The NYC Drug Dealing, CD selling, Down and Dirty Entrepreneur
There is no place like New York City. There is no other place in the world where you can walk through a park and within 3 minutes have 5 people offer to sell you a bag of pot (say no to drugs!), 2 people attempt to sell you the latest CD on the market, a drum band playing for cash and, of course, someone selling bootleg DVDs.
Whenever I come across these dudes in the city, I say to myself: “Some of these guys really know how to pitch and make those sales. And with the right amount of ambition, I think some of these musicians can really make it big.”
Most of these entrepreneurs aren’t fortunate to have things such as:
- Websites
- Storefronts
- Money to invest
- Mentors
- Support systems
They are the rawest entrepreneurs that you’ll ever come across in your life. They are hungry, determined to succeed, and willing to do just about anything to get your attention. They are playing on a different game field than most of us and have to rely upon their physical interactions with people in order to make things happen.
I sometimes wonder that if these entrepreneurs had websites, some additional capital to invest in their businesses, or perhaps an actual legit storefront instead of a sidewalk… would they be able to breakthrough into success?
Actually, I think that many of them would. Many of these entrepreneurs have a hunger that is quite rare. Sure, I would venture to say that the need to eat, live, and survive is their motivating factor, but that’s what makes them so hungry to succeed!
Sure, they aren’t your traditional internet entrepreneur that we have become to know like the back of our hands, but we can learn a lot from these entrepreneurs. One walk through New York’s popular Washington Square Park and you’ll get the idea.
So the next time you see someone on the street selling books, candy, pot, food, whatever it may be, take a few moments to watch and observe them. Get a feel for how they interact with clients; how they close a sale; and how they pick themselves back up after every denial. You’d be surprised how much you can learn from the street entrepreneur.
Do you see these type of entrepreneurs in your town?
My husband and I have always dreamed of being able to “help” out one of these street preneurs in our city. They are all over Chicago too. One day when we find the right guy (or girl) we will help motivate them to bring take their street biz to the next level.