their friends valued their advice on vacation spots. Having traveled extensively, the girls were in a position to give out the right information. They put it on a paying basis by opening up an office in an Eastern city and serving 3,000 vacationists in one year. They planned trips and made reservations. The hotels, dude ranches, etc. paid the girls a commission on every guest sent them. The patrons pay no fee. Countrywide travelers could improve on this idea. It's worth money.

SELLING NAMES OF CAR OWNERS—344
One man before the war collected the names and addresses of car owners, the kind of car they drove as well as the year made. All this data is assembled in a manual, loose leaf, and sold to New Car Dealers and gasoline stations. In addition, Used Car Dealers purchase it. Obviously, those who purchase this portfolio-directory are interested in knowing who the car owners are and where they are located, being potential prospects. Competition is keen in normal times in the Used and New Car field, and information like this is valuable to purchasers of this manual. This general plan could possibly be promoted at a future date in other cities, with profit to the promoter. The man mentioned above made $2,510 in one year. His material was sold on a yearly subscription basis, and was revised each month.

GIRLS AS GAS STATION ATTENDANTS—345
This isn't a novel idea by any means. Gasoline station owners were forced to employ female attendants in war-time because man-power was lacking. It is to be remembered, by those filling station men who desire an increase in sales, that something new must be added. One New York gasoline station reported, prior to the war, an increase of 20 per cent in business, attributing this rise in sales to the girls in overalls.

When business bogs down to near bankruptcy, it is time for the unusual. A pretty gasoline station attendant should attract many new customers…and hold on to the old ones.

MAIL ORDERS MENUS—346
One often hears a familiar cry emanating from the kitchen. "What am I going to have for dinner today?" To many women planning a meal can become a daily drudge.

The answer to that was supplied by a New York woman who prepared menus, including recipes for special dishes, for a list of mail order customers. The form letter sent to the harassed housewives explained they could subscribe to the service for a week, month, or longer.

An enterprise such as this one can be started by mimeographing the recipes and sending them out to the customers. A good list should be used. There are many women whose culinary art can stand a great deal of improvement. They're willing to please their husbands and families but are at a loss to know what to fix.

HOT DOGS AND RATTLEBURGERS—666-667
Down Texas way there's a place serving the public with sandwiches but not the usual kind. They are called "rattle-burgers" and as you've surmised these sandwiches are made from snakes—rattlesnakes. The owner of the place runs a reptile farm which is the source of his tasty meat and folks maintain rattle-burgers are a delicacy. It is also put up in cans that customers may take home if desired.

It is not difficult to understand why such sandwiches would prove popular, as the rattlesnake's flesh is white and flaky and tastes something like frogs' legs and tuna combined. A snake is a clean liver, subsisting on much the same food people do.

Prejudice prevents many people from eating this and that kind of edible things, but once a person tries a certain item and likes it the prejudice fades. Gourmets find rattlesnake meat a tempting, delicious morsel and doubtless millions of folks would become enthusiastic over rattlesnake meat once it was properly introduced. Opportunity may therefore beckon others in promoting a rattleburger business.

In Florida another man created a profitable business canning rattlesnake meat which was readily purchased by the public. He employed snake catchers to supply him with rattlesnakes and paid them at the rate of 20¢ a foot. Some of the meat was smoked in the same way ham is smoked. This was marketed under the name of "Snake Snaks" and put in small bags. The heads, rattles, fangs and skin were sold as ornaments to the firms using them for shoes, pocket books and other items.

A TYPING SERVICE FOR THE RENTAL LIBRARY—348
Much part-time typing, such as the typing of title and date notices for the inside cover of each book, and various file and index cards, is required to run a rental library. This work entails the employment of a full-time typist who is a financial burden, yet a necessity.

A woman typist solicited the rental libraries in person and by letter, telling them she would take on all of their typing work for $2.00 to $4.00 per week, according to the amount of work involved. She now works for nine rental libraries and easily nets herself $25.00 weekly in her spare time. A large number of such libraries exist in each city. Do any other typing services suggest themselves to readers?

BIRTH RECORD ADVERTISING—349
Many business concerns would like to get hold of a list of names whose birthdays could be used to their advantage. When informed of the birthdays of a selected group of persons, circulars are sent to these people, they are congratulated on having a birthday, and then are given a tactful sales message on the product or service being offered.

