“Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.” -H. Jackson Browne.
Feature Photo: Matt Perreault;Photo: Sasha W.
Truer words couldn’t be spoken nor could they have more aptly applied to three unforgettable months living in Costa Rica.
It was December 15, 2008. I had just survived a one month excursion through South America, where I watched my diet regress from jugs of Chilean wine and slabs of Argentinian beef to train station sink water and sleeves of Ritz crackers.
Financially speaking, it was time to make a move.
My buddy and I set our sights on Costa Rica, which promised good surf and job availability. But the tourist-friendly bars, restaurants, and grocery stores we had assured ourselves would be waiting with open arms greeted us with a “No, gracias.” Bank accounts were dwindling. Running short of options, we mulled our future one evening over necessary beers and exