Betina had long desired to own a small business that would furnish folks who were watching their diet to include a more natural way of eating. She could just see herself filling it up with whole grain foods and breads, fresh spices and lentils and beans. She needed a location to make foods as diverse such as freshly made smoothies with all-natural ingredients and drinks such as organic herbal tea and organic oolong tea. She had a lengthy history of enjoying the advantages of a natural diet and wanted to share her knowledge with others in a venue where she could make some money and run a successful business. As Betina looked at her business choices, she found out that she was not financially sound enough to enter a lease for a building to house her idea. But she did find out that there was an alternative open for her. She found she could join a local community market that was open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9am to 3pm as a vendor. She researched the qualifications and discovered that by obtaining a food service license, she would be able to have a small café area in addition to offering the line of natural foods and she decided to give it a try. She was on her way to turning into a thriving business owner while at the same time eliminating the fiscal overhead that is so extremely dangerous in this current economy.

When anyone is considering a move such as the one described above, it is always a good idea to research many different paths before deciding which plan is best for you. There is frequently an opportunity that will accomplish your goals but not be so complicated and as financially draining. Some of the other vendors at the community market consisted of:

• Fresh flowers – A local flower shop found that by becoming part of the local community market, they could had another location to sell their flowers and reached many more folks than just those who walked into their shop. They were able to offer weekend specials and many people picked out bouquets of flowers impulsively to have on the table for company dinners. This had a huge impact on their presence in the community and the volume of sales for the flower shop.

• Fresh baked bread – A local bakery baking addition breads to make them available at the community market and staffed a table with just one person from the store to handle sales. The owner discovered to his delight that with just a small outlay of cash to cover the rent for the space there he was able to greatly improve his sales record.

• Fresh grass-fed meats – A farmer offers cuts of meat from animals that have been strictly grass-fed and that have been protected from any antibiotic or hormones. This type of meat is starting to be desired by more folks who desire to live a more natural lifestyle and who are watching their diet to eliminate problem foods. It is increasingly appealing to buy from local farmers to ensure that a person knows exactly where their supply of meat is coming from.