A housewife made capital of this idea by securing the names and birth records from her city hall and selling the names for $15 a thousand. These names can be sold to several business establishments in your city. However, it isn't wise to try and make a pile of money by selling them to almost every merchant in the town. They lose their value when too many merchants have the same list of names. Your success in this venture depends on how many of these names are turned into cash customers by the firm that circularizes them.

In the county court house there are thousands of birth records that are free for the copying. In some counties the permanent voting registration records have the name, address, birth record, height, occupation, etc. This record is kept up-to-date.

Here is a chance to take over an entire county, or even a state, and sell birthdays in advance to merchants who have no time to do it themselves but would gladly pay at least $15 per thousand names.

"BARTER BULLETIN" BUREAU—350
Let's listen to the words of a Texas housewife in regard to this idea: "It is human to swap things and most people would like to dispose of 'white elephants.' With these thoughts in mind, I organized a 'Barter and Exchange Bureau' and issued a weekly typewritten circular describing the many articles that people in and around my town wanted to exchange and for what. I obtained my first listings through personal contact among my friends. One man wanted to trade a banjo for a rug; a woman offered 20 jars of homemade jam for something else, and so on. I sent sample copies of the circular to a general list of prospective customers. It wasn't long before I had many subscribers and listings. Everyone seems to be fascinated with the opportunity of bartering things. My expense consisted of paper and postage only, as my typewriter produced the circular. The circular sold on a subscription basis for $1.00 a year, while a commission of 15 per cent was charged on all sales and exchanges made through the columns. So I profited in two ways. Nominal rates could be charged for each listing if the circular became large enough." At the start the listings are free to all subscribers or non-subscribers, and it is believed such a bureau could be operated profitably at 5 per cent.

"STILL SHOTS" AT THE THEATER DOOR—351
There's little doubt about the public's enthusiasm over its best-liked movie players. The large number of movie-fan publications with enormous circulations, substantiate this. In view of this fact, there is probably a large group of persons who would be eager to buy "stills" of scenes from a movie they had just enjoyed. Could be sold in the lobby of theatres. Photos are easily available as they are displayed in all movie-houses for advertising purposes. These pictures would be sought after by those wishing to make a collection of shots from pictures they would like to remember, and also by young fans charmed by the current movie hero. Theatre chains might work out a concession plan for the promoter.

Out in Hollywood there is a little shop that, sells motion picture stills. They do a good business with these photographs and have regular customers in many foreign countries. These foreign customers buy the stills in bundles of 500 and resell them in their own shops.

AN OFFICE BUILDING PUBLICATION—352-353
A stenographer working in a large office building got the idea for a monthly office building magazine when she realized that so few of the nearly one thousand people employed in various offices of the building were acquainted. This situation is not unusual. Few persons outside of their own office are acquainted with those working in another office in the same building.

In this particular venture, the stenographer learned from the manager of the building, who was in sympathy with the idea, that the publication would be excellent publicity for the building. It was suggested that certain stores right in the building, and also those nearby which were patronized by the tenants, would be pleased to use the medium for advertising. They were. The building manager arranged for her to have the publication turned out on the building's own printing press, and a fifty-fifty proposition as to net earnings would be split between them.

The purpose of the magazine was to let the readers (those employed in the various offices in the building) know who was who and just What their work was; also general, interesting information about their hobbies and whatnot. During the noon hours, the originator of this monthly magazine would do her reporter work, securing business and social items and those, oh so important, names of all who could possibly be mentioned. All the while the building manager was obtaining advertising business for the publication. Within a few months, the publication met with general acceptance and proved to be an extraordinary lucrative side-line venture.

A service like this could be conducted by one person and on a full time basis. A good worker could handle several large office buildings. The same type of magazine (imprint) might be used for several different buildings, with each building having its own building name printed thereon as the title. Each building could have a certain number of the magazine's pages. By making a weekly tour of the buildings, the publishers could secure news, social and business, as well as advertising contracts.

