Be Your Own Boss : Biz 101 Roast of the Town Fed up with working for others, one couple decided to take a standa barbecue stand, that is. Entrepreneur magazine - December 2003 By Nichole L. Torres

Entrepreneur Magazine   Departments: "  Innovations "  Real Life "  Biz 101 "  Opportunities "  What's Your Problem? "  Success Coach "  Be Your Own Boss Features "  Smart Ideas   Subscription Services: In 1999, Billy Penny found himself in an all-too-common predicamenthe was laid off from his engineering job in Marion, Indiana, and was looking for a way to provide for his family. But instead of searching for work in a difficult job market, he decided to make his way as an entrepreneur. "I told my wife, 'I'm tired of someone telling me how much money I'm going to make, what my hours are going to beI just want to do something different,'" says Penny, 42. So he and his wife, Kathy, 36, decided to sell their car and sink all their resources into starting a businessa roadside barbecue stand. Unlike Texas, where they once lived, barbecue restaurants weren't very common in their Indiana community, so it seemed like the perfect niche opportunity. Penny designed a barbecue concession trailer that resembled a log cabin. With the slogan "Eat here or we'll both starve," they launched their business in 2000. Penny contacted the local newspaper to tell his story and drum up interestand the strategy worked. "People just flocked to us," he recalls. "We had 57 people in line for our grand opening." The response was so overwhelming, the Pennys decided to keep their business going through the winter months, even though it would be too cold to sell from an outdoor cart. Using the $105,000 they had earned in the first six months of business, they opened a brick-and-mortar location, which they named Southern Yankee Bar-B-Q. Still, they were not content to end there. Penny used his entrepreneurial sensibilities and engineer's vision to design a mobile barbecue concession trailer that could be used year-round. When customers started asking how they could get their own barbecue stand, he decided to patent the design. With the money they'd made with the restaurant and concession trailer, the Pennys were able to open a factory to manufacture the barbecue stands for other entrepreneurs. Today, for less than $30,000, business owners can get their own stand-alone carts and sell barbecued items anywherefrom New York City to as far as the Middle East. In late 2002, the Pennys sold the restaurant side of their business to focus solely on the manufacturing side. And with Southern Yankee Bar-B-Q now estimating sales of nearly $1 million this year, it seems starving is no longer on the menu. Free advice, tips and inspiration delivered directly to you. Starting A Business Growing A Business e-Business Sales & Marketing Franchise News OPEN EXCHANGE - from American Express Preferred Format: HTML Text Find franchises and business opportunities at Entrepreneur's Opportunity Finder Quick Browse: Low-Investment Food & Restaurants Executive Investment Homebased International Part-Time Browse by category:  Select categoryMain MenuAutomotiveBusiness & FinancialChildren's Products/Svcs.Cleaning & MaintenanceComputer & TechEducation & TrainingFood & RestaurantsHealth & Personal CareHome Products/Svcs.Professional Svcs.RetailSpecialty Prods.Sports/RecreationTravel & Lodging Business Services Find a Sample Business Plan Using the Business Resource Finder The Business Resource Finder asks you simple questions to match your specific business needs with a sample plan. In a business plan, your outline, tables, charts, and financials should reflect your type of business. Download Market Research and Financial Analysis Reports for Your Business Plan Choose from more than 900,000 industry reports, 19,000 financial analysis profiles and 3,000 area-vitality profiles, all online. Produce Your Business Plan Quickly & Easily With Business PlanPro 2004 Business Plan Pro 2004 includes more than 400 sample plans and is the easiest, fastest and most efficient way to create a winning business plan. Entrepreneur's e-Biz Essentials Why Every Business Needs to Be an eBusiness Sponsor Specials Complimentary report: improving ROI with an IBM eServer iSeries system Affordable, quality health care for your small business. Get a free rate quote from Kaiser Permanente. Find a wealth of Web site services at Interland's Web Site Solutions Center. What line of work are you in? So are we. Ford Commercial Truck.