I was a broke, freckle-faced 10-year-old boy... I was the oldest of 4 kids... My mom was single... And broke too. But I didn't let that stop me. I figured out what I now call: "A Gravel to Gold Sitch" Let's come back to that... One of my "income streams" was painting curb numbers for homeowners and renters whose addresses were either faded or completely gone. I knew my "pitch" wasn't a pretty address number. It WAS not getting COLD PIZZA because the pizza guy couldn't find your address. It WAS the ambulance, police, or fire department that found their home when every SECOND COUNTS. I'd charge $5 to $10, depending on whether I painted one or two numbers for them. (some wanted the number on both sides of the entry) Now... My investment for materials... Was about $10 to get fresh stencils, paint brushes and black and white paint. (From memory, this was a few decades ago 😁) I could paint about 10-12 address numbers from my $10 investment. Which meant $50 to $60 + tips for revenue. A $10 investment with a $60 return for an afternoon in 1977 was pretty solid. A lot of men/women were not making that... This is what I call the "Gravel to Gold Sitch"... Paint and the supplies are GRAVEL. I had the PROCESS: Take the paint and turn it into address numbers so the pizza guy and emergency services could find homes fast. Once I turned the paint into an address number on a curb... I turned a little bit of paint (gravel) into (gold)... NOW... If You Think That The money Was The Gold... HUGE MISPERCEPTION Don't get me wrong... It bought Snickers bars, walkie-talkies, and other stuff when I was 10 years old... But that wasn't the GOLD REALLY. (Hang on tight for a sec.) So... Here was my big fat problem. I was a broke kid. My mom was broke. How did I get my "start-up" capital? I PRE-SOLD! I'd knock doors and when I got a "YES."... I just had them PAY ME UPFRONT... Then I'd bike it to the hardware store and buy my supplies! I still PRE-SELL most stuff to THIS DAY as a 58-year-old.