I heat my house largely with wood since the alternatives are wicked expensive electricity (most expensive in the U.S. other than Hawaii) and propane…neither of which are native to Vermont. In a normal season, I go through four to six cords, and I’m just a part timer now. For 10 years, just outside my front door, I’ve had the ugliest wood tent made from grey military grade, fiber-laced plastic erected over four giant steel posts. Really, really ugly and uglier yet since my snowblower got away from me and took a big chunk out of it last season.
In Massachusetts, the delivery of this 8 by 14 by 10 feet tall structure would have taken three workers, a supervisor, a building permit, a zoning board meeting followed by a two-month environmental impact study to ensure that the love lives of the red squirrel population would not be affected.
Jamaica Cottages was started by Domenic, a child of the 60’s who like many original flatlanders escaped into the Vermont hills probably to hug a few trees, to hike and ski, and then figure out how to make a couple of bucks. A classic Vermont entrepreneur just like my Vermont father (a jazz musician), grandfather (a jewelry chain pioneer) and GGF (an explorer) Given Domenic’s love and expertise in marketing, his engineering and design background, and what I experienced as his staff’s superb customer service, Jamaica Cottages has become a solid success, and a superb example of Vermont entrepreneurship at its best.
Even though Vermont’s a tough place to do business, its roots of entrepreneurship are spread deep into the soil of innovation and ingenuity that are exemplified by large companies such as Ben & Jerry’s to the fact that the state is the largest producer of maple syrup. It’s therefore not surprising to discover that the first U.S. patent was issued to a Vermonter.
As we kick off 2019, I’m suggesting that each of us take a hard look around at ourselves and what we’re doing in our work.
Now that we’re through all of the budget approvals and sales kickoffs, I’d like you to think through a couple of simple questions. I do this all the time, and I’ve never been disappointed even when I take sudden 90 degree turns. Life is, or should be, about planning for change, thinking through how to do things differently, and making sure that we’re on the right road at this time in our lives.
Here at the Tufts Entrepreneurship Center, we’re hard at work with more students than ever, more events than last year and driving to the $100K New Venture Competition ranked by Forbes as one of the best in the country. Join us at our day-long Founder’s Workshop on “Finding the Best People & Best Monday”. Our superb key speakers-Dan Schorr of Vice Cream, Bob Stringer, venture capitalist and best-selling author of Culture.com: How the Best Startups Make it Happen, and Art Papas, CEO of Bullhorn-plus six leading venture capitalists and a panel of alum entrepreneurs will answer every possible question you have about successful entrepreneurship.
Time to start the day, sell some stuff and start thinking differently!
Please stay connected!
Jack Derby, Director, TEC-Tufts Entrepreneurship Center
Cummings Family Chair Professor of Entrepreneurship
Spark-Incubate-Accelerate@Tufts
Come to our Events
Cell: 617-504-4222 jack.derby@tufts.edu
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