The idea could be extended to take in apartment houses on an entire block in large cities. Usually there are hundreds of families living in the same apartment building or in apartments on the same block and for the most part, they are strangers. An interesting publication would serve as an ideal medium for these "strangers" to become acquainted. Local or nearby stores could be approached for their advertising support of the magazine. The idea is pregnant with possibilities. One young fellow started just such a medium (as a sideline), sold it for a dime a copy, secured about $15 worth of ads on each page, and made $37 on each issue.

LIFE AND DEATH PAGES—356-357
A novel little booklet, bound in heavy cover stock, about 5 inches wide and 7 inches long, made money for the originator. However, this was no ordinary booklet, and yet it was simplicity itself and served a very useful purpose. It sold for $1. The front cover page read: "History of.….…." The purchaser of this novel booklet would write his name in the blank space, or the family name. On the first inside page there appeared in printing: "Name….…. Born….…. Where….…. Physician attending….…. Parents….…." There were two different booklets. One was for a single person which required less pages; the family size contained extra pages which was to provide for information about the entire family as well as grandparents and others.

One page was specified for marriage data, and in the back of the booklet there was a page for information about deaths. The booklet for individuals contained 100 pages; the one for a family 150 pages. Most of the pages were blank and were for the purpose of jotting down special events or interesting happenings. The booklet served as a record or history of what the individual or family did in a lifetime.

Most everyone has a need for such a booklet as it would be mighty handy to record information he was interested in. A booklet like this might be improved simply by having more captions or headings in it under which to jot down certain information. For instance, the parents of a new born baby could use a similar booklet for information about the baby. Literature describing the booklet and its value could be mailed to new mothers, announcements of which appear in all local newspapers. Moreover, such names and addresses can be easily obtained from List Bureaus.

Somewhat similar to the booklet record is a Family Record, made to order, which records the death or birth and death of a son lost in the war. If neatly printed or embossed (see Family Record business plan) and ready for framing, it would be appreciated by many gold star mothers.

There is another little booklet which has enjoyed excellent sales and it bears the title "Say It In Writing For Death." It contains a specially prepared message of condolence for people who have lost loved ones in death. It discusses such vital questions as: "What is death? Where do we go after death? Will we know each other in Heaven?" The booklet carries other information of comfort to those who are under emotional stress and strain caused by the departure of loved ones. It is a semi-religious publication but sidesteps questions that would offend any sect or creed. There is a huge market for many other similar treatises. Thousands of deaths occur regularly in the United States. More than a million people die annually, and most of these deaths are listed in the newspapers, so the market is always available, with a huge mailing list waiting. The originator of this idea says that he has had splendid results so far.

CHURCH STORE—354
Here's a novel plan in merchandising, originated by a resourceful originator. Money-making propositions without risk or investment involved, usually interest churches and certain types of organizations. This originator would handle a "bazaar" or "church fair" for them and supply new goods amounting to a few hundred dollars, a sort of a miniature variety store—which they could sell. Of the total intake, the Church would keep 15 per cent. Church members acted in selling capacities, giving their time gratis. The only over-head expense the promoter had was his truck which he needed to transport his line of goods.

TOT LIBRARY—355
A woman who was fond of children, fond of books, and was an "organizer", started a tot library right in her own home which mothers in the Indiana town thought so much of that, 30 children were enrolled at $3.00 per month. That meant an income of $75 a month for this part-time work.

The woman consulted librarians on what type books children liked most, supplied herself with them at a small cost from a second-hand store, and was ready for business. An added feature to the library was the various games, erector sets, jig-saw puzzles, etc., with which the children could play.

Busy housewives would gladly subscribe to this service for a nominal monthly fee, especially the Mothers who like to attend various afternoon social gatherings, clubs, etc. This idea can be improved and worked on a larger scale in your own community.

TRAVELING HIVES—358-359
Anyone keeping bees should follow the example of the California beekeeper and his traveling hives. This fellow makes as high as $5 a colony renting his bees to orchardists. The bees are effective insect cross-pollinizers. They are known to double and even treble a crop.

His routine generally runs like this: The bees are wintered in California on eucalyptus, then through the orange and sage districts in the spring, and finally home to gather nectar during the alfalfa flow.

A truck could transport the bees and many orchardists would quickly subscribe to this traveling bee service.

Two men formed a partnership and worked an entirely different service for the orchardists. Extremely lucrative it will pay the reader to continue reading this particular article.

These partners purchased an enclosed commercial trailer (something like a house trailer) and converted it into a small bottling plant. The idea was to take this trailer right into the orchard, pick up the fruits that were too ripe for shipment, and then proceed to extract the juice right on the spot.

Their trailer plant contained all of the necessary equipment needed for extracting and bottling the juice. One partner operates the equipment, the other driving the truck and keeping the plant supplied with a steady flow of imperfect or overripe fruit. The fruit goes in one side of the plant—through the extractors and the waste and hulls discarded through an opening on the opposite side. If the pile of waste becomes too high they hitch the truck to the trailer and haul it to another spot. The owner of the orchard uses this waste garbage as feed for his live stock.

A lot of the packing work is done by the side of the trailer. They always carry a number of portable tables with them and these are handy to work on. After the plastic bottles are capped inside of the trailer, they are placed on these outside tables and there they are labeled and placed in large cardboard cartons.

This ingenious partnership worked extremely well and with a total of some 1,200 bottles turned out each day they are said to clear about $48 for each day's work. These two specialize in one juice only—apple juice. Their season is a full one—from start to finish—and they cover several large apple orchards.

Still another man works the plan in the grapefruit orchards of California and he nets about $70 a day for a four month season! And of course both operators turned to the vegetable juices whenever they felt like taking on a little extra work between fruit seasons. The latter operator is said to have made over $30,000 in one year's time, including everything!

The work is fairly hard and the operator is certainly a busy man for several months each year, but it is one of the best seasonal enterprises that the writer has heard of! Not many ordinary businesses offer several months off every year for a little pleasure or vacationing!

The fruit and vegetables that are wasted every season would run into thousands of tons, costing several million dollars. Most "culls" and ripe-fruit are excellent for juice purposes. Even some of the partly spoiled fruit can be used because a good deal of it is three quarters good if used immediately. If left too long—or hauled to the packers (where it will be rejected) it will rot away completely. The writer has been told that these trailer plants are enthusiastically welcomed by many fruit growers. The reason for this is that they will boost the farmer's profit on the total crop by 8 per cent to 16 per cent.

When the orchardist knows that such a trailer is going to visit his grove he leaves the culls alone. He doesn't have to gamble on having a part of them accepted or rejected by the packing house. Instead he saves the expense of shipping this questionable fruit and leaves it instead for the "trailer juicer."

S. S. TOURIST LODGE—360-361
When the S. S. Altadoc was tossed upon the rocks by storm, a Michigan resident acquired half of it when the ship broke in two. His half was the "land half" and the price only set him back a few hundred dollars. Now a half ship isn't much of anything in that condition but this owner had a little imagination. Within a short time, the half ship was transformed into a summer home, gift shop and tourist lodge all combined.

Apropos tourist lodges, there is one situated on a lake in New York state where the proprietor serves meals outdoors before a superb open-hearth. There steaks are broiled and served to patrons who line up before the hearth and get them right from the fire to their plates. Tables are placed nearby in this large outdoor patio. This same idea could be incorporated in the general scheme of some other tourist lodges, particularly those favored with the proper setting, such as lakes or mountains. Certain roadside cafes could make use of the idea.

WAXING CONTRACTS—362-363
Here's a little business enterprise that might appeal to those who like to work around automobiles. Arrangements can be made with some motorists to Simonize their cars once a month, or polish once a week, on specific dates. By conducting the service on a contract basis for six months or a year as conditions warrant, the operator could, as an inducement, provide one free wax job and a couple of polish jobs free. Service charges could be so much a month depending on the amount of work each motorist would desire.

A gentleman over in the Hawaiian Islands built up quite a trade on this plan. He arranged customers into a route, by streets, so that there were certain districts to cover during certain days each week. He used advertising circulars to tell the public about his service and how and why it would keep their cars new-looking week in and week out. In promoting a service like this, in addition to running small advertisements in local newspapers and distributing circulars among car owners, business can also be obtained by use of the telephone—talking directly with the prospects.

Another phase of the car-cleaning industry is that of having cars washed on the owners own premises, the work being done by high school boys having their own cars in order to furnish them transportation to the various jobs. They could be paid either on a commission or salary basis, the promoter to provide the orders through advertising. The advantages of this type of deal are that there is no rent to pay for a garage, it is less expensive to the customer, and it is also much more convenient for him.

