George was ecstatic. He would breed those chickens and put them on the market. He would do that by creating enough breed stock to license out to chicken farmers who would sell only to him. He could see the 3-legged chickens in the supermarkets. He would farm out the processing and all other such work and live a life of ease. He agreed to the deal and said, "Fine, Fred! We've got a deal. You will get the paint, and I'll gather up the chickens."

The farmer smiled and said, "Just when will that paint get here?"

"I'll have it here next week and it will be all prepaid. Now for the chickens, I was wondering: how fast are they?"

"Don't know," said the farmer. "I ain't ever been able to cat

Hey, what are you getting into there? Do you have all the facts about that new business you are getting into?

Let me tell you a story that would be true except I made if up from an old joke. George Hotshot, a traveling salesman, was driving down a southern country road when he noticed that a chicken was running along side his car. Being curious, he push on the accelerator. The chicken just kept running along side the car. Pretty soon, George was up to 60 mph. He pushed harder on the peddle and the chicken sped up too. Then the chicken took off into a farmer's yard.

George slowed down, spun a U-turn and headed back to the farm. From habit, he noticed the farmer's name on the mailbox, Fred Fanslow.

George perused the place, and decided the barn needed painting. He pulled into the barnyard.

When he climbed out of the car, the dust was still flying around from the road chase. Fred Fanslow, the farmer, came out of the barn, scratching his head with that "Who in the heck are you?" look.

George walked up to him, pulled a red handkerchief out of his back pocket to wipe the dust off of his glasses so he could see the farmer better, put out his hand and said, "I've been wanting to meet you, Fred. I followed that chicken in here."

"You been wanting to meet me?" said the farmer.

"Sure have! Ever since I read your name on the mailbox."

George gave a grin and the farmer said to him, "You must be a salesman. I don't want any paint or nothin'."

"Paint?" said George. "For what? Oh, the barn could use a little. I know a store in town whose got some coming in really cheap. That is, if you need it. It's only ten bucks a gallon and it's the brightest red, all weather paint, you've ever seen."

"That doesn't seem all that cheap to me," said the farmer. "But, you said that's not why you're here."

"No, it's the chicken," said George. "I've never seen a chicken run that fast before."

"Well, there's a reason," said the farmer."

George said, "Well they must be healthy and special. Maybe I can buy some breed stock from you. Farmers are always looking for better critters."

The farmer said, "I need about 40 gallons of paint."

George said, "I'll tell you what. I can get that paint delivered in here for five bucks a gallon. If I do that, will you give me a couple of hens and a rooster?"

The farmer said, "Why would you do that? You must have somethin' up your sleeve. I guess you noticed that they got three legs and you can get three drumsticks."

George laughed and said, "Nobody can pull the wool over your eyes, Fred. Have we got a deal?"

"Deal!" said Fred the farmer. "But you got to take all the chickens and gather them yourself, because I'm busy. I get the paint for free since you're getting all the birds."

George was ecstatic. He would breed those chickens and put them on the market. He would do that by creating enough breed stock to license out to chicken farmers who would sell only to him. He could see the 3-legged chickens in the supermarkets. He would farm out the processing and all other such work and live a life of ease. He agreed to the deal and said, "Fine, Fred! We've got a deal. You will get the paint, and I'll gather up the chickens."

The farmer smiled and said, "Just when will that paint get here?"

"I'll have it here next week and it will be all prepaid. Now for the chickens, I was wondering: how fast are they?"

"Don't know," said the farmer. "I ain't ever been able to catc

Fanslow.

George perused the place, and decided the barn needed painting. He pulled into the barnyard.

When he climbed out of the car, the dust was still flying around from the road chase. Fred Fanslow, the farmer, came out of the barn, scratching his head with that "Who in the heck are you?" look.

George walked up to him, pulled a red handkerchief out of his back pocket to wipe the dust off of his glasses so he could see the farmer better, put out his hand and said, "I've been wanting to meet you, Fred. I followed that chicken in here."

"You been wanting to meet me?" said the farmer.

"Sure have! Ever since I read your name on the mailbox."

George gave a grin and the farmer said to him, "You must be a salesman. I don't want any paint or nothin'."

"Paint?" said George. "For what? Oh, the barn could use a little. I know a store in town whose got some coming in really cheap. That is, if you need it. It's only ten bucks a gallon and it's the brightest red, all weather paint, you've ever seen."

"That doesn't seem all that cheap to me," said the farmer. "But, you said that's not why you're here."

"No, it's the chicken," said George. "I've never seen a chicken run that fast before."

"Well, there's a reason," said the farmer."

George said, "Well they must be healthy and special. Maybe I can buy some breed stock from you. Farmers are always looking for better critters."

The farmer said, "I need about 40 gallons of paint."

George said, "I'll tell you what. I can get that paint delivered in here for five bucks a gallon. If I do that, will you give me a couple of hens and a rooster?"

The farmer said, "Why would you do that? You must have somethin' up your sleeve. I guess you noticed that they got three legs and you can get three drumsticks."

George laughed and said, "Nobody can pull the wool over your eyes, Fred. Have we got a deal?"

"Deal!" said Fred the farmer. "But you got to take all the chickens and gather them yourself, because I'm busy. I get the paint for free since you're getting all the birds."

George was ecstatic. He would breed those chickens and put them on the market. He would do that by creating enough breed stock to license out to chicken farmers who would sell only to him. He could see the 3-legged chickens in the supermarkets. He would farm out the processing and all other such work and live a life of ease. He agreed to the deal and said, "Fine, Fred! We've got a deal. You will get the paint, and I'll gather up the chickens."

The farmer smiled and said, "Just when will that paint get here?"

