Pigv B4-Th? Chroukln, Thuiiday, July 14, 1983
black busii
Business Beat
Owning Their (
Reaps Cash An
By RUTHELL HOWARD
Staff Writer
*
Harold Lee Winningham, 36rputs in his full day at?
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. as a sheet inspector. Then he
rushes home to spend time on his second job.
At Reynolds, Winningham is a paid employee, but at
his second job as a direct distributor for the Amway
Corp., Winningham says he is an investor in his own
? **
unanciai iuture.
He's not the only entrepreneur who has seen the
wisdom and advantages of "being your own boss."
William O. Harris, 45, a products repairman at
Reynolds, has tried various ventures for the past 10 years,
and is now running W & R Entreprises with his wife,
Mae, as part of the Old World Industries company.
And Jo Daniels, 29, floor director and production
assistant at television station WX1I, doesn't have to be at
work until 3 p.m., but Daniels is up by six every morning
managing his budding business, JWP International Inc.
Winningham says the invitation to become an Amway
distributor came at the right time in 1976, when he was a
student and Reynolds employee, and needed to make additional
money. A $43 investment for an introductory kit
started Winningham selling Amway products (which
range from soaps and perfumes to television sets and furniture)
and he has since worked his way up to direct
distributor supplying othir salespersons with Amway
products.
441 compare my business with the company that I work
for," Winningham says. 44A lot of times, people become
too secure in their present jobs thinking that this is it, but
I look at R.J. Reynolds, a company that's diversified. I
look at that and say, 4Well, if they can diversify, why not
me?' You look at Reynolds, and they're successful, and I
think it's a good example."
II A I ? + - r i i
iui uj people oecome too secure in their present
jobs, thinking that this is it, but I look at
Reynolds, a company that's diversified, ... and
I say, 'We//, // they can diversify, w/i>> /io/ me?"
Harris also says fie decided to go into business for
himself as a part of Old World (a company similar to
Amway) because he wantedmore money and wanted to
be able 4 4to support my family better and have-the^ftff
things in life." Harris, who been with the company
for two years, is now a field director and says he is working
toward financial independence. "I have worked part
time jobs, but I have found that it is more profitable to?
have a part-time business or a business that you can
develop into a full-time business,^Harris saysr"
"I don'LfeeLihauthere^is^a company that caiupay me
for my time. There's no amount of money they can pay
me for time, because time is something you can't pay
for," says Daniels, who started JWP International three
years ago and aims to build it into an international recording
company. "So, naturally, a man does better when
he's working for himself."
For these three, some of the rewards of having their
own businesses at home are having low overhead because
they don't have to rent or buy office space, setting their
own work hours and pace, not having to rely solely on
working for someone else to take care of their financial
needs and a feeling that they are building a future.
"Financially, I'm not where I want to be, but I see a
real difference in my income," says Winningham. "I'm
able to do things I wouldn't be able to do on one check.
As far as the future,'there are the big house, Tine carsr
clothes, something for the kids. I want to be able one day
to give them everything they want. If for no other reason,
I feel like I'm building it (the business) for my children."
Stopping occasionally to answer his constantly ringing
phone, Winningham explains that having hi5* own
buisness has also made him more self-confident.
For now, his kitchen serves as his business space. But
eventually, as his business expands, Winningham says
he'll need more.
"This is my office," he says, opening a few kitchen
cabinets that house the thousands of dollars worth of
products he says flow through his house each month. A
kitchen table doubles as a work desk, and his living room
is convenient for business meetings.
Daniels converted a spare room in his home into a twodesk
office with makeshift cabinets, sufficient for now
for storing files and records.
His.first venture, producinc a reccae hand rail
namon on the Cinnamon Records label, is underway, and
Daniels says he is discussing a contract to mass produce
records with two national companies, ABC Records and
Sinbad Distributors.
A busy day for Daniels can start at six with a few
minutes of morning meditation. Daniels then showers,
goes to his office and begins jotting down promotional
ideas, writing letters, answering the phone, ironing out
the details for contracts, and making daily rounds to
record shops and radio stations to check the reception of
Cinnamon's test record, "I Like Reggae/'
"By the time I finish that, it's time to take a shower
and go to work," says Daniels, who says that time can be
a problem.
"I have to put as much time on both ends if I am to
keep my job," he says. "I can't slack up now, more than
ever. I can't slack up because the record's out, and I'm
not far from reaching some of my goals."
Daniels says he keeps going with the help of a good dietand
vitamins.
Harris, who also has an office set up in his home, says
he spends 12 to 15 hours each week working on his enterprise
aside from the 37 and a half hours he spends on his
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less
Business of the Week, Bi
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)wn Businesses
d Satisfaction
regular job.
"1 schedule my meetings and appointments in the
afternoons. 1 try to do (meetings) three to four nights a
week," Harris says, "i just take a few extra vitamins. It
ffivM m#? mnr# "
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Although there are sacrifices* Harris, Daniels and Winningham
say it's worth it.
After all, Winningham says, there are two kinds of
people: "wishers and havemores." The wishers are
always wishing," he says, "and the havemores just decided
to do something about it."
"It's fun work," Harris says. "We enjoy it. I plan to
take this right on beyond my retiring from my full-time
job. I hope I can retire in the next five years and have my
income to where it is greater than my full-time job (income)
is now. There are a lot of people that want their
own businesses and there are some that don't have I
enough money to get started. In multi-level marketing,
for the price of a pair of shoes, you can get started in
business." _ ?? :?=.
Daniels, who says his biggest problem is having enough
money to keep the company going until it is selfsufficient,
adds that a personally-owned business is what
people who want something out of life should have.
"They should consider starting some type of business
so their children won't be worrying about jobs and so
they won't be panicking, trying to find money to go to
college. I'm thinking about my future," Daniels says.
V VaJ
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No^ a pnean
at a preferred
Wachovia BankLine is
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j uui owiicu. lillCUlV^ld
$2,500 to $25,000, wit
special trip to the bank
money. You just write
check. And the interes
to the Wachovia prime
If your line of credit is: Yd
$10,000 or over P
$5,000 to $9,999 P
$2,500 to $4,999 P
"BankLine prime rate for Ju
Under present North Carolina law. 17.99^
percentage rate ceiling of BankLine loans
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isiness People, Profiles
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Harold Wlnnlngham displays samples of hi
future as * member of the Amway Corp, (pi
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when you need by the size
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would be subject to change. There is a minimum annual pei
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dw BankLine is just about
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interest rate is determined
; of your credit line, so you
me low rate no matter how
borrow
s all prearranged, you have
iscretion and control over
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are no special fees, so it
lothing unless you use it.
nal Banker can help you
ether BankLine is right for
setter way to borrow money.
Wachovia
Bank&Trust
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f the law should be changed, the 17.99% annual
rcenta#e rate of 8%.