TO THE SEA ON A RAILROAD TRACK—364-366
If you travel on a certain highway in the mountains of Pennsylvania you'll be amazed to find a "steamship" resting on the side of a mountain, just where there is an excellent view of the surrounding country. Actually, the "steamship" is a hotel and restaurant, which is built like a boat. There the elevation is 2,464 feet. You can look into three states and seven counties from that vantage point. More is to be seen through a free telescope on the premises.

Reversing the location by going to the far west you will find another land-bound boat. Here motorists stop out of curiosity alone as they do in the Pennsylvania mountains. This particular land-bound boat paradoxically goes out to sea—on a railroad track! It is a pleasure boat and is put out to sea in the evenings and withdrawn with its party of dancers when they are ready to come in. The boat is constructed on a steel framework. Deep-sea divers put a railroad track several hundred feet into the water. By means of an engine and steel cable, the boat, on its track, is sent on its way into the lake.

This "railroad boat" was built on the shores of a popular resort lake in California, and it has attracted a lot of people who like to go in for a little "adventure" as it were. The entire idea is novel which means different, and which explains why it has gone over well.

Speaking of ships, why wouldn't a restaurant constructed like a a ship meet with public acceptance? At least it would be different and new. Imagine sitting on deck at a table and eating a fish dinner or other seafood! Such a cafe could be built in any city, but the most suitable place would be by an ocean or some lake where the scenery and water would lend proper atmosphere to the general setting. A little cafe boat might be anchored only a short distance from the shore with a pier extending to it. A city restaurant, in the downtown district, shaped like a ship would also have its appeal by specializing in seafoods. In the place of a lake or ocean and beaches, artificial scenery could be used to produce the effects.

"MISLAYING INSURANCE"—677
Men are notorious for mislaying things like collar-buttons, wrist watches, cuff links, pocket knives, cigarette lighters, belt buckles, pens and pencils, tie clasps and many other things that are constantly being "lost".

A crippled man developed the "Man's Maid" box, made of thin wood or heavy cardboard. Some are varnished and decorated with small formal designs. Others are covered with wall paper and even chintz. Some are made large with compartments for handkerchiefs, ties and socks.

This man sold dozens of these boxes every week. The prices ranged from $1.50 up—the larger and more elaborate the box; the higher the price.

Women are anxious to buy these boxes for husbands who constantly "mislay" things. This man not only sold the boxes locally, but conducted a mail order business with them. One of his chief sources of customers was women's clubs.

Anyone can make these boxes, in fact improve on them and conduct a local and mail campaign to sell them. Proper advertising should sell hundreds of them. Monograms or names of the prospective customers could be included in the regular price of the box, if the customer so desired. This "Man's Maid" box could be worked into a huge business with agents contacted to sell them.

SOFT ICE CREAM—368
Have you ever heard of soft ice cream? Well, it has proven exceptionally popular in one western state, and has been a big moneymaker. Soft ice cream is about as thick as a rich malted milk, and it is prepared with a specially designed mixer. Made in different flavors, it is claimed that a good portion dabbed on pie combines deliciously.

The flavor of this new ice cream is better than the conventional kind because it is not as cold and therefore does not numb the taste buds on the tongue, as regular ice cream will. If this soft ice cream were featured for pie-a-la-mode in other states, the chances are that it would meet with instantaneous approval. Another channel for making profits with soft ice cream would be to manufacture it for wholesaling to eating places.

Some one is going to cash in on the opportunity soft ice cream affords. It is something new, different and better, and you have observed throughout this booklet that such things usually "take" with the public. Its superiority over ordinary ice cream is undisputed and the success it has been having in one state augurs well for its acceptance in other states. A product like soft ice cream should sell well in any cafe, drug store, roadside inn and resort. The soft ice cream machine necessary to make this delicious product costs around $1200.

THE "GREEN" LUMBER COMPANY—369
A man named Green probably had the same idea the restaurant owner had when he hired all red-haired waitresses. Green's lumber business prospered when he associated his name with the lumber business.

The fence around the lumber yard was painted green. Everything around the firm's plant, inside and outside, was colored green and white. Mr. Green even went to the extent of wearing green ties, green sox, green hat. His classified listing in the telephone directory was done in green, a rule broken for him by the telephone company.

