Pirates Don't Pay, They Plunder!

By Jason Holland

There is a sinking ship in Whittier, CA called Pirates N Plunder.

The buccaneer-themed costume and memorabilia shop is owned by a couple who are deep into the "pirate" subculture, which has enjoyed a renaissance recently thanks to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. They love dressing like pirates, talking like pirates (Avast, ye scurvy dogs!), and having pirate parties. All their friends do too.

"There just has to be money to be made with this pirate trend," thought the pirate-obsessed couple. "And wouldn't it be fun if doing it was our job?" So they took over a friend's shop, expanded the store and... eight months in, sales have fallen off drastically and the business is on the verge of closing. Imagine that.

Michael Masterson cautions against blindly pursuing your passion when it comes to business. "Proceeding with a pragmatic purposefulness, it seems to me, is the best course of action," he says. "By 'pragmatic purposefulness,' I mean an ounce of passion and a pound of practicality. I mean facing the facts and making a realistic assessment of the business idea you love so much. Will it really work in the marketplace? Will it really live up to your dreams?"

Michael explains that although "pursue your passion" is the kind of advice he'd love to give, he can't in good conscience because it doesn't ring true with his own experience as an entrepreneur.

So if you are thinking of opening a tennis shop because you love tennis, or opening a restaurant because you host such great dinner parties... stop. Go through the following checklist before you invest a dime:

• Ask friends and colleagues what they think of your business idea. Ask them to be brutally honest.

• Look at the marketplace and see if there are similar businesses that are successful.

• Take a critical look at how much you really know about the business and industry you want to get involved in. Do you have practical, real-world experience?

• Do your research. How big, exactly, is your target market? How stable is that market?

If the results of the above assessment don't look positive, put profits before passion and look for another business opportunity.

(Source: Entrepreneur.com)

[Ed. Note: Get the benefit of Michael Masterson's 40 years as a business builder with his newest book, Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat. In this book, Michael shows how veteran and rookie entrepreneurs alike can take their businesses to the next level. You'll learn how to identify and solve the problems that crop up during each stage of a company's growth... and how to take advantage of profit opportunities along the way.]

A Garnish Packed with Goodness

By Kelley Herring

The capers that garnish your delectable smoked salmon appetizer and grace your zesty chicken piccata may be small in size - but new research shows they're a big source of antioxidants that show promise in fighting cancer and heart disease.

A recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry evaluated the antioxidant benefits of this overlooked Mediterranean staple. The scientists added caper extract to grilled ground turkey and analyzed the byproducts formed during digestion.

Some byproducts of digested meat have been associated with an increased risk of cancer and heart disease. The scientists found that the caper extract helped prevent the formation of these byproducts. Even better, the benefits were seen even with small amounts of extract.

Keep capers on hand to add a tasty dose of antioxidants to your food. Toss into pasta and salads and mix into Mediterranean-inspired meat and fish dishes.

[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the founder and CEO of Healing Gourmet (www.healinggourmet.com), and is editor-in-chief of the Healing Gourmet book series, including Eat to Fight Cancer.]

It's Good to Know: Tottoos

The Tottoo is an inexpensive temporary tattoo that is personalized with information that can protect children and adults in a variety of emergency situations. (With proper application, it can last up to 12 hours.) It can help parents and schools find their little ones quickly if they wander off. ("If I am lost, please call...") It can be used for people with special needs. ("I have Alzheimer's. If I am lost, please call...") And it can be used as an alternative to Medic-Alert type bracelets - to alert paramedics to conditions that require specialized care. ("I have a seizure disorder. Please call my doctor at...")

(Source: Springwise and Tottoos.org)

Word to the Wise: Rapine

"Rapine" (RAP-in) is the act of plundering. It is derived from the Latin for "to seize and carry off."

Example (as used by P.J. O'Rourke in a New York Times review of Starbucked by Taylor Clark):"... Clark turns from trying to explain why Starbucks is successful to trying to judge whether Starbucks is a monster of capitalist rapine."

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2249, 01-11-08], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

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