Go Just as Far as You Can

The newest crop of graduates from local high schools will soon be taking place. For many the future will include college or technical training, still others may be focused upon a career in the military. Some will remain “at home” for the time being, perhaps helping the family when and where they can, maybe taking some courses at Atlantic Cape Community College when time and funds permit.
For those who stay here, what does Cape May County offer in the way of solid employment with a future? Choices are limited, including municipal or county government, but even there, the slots are diminishing as taxpayers cry foul at the burden they are made to bear.
The best hope for employment seems to rest with small businesses, but they are as prone to the pressures of the national economy as is any other entity. Still, it is the small business that offers the most hope for local people, perhaps because they may know the owner, or because they have a special skill that the business needs.
I have long held there is work for those who truly want it. There are screens to be repaired, fences to be mended, and buildings to be painted and small jobs that need doing. Admittedly, such tasks will not put a person into a mansion on the dunes, but, if a person perseveres, they can pave a good road to the future.
Look around at some of the newest businesses in the county. Pet sitting is a business that some would never consider as being a potential for a solid future. Think about it, people go away all the time, and cannot take their pets. Many hesitate to place their beloved creatures in a kennel, so the option of having someone look in on them, feed and walk them daily in one’s absence, is indeed worth paying someone to perform.
I mentioned screens that need fixing. Many hardware stores offer the service, but that means taking the screen to the store, which translates into finding time to do that maybe one-hour job. If someone will fix a screen in place, that’s indeed worth more than an hour on a Saturday morning to someone whose weekend is already crowded.
Private chefs? Not only for the rich and famous any longer, such private chefs are for someone who wants to have a party, but lacks the skill or time to devote to such an endeavor. Among those who have gone into that field are those who loved to cook, took some additional training, and perhaps worked briefly in the kitchen of a casino or restaurant.
On the theme of food, who would ever think of making a future out of cupcakes? Admittedly I’m late to the party here, but cupcakes are big business. When Wildwood celebrated its centennial, there were cupcakes. At engagement parties, there are cupcakes. Even some weddings freely include cupcakes as party of the festivities. Why not specialize in making cupcakes that look good, taste great, and easily fit into someone budget and diet. Who can refuse a dazzling cupcake atop some delicious small piece of cake?
As screens need fixing, trees need trimming. There are many trees in Cape May County, many of them leaning precariously and in serious need of cutting back. Such work is not for the unskilled, but with some practice and advice from some old timers, the field could prove lucrative to those who don’t mind climbing, like working outdoors, and who might have a marketing eye for firewood.
All that is needed are some good chain saws, safety gear, maybe a bucket truck and pickup to haul away the fallen trees, which can easily be turned into firewood, or, for the less favorable stuff for chimneys, at least worthy of campfires.
Lawn services and landscapers have come into their own, as people find their time pressed and their lawns growing. Here is another field that can prove lucrative to those willing to work in the heat of the day all summer long, and who might enjoy working with flowers and bushes.
A fairly new industry in this county is grape growing for wineries that are springing up in all sections. Perhaps a young person could focus in on the nuances of what it takes to make a good glass of wine, and make their future in the vineyard. Along the same line, small breweries are also beginning to find favor here, and that would seem to offer at least some part time work for those who want to learn that as a trade.
I have learned of a sports card purveyor who started a small business locally, but quickly learned that the bulk of his business is found on-line. He reportedly now does the lion’s share of business via the web. Who would ever have thought that to be true?
Local artists, carvers and photographers have also looked to the Internet to show their work worldwide. It’s no longer necessary to have a big store here, or even a physical presence, as long as one can be seen on the web, sales can happen.
Young graduates may come to see that the future track they thought they wanted to pursue may not be all it seemed six months or even a year ago. While some might feel the doors shut to them, those who look “outside the box,” or perhaps who scan inside that same box a second time, might find a niche that no one else has filled.
Consider a chap some readers may know: Ray Kroc. Even without knowing the name, chances are, you’re well acquainted with something he helped to create, the American iconic restaurants known as McDonald’s.
From the corporate website of that fast food chain, I share the following:
“If I had a brick for every time I’ve repeated the phrase Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value, I think I’d probably be able to bridge the Atlantic Ocean with them.” —Ray Kroc
How do you create a restaurant empire and become an overnight success at the age of 52? As Ray Kroc said, “I was an overnight success all right, but 30 years is a long, long night.”
In 1917, 15-year-old Ray Kroc lied about his age to join the Red Cross as an ambulance driver, but the war ended before his training finished. He then worked as a piano player, a paper cup salesman and a multi-mixer salesman.
In 1954 he was surprised by a huge order for eight multi-mixers from a restaurant in San Bernardino, Calif. There he found a small but successful restaurant run by brothers Dick and Mac McDonald, and was stunned by the effectiveness of their operation. They produced a limited menu, concentrating on just a few items—burgers, fries and beverages—which allowed them to focus on quality at every step.
Kroc pitched his vision of creating McDonald’s restaurants all over the U.S. to the brothers. In 1955 he founded the McDonald’s Corporation, and five years later bought the exclusive rights to the McDonald’s name. By 1958, McDonald’s had sold its 100 millionth hamburger.
So, dear grads, you can see that the future can be what each of you wants it to be, and potentially, a whole lot more.