Soon the word got around and when one needed lumber it was always "Green's" that received the order.

The color scheme is used to good advantage in a prospering printer's establishment. He uses colors as freely as the rainbow. His girls working in the office wear different colored smocks every week. All desks, furniture and fixtures are painted in glaring colors. The paper cutter is painted a baby blue. Customers go out of the shop amazed at what they just witnessed. They tell others and that's how the business flourishes. Such a "color plan" could be adapted to any other enterprise.

TEN THOUSAND SEA SHELLS—370-371
There is a restaurant in Los Angeles that serves seafoods. Nothing unusual about that, but the walls of the restaurant are built of 10,000 sea shells—beautiful abalone shells, with the concave side out. This makes for an unusually attractive exterior and obviously directs one's attention to the seafood menu.

Another restaurant in southern California uses these large shells as serving dishes for clam chowder and other kinds of soups. With the holes sealed in two spots, they are fine dishes for the complete fish dinner. They use the small size shells for salads, seafood cocktails and the like, and tiny shells for tartar sauce. This particular cafe is built on the end of a pier which provides just the right atmosphere for the eating of seafoods.

Any restaurant that serves seafoods would find increasing business if they were served in shells, along, with a little atmosphere of the sea.

By promoting the idea of eating houses using such shells, one might be able to build up a profitable mail order business selling them "atmosphere ideas" as well as the shells, many of which can be obtained on the beaches.

SHAVE YOURSELF SHOP—372
You can shave yourself for only 15 cents if you go into a certain little shop in Michigan, and you can also brush off your own clothes and shine your shoes. All this for only 15 cents. If you don't feel like shaving yourself, the barber and proprietor of the place will do it for you for only 25 cents. The "shave yourself" idea has proven profitable for this barber.

A London, England, barber offers a super service by providing customers with a catalogue showing pictures of different styles of haircuts, and forty different styles are shown. Here a customer can know beforehand just what kind of a haircut to expect.

A Nebraska barber added that "extra touch" to his shop by having a clock made with the hour numbers running backwards so that customers would see the correct time in the mirror.

Some of these ideas may sound fantastic, but apparently they pay off, and if so that's reason enough for using them. When the idea is odd or greatly different people remember the place. People in Nebraska who see the barber's clock that runs backward not only remember his place but talk about it on the outside to others, which is publicity for the barber.

POSTALS FOR INSURANCE MEN—373
This idea paid off for the insurance man who originated it. Through the use of an impressive, enlarged post card (size 5" x 7") he was able to get a good percentage of the recipients of the card to think of his insurance service when they thought about buying insurance. The card was neatly printed in two colors and it got attention by its size, and the "copy" or message was read. This is one advantage of using postcards for publicity purposes. Few people ever throwaway a post card without at first glancing at the message. This is not, however, always true of direct-mail (third-class) in an envelope.

With an enlarged post card such as this he was able to put nearly five times the number of words on it as compared to the ordinary or conventional card. An advertising agency was employed to write the copy, and through "constancy of effort" results were obtained. That is to say, by constantly reminding prospects on his mailing list of his service, they got into the happy habit of thinking about him. Naturally, when a good percentage of the prospects were ready to buy insurance, he got the business. All prospects on his list received a mailing once a month.

As result of his own success and the "pulling power" of the special cards, he added to his profits by offering these cards to other insurance agents throughout the country. He had them printed in large quantities in order to get the benefit of low-cost printing. He "contacted" his agent prospects through a form letter which clicked. The agents were glad to get them as the cost was very reasonable, but at the same time the profit was good for the originator.

They cost only $4 per 1000 and he sold them, imprinted with agent's name and address, for $15 per thousand. Names and addresses of insurance agents are to be found in "Insurance Manuals" and are printed separately for each state and different localities in the states.

It is of course impossible for any insurance agent to make 500 or more calls a month in person, but with such cards the agent can reach any number of prospects. In some instances, the originator of this plan sold the cards at a lower rate when large quantities were ordered, and if only 500 cards were ordered the rate was proportionately higher. In one month he said he had traced $1,500 in liability premiums directly to this card, and the same card was used for over four years.