"I'll have it here next week and it will be all prepaid. Now for the chickens, I was wondering: how fast are they?"

"Don't know," said the farmer. "I ain't ever been able to cat

farmer said to him, "You must be a salesman. I don't want any paint or nothin'."

"Paint?" said George. "For what? Oh, the barn could use a little. I know a store in town whose got some coming in really cheap. That is, if you need it. It's only ten bucks a gallon and it's the brightest red, all weather paint, you've ever seen."

"That doesn't seem all that cheap to me," said the farmer. "But, you said that's not why you're here."

"No, it's the chicken," said George. "I've never seen a chicken run that fast before."

"Well, there's a reason," said the farmer."

George said, "Well they must be healthy and special. Maybe I can buy some breed stock from you. Farmers are always looking for better critters."

The farmer said, "I need about 40 gallons of paint."

George said, "I'll tell you what. I can get that paint delivered in here for five bucks a gallon. If I do that, will you give me a couple of hens and a rooster?"

The farmer said, "Why would you do that? You must have somethin' up your sleeve. I guess you noticed that they got three legs and you can get three drumsticks."

George laughed and said, "Nobody can pull the wool over your eyes, Fred. Have we got a deal?"

"Deal!" said Fred the farmer. "But you got to take all the chickens and gather them yourself, because I'm busy. I get the paint for free since you're getting all the birds."

George was ecstatic. He would breed those chickens and put them on the market. He would do that by creating enough breed stock to license out to chicken farmers who would sell only to him. He could see the 3-legged chickens in the supermarkets. He would farm out the processing and all other such work and live a life of ease. He agreed to the deal and said, "Fine, Fred! We've got a deal. You will get the paint, and I'll gather up the chickens."

The farmer smiled and said, "Just when will that paint get here?"

"I'll have it here next week and it will be all prepaid. Now for the chickens, I was wondering: how fast are they?"

"Don't know," said the farmer. "I ain't ever been able to cat

looking for better critters."

The farmer said, "I need about 40 gallons of paint."

George said, "I'll tell you what. I can get that paint delivered in here for five bucks a gallon. If I do that, will you give me a couple of hens and a rooster?"

The farmer said, "Why would you do that? You must have somethin' up your sleeve. I guess you noticed that they got three legs and you can get three drumsticks."

George laughed and said, "Nobody can pull the wool over your eyes, Fred. Have we got a deal?"

"Deal!" said Fred the farmer. "But you got to take all the chickens and gather them yourself, because I'm busy. I get the paint for free since you're getting all the birds."

George was ecstatic. He would breed those chickens and put them on the market. He would do that by creating enough breed stock to license out to chicken farmers who would sell only to him. He could see the 3-legged chickens in the supermarkets. He would farm out the processing and all other such work and live a life of ease. He agreed to the deal and said, "Fine, Fred! We've got a deal. You will get the paint, and I'll gather up the chickens."

The farmer smiled and said, "Just when will that paint get here?"

"I'll have it here next week and it will be all prepaid. Now for the chickens, I was wondering: how fast are they?"

"Don't know," said the farmer. "I ain't ever been able to cat

George was ecstatic. He would breed those chickens and put them on the market. He would do that by creating enough breed stock to license out to chicken farmers who would sell only to him. He could see the 3-legged chickens in the supermarkets. He would farm out the processing and all other such work and live a life of ease. He agreed to the deal and said, "Fine, Fred! We've got a deal. You will get the paint, and I'll gather up the chickens."

The farmer smiled and said, "Just when will that paint get here?"

"I'll have it here next week and it will be all prepaid. Now for the chickens, I was wondering: how fast are they?"

"Don't know," said the farmer. "I ain't ever been able to catch one!"

Home Business Tip: Don't get ants in your pants and jump too quickly into a new deal. Sleep on it! a

A Tippy from Flippy: I love chicken stories. But don't give away the store before you have come to a very good understanding of what you are getting into. It's like so many Internet opportunities that turn out to be thin air. They promise the world and give you the shaft.

Keeping Up with the Jones': Well, George will never be able to keep up with those chickens, will he?

And greed is the cause of many ills.

It's best to be humble about starting a business.

You need to realize that there is much to learn, but that should not stop you from building a business on a firm foundation of knowledge.

I think it is best to start a business in your community under your control. You learn from your failure, but you can avoid large failures because you are close to what is going on. Should you go on the Internet? Sure! But why not get a niche business going and then take it to the Internet? You'll be making money before you add the Internet operations.

Many companies blow their capital before they can generate profits.

I was consulting with a firm in Iowa that had a great business plan, but they blew their SBA funds before they generated profits. The problem was simple to resolve. The owner of the company, who was a terrific salesman, should have kept selling as his main interest.

He didn't understand that new employees must be trained, not fired after their first few days.

He should have left the production to those who know or are able to learn about such things. He didn't bring in the orders fast enough to save his capital from his extravagant spending.

Big ideas don't always pan out. Paying attention to smaller opportunities can bring both profits and knowledge to generate more revenue.

That is what business is all about.

Fiddle Dee & Fiddle Dum: Not keeping focused on your goals will kill you in the business world.

Can't Ya' Get Goin'?: You can if you plan. When Mr. Schwab of Bethlehem Steel was trying to make the company more profitable, he looked for advice. He decided that things just were not going the way he planned. There must have been something wrong with his plan. Now he had run United States Steel and was no novice. But he was humble enough to ask for the input of others.

He was told by a consultant to write down six things that had to be done to get the company going. Then he had him number the items from 1 to 6 according to how important they were to the growth of the company. Then he said to work only on the first item on the list and not to work on the next item until he had completed it.

This simple plan caused the company to grow. Why? Because Mr. Schwab not only followed