| I love stories of how businesses got their start. In | | | | be born. |
| most cases those stories are not based on an | | | | The trio picked the name due to the shape of the |
| overnight success. In fact, many times the | | | | sandwich. On their first day in business the trio |
| successes were small and unexpected. | | | | made just under $300 and began to understand |
| In the mid 1960's there were two sub sandwich | | | | the meaning of working owners. This also meant |
| shops that debuted. In the beginning most people | | | | that the three young men had to prepare in |
| thought very little about these deli sandwich | | | | excess of 300 sandwiches between them on |
| shops, but both names are pretty familiar to us | | | | their opening day. No wonder they worked |
| today. Subway and Blimpie started within a year | | | | toward franchising their idea. |
| of each other and both stores opened on the | | | | These two ideas are in the top 3 sub sandwich |
| east cost. | | | | franchises in the United States and each of their |
| In 1965, a young man named Fred was a high | | | | histories reverts back to young men in their late |
| school senior and wasn't really sure what he | | | | teens and early twenties who simply tried to |
| wanted to do in life. An encounter with Peter, his | | | | figure out their place in the world. Their beginnings |
| family doctor who also was a family friend, | | | | may not have been perfect and none of them |
| shifted the young man's focus. Fred had been | | | | could realize on their first day in business that |
| trying to save enough money to go to college, | | | | they had started something special, but their |
| but the minimum wage jobs he could find weren't | | | | long-term success provides the best |
| putting a big enough dent into his need. | | | | encouragement possible. |
| When Fred asked the doctor for some advice on | | | | If you are an entrepreneur you understand the |
| raising the needed funds it was the doctor who | | | | longing to develop an idea that's bigger than |
| told him to start a submarine sandwich shop and | | | | yourself. You want to see success and you're |
| then offered some financial help to get started. | | | | willing to pay your dues. |
| Did you know that the actual name of the | | | | Maybe some of your ideas will be stepping-stones |
| Subway franchise is Doctor's Associates Inc? This | | | | to your best idea. Consider the team from Blimpie |
| was Fred's way of honoring his partner for a | | | | who sold pots and pans as well as women's |
| great business idea and the first $1,000 to start | | | | hosiery before their big idea paid off. |
| the company. | | | | I think it is very likely that one day you will have |
| Meanwhile three friends in New Jersey had | | | | a story worth sharing. You will have a product |
| already been operating a sub sandwich business | | | | worth buying and your dreams may be fully |
| for about a year. They had been friends in high | | | | realized. |
| school and had tried selling a variety of items | | | | However, if this is a journey you have to take |
| including pots and pans before they tasted their | | | | your first step. |
| first sub sandwich. That's all it took for Blimpie to | | | | |