Similar business-building cards could be used by agents in other lines and merchants could use such advertising cards also. If you happen to have some special knowledge or a lot of experience in selling a certain service or item that others are also selling, the idea couched herein may serve as food for thought in stimulating your own "dome of deliberation" towards a plan you can cash in on.

MINIATURE RAILROAD RESTAURANT—374-379
If you happened to be in a certain locality in Detroit, Michigan, and wanted a hamburger or a cheeseburger sandwich, you could go in an unusual eating place there and at the same time marvel over the ingenuity of the owner. Inside the place there is a miniature railroad operating on a two-track semicircular roadbed laid on the counter around which customers sit.

Flatcars, pulled by model locomotives and trailed by cabooses, carry hamburgers, cheeseburgers and pie from kitchen to customer, and also take the used dishes back to the kitchen. Gondola cars carry cigarettes. This railroad is operated by the proprietor himself who also serves the food from the kitchen. In other words, it is a one-man institution, and there are no waiters. Children like to go his place to eat because they are fascinated by the railroad and it seems that grown-ups are also.

This is just another instance of doings things differently. The once lowly hamburger seems to be an American institution now and perhaps one could make other types of sandwiches popular through a little ingenuity. Consider the Seaburgers and Oceanburgers. These are made out of shrimp and lobster blended together. There is also the Oysterburger. As you know, millions of folks enthuse over sea food of every kind, and these kind of new 'burgers should be a welcome change from the usual hamburgers. Simply offer the public something different, and in a novel way and the chances are nine to one it will "take".

A cafe in Hollywood specializes in a food novelty called "skittles". It is a kind of combination pattie. Ground veal from baby calves, mild onions, ripe tomatoes, spicy relish all mixed together. The "skittles" are also sold to take out raw, ready for broiling or frying. They are also sold by mail, packed in special iced containers.

A chain of hamburger stands is a moneymaking proposition. However, this field is pretty well covered and the newcomer has a terrific amount of competition to overcome. Why wouldn't it be better to try something not so well known—say a chain of chicken sandwich Cafes. Each one could be in the shape of a huge cement chicken. Chicken dinners could be featured along with the chicken sandwiches. Of course the sandwiches would have to be something extra special. With all the trimmings. Buying in large quantities would enable the promoter to offer the lowest priced chicken sandwich in town!

Just to show the reader how the imagination can produce ideas, here is another suggestion. It may be worth something—it may not. Why not feature the famous "Dagwood" sandwich that the well known cartoon describes so often? Can you picture a Cafe with the walls covered with large color sketches of the cartoon characters (or similar drawings) and specializing only in one sandwich—the "Dagwood" special. This could contain everything but the kitchen sink!

Chicken sandwiches, dagwood sandwiches, or any other kind, would certainly appeal to the working girl. The writer has a hunch that there is a real need for "Packed Homemade Lunches." The market would be the large numbers of single working girls—the stenographers who hate to pack lunches for themselves or who do not have the facilities to do so. However, such sandwiches would have to be made in the home and taste like homemade sandwiches in order to have a popular sale.

ONLY FARM OF ITS KIND IN EXISTENCE—380-381
Whether you know it or not the only armadillo farm in the entire world is in a small town in Texas. The operators of it, a man and his wife, have made a small fortune. They make baskets from the armadillo shells as well as candle holders, tie holders, lamps, smoking stands, lamp shades, ship models, and other items. Since 1895 this farm has raised armadillos, chiefly as a hobby. The world is their market for the fine products. These adorned shells have to be cleaned, cured, shaped, dressed and polished, and some of them are even beautifully lined with satin. A crew of men are employed to do this work.

As you might suspect, many tourists visit this extraordinary farm. The meat of the armadillo is supposed to be similar to that of turtle or young pork and has become increasingly popular. Physicians have recommended it for certain stomach aliments. To cook this meat, South American chefs prefer to leave it right in the shell. Armadillo oil is used by the Mexicans for softening and preserving leather, and also for medicinal uses.

Yes, this armadillo farm is an unusual one, but there are still other unusual farms. One fellow started a breeding farm with skunks and raises them for pets which he sells, and skunks are not as bad as we are prone to think. They make excellent pets. Today there are also successful muskrat farms operating, as well as a few beaver farms.