Have you heard about Travis Lloyd Kevie’s business venture? It seems that Kevie, a homeless man in Penryn, CA, discovered an innovative, if not legal, way to make a buck. He bought a six pack of beer at a convenience store, broke into a vacant bar across the street, put up the “Open” sign and started serving customers. As sales went up and inventory went down, he headed back across the street to buy more booze. With that initial investment of a six pack, Kevie grew his gross revenue to over $1300 in cash and merchandise before he was arrested four days into his venture.
The Placer County sheriff’s office arrested Travis Lloyd Keyes on charges of burglary and selling alcohol without a license. According to the sheriff’s department, Keyes had been serving about 30 customers a day for the four days.
This story has gained global attention, with so much publicity that the bar could probably re-open successfully. The owner is reportedly more amazed than upset.
This crazy saga has the makings of a book or a movie. But before we commercialize the entire experience, let’s delve into lessons we can learn from it.
1. Opportunities exist.
Don’t ever believe that no opportunities exist. They do. Maybe not in the “help wanted” section of your local newspaper, but perhaps in the creative portion of your brain. In a down economy, ask yourself what are the greatest needs around you.
- Stretching the life of a car? Good economy for mechanics.
- Helping people sell their “stuff”? Consider opening a “yard sale” business or on line sales business.
- Financial coach? Career coach? Life coach? Is this a service you could provide?
You get the idea. Think outside the box and give it a try.
2. New businesses don’t require huge debt.
It is a myth that opening a business requires tons of debt. Kevie proved that starting small is possible. I have a friend who is in the process of launching a home-based business selling freshly roasted coffee beans. Because he is determined to avoid debt, he has discovered many inventive ways to accomplish what many would borrow money for. It can be done.
3. You can’t get anywhere until you start.
How many great plans never succeed because they were never tried? If you delay starting until the “perfect moment” or until you have every possible contingency worked out, you will never start. Successful entrepreneurs don’t know all the answers when they first begin, but trust their ingenuity to solve those problems as they arise. Get started!
4. Necessity really is the mother of invention.
Being homeless was undoubtedly a great motivator for Kevie to try his hand at being an entrepreneur. But his story is not atypical of many great beginnings. Many people won’t look up until they are flat on their backs. The stories of Susan Boyle, Kurt Warner, Erin Brockovich, Dolly Parton and Magic Johnson are real life reminders that rags to riches really can happen.
5. You have to pay the piper.
Kevie was arrested. Legal and moral shortcuts are not the right route to success. Eventually, you really do reap what you sow . . . good or bad. I have often thought that if cheaters put as much energy, creativity and perseverance into good enterprises as they do in their schemes, they could be quite wealthy without walking on the shady side.
What do you think?
Should Kevie be locked up? If you had the opportunity, would you hire him because of his ingenuity and boldness? How could he have used those traits to become an honest entrepreneur? What do you think he will be doing a year or five years from now?
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I hadn’t seen that story but it goes to show that someone may be homeless but still have initiative.
The greatest thing about our country is that every person can become a business owner. With the internet, you can get up and running for less than $500 (and that’s on the high side).
Just remember that every business requires effort and work. I see that being the place that most people get stopped by. I wonder how long he would have kept the bar open had he not gotten arrested?
Starting a business is the fastest way to build wealth. It is the one path where you have the majority of the control in the process. Working for someone else means you depend on them.
That isn’t to say that everyone should be a business owner. Many people are very comfortable working for someone else and that is fantastic. Our society needs them too.
Get creative. Get started. Take action. And pay attention to what works and what doesn’t.
If he was just selling booze illegally I would probably say no – don’t like him up..but the burglary part kinda got me. That being said the landowner should hire him! Let him crash in the back.
I LOVE stories like that (well maybe not the illegal kind)…they inspire the hell out of me!
Evan,
Haha…hire him and let him crash in the back. But then he has already proven to be adept at breaking and entering. Could he be trusted? How about hiring him to run the business and share a percent of the profits with him? Who knows? He might make both the owner and himself wealthy.
By the way, these stories inspire me too!
I read this somewhere else earlier in the week and as I recall he had worked on a cleanup crew getting the place ready to open. So I’m wondering if he had worked out in advance a way to enter without forced entry – like unlocking a window or something similar. (Still burglary but no B-and-E.)
This is certainly creative and I think probably he should get probation and some offers from the community and beyond.
Terry,
The linked article in this post says “Kevie told Hudson (the sheriff) that he broke into the building and put an open sign in the window.” The bar was closed and not in the process of being re-opened.
Evidently, he did break and enter. But he still gets a good grade in creativity.
I read this on Dan Miller’s blog, and it got me thinking a few things too.
Most of us can get creative in finding opportunities, and hard times can bring out that creativity.
However, creativity can be used in positive or negative ways – it’s neutral. In this case, it was just applied negatively in that what he did was illegal.
@Scott,
Don’t we live in a great country? Anyone can start a business if he/she wants to. We should never take that privilege for granted.
@Darren,
I saw it on Dan Miller’s blog too. Yes…hard times do bring on creativity and yes…we are responsible to use that creativity in a positive way.
Good post. I see several homless people on my way to work each day and wonder what their life must be like. I am grateful that I have a good job in this poor economy. I have to give this guy credit for being creative but he did break the law. I think most homeless people would probaby do very well if they had a chance or maybe a little help for a better life.
Somewhat of an amusing story really. Many people who started very successful businesses started with an idea and determination.
The internet has offered a lot of other opportunities that did not exist 15 years ago. It can certainly help you keep your costs down if you have an internet business verses a brick and mortar business.
Hard work is also a good trait. In the spring and summer I see dozens of yard care companies hard at work. I talked to one and it started as a summer business as a kid with a push mower. He was about 40 now.
Basic Money Tips,
Right…opportunities do exist. I like your example of hard work in the lawn care business. My guess is there is a lot of competition and those who work hard and do great work are the ones who succeed.
BLT,
I wonder…I really do. Would “most homeless people do very well if they had a chance”? Although Kevie was enterprising and opportunistic, he was nevertheless homeless. I am sure every homeless person has their own story, but I still wonder why?
It’s too bad about the breaking & entering; this guy definitely has a creative and entrepreneurial spirit. I don’t know about him being locked up without knowing more; he’s already shown that he has motivation to go somewhere, and I’d hate to see that get stamped out and the guy potentially influenced more toward criminality cause of jail time.
I am actually junking my car as an opportunity to earn some extra cash to pay off debt and save a bit of.
Also, we’ll have one less liability to worry about and save on gas, car insurance and more. Great thing.
It’s also wise to get rid of stuff you don’t use anymore like movies you don’t watch and books you don’t read. Get a book, take notes, apply the techniques and get rid of the book. Books are great to have but if you need cash and someone needs knowledge, it’s a good trade.
But doesn’t this story illustrate why more businesses and jobs aren’t being created? I don’t condone breaking and entering, but why the heck should you have to shell out $5,000-$400,000 (http://www.pallx.com/faq-answers.php) to sell brewskies to adults?
Without this wacky laws, the end of this story would have been “The owner came by amazed he now had a thriving bar, and worked out a revenue sharing agreement, and they both lived happily ever after”
To do it legally would cost well over $100,000 for a liquor license and the numerous other permits that would be required. This is not so much a story of abundant opportunities as it is a story how little would be required to start a business in absence of government.
Stop procrastinating and start making money. With the large amount of information available on the Internet, many people spend more time reading about about making money than they do actually attempting to make money. Instead of reading about it, go out and learn by doing it.
Great story Joe. Ideas, plus action, plus obedience of the law, seems to be a great combination for achieving business success. The problem with Kevie is that he become hasty. Success for me is not gain overnight. It should run smoothly, concerning not only short-term goals but also long-term goals.
I hope that you list more opportunities. I work hard. I am open and like to help others.
Normally I’d side with the law, but it’s not like he stole anything. He was just trying to make a couple bucks. Gotta admit he’s an entrepreneur, and if he’s that smart what the heck is he doing homeless?