Monday's first "how to start your own business class" turned out exactly as expected: a fairly large old guy expounding the basic principles of how to decide what kind of business you want and suits you, with 14 people listening to to him tell stories and anecdotes.

Nothing much new this time around, but the other classes should prove more useful because we'll be talking about and drafting business plans and learning more about all the permits and licenses needed.

It did surprise me that he did not have the students go around and introduce themselves at all.

One of the most interesting stories he told concerned a relatively ignorant woman who had practicallly no marketable skills. They figured out that she knew how to use scissors and read, so he helped her start a clipping service.

She gathers up many copies of local day-old papers for very little cost, the clips out articles / photos and sends them to the people mentioned / shown therein. (She has to do a little research sometimes to find addresses, but apparently it's not too hard.)

She asks people to send her money if they value the clippings. He said that when he last contacted her, she was bringing in $400 a day doing only that, and had even reached a $600 day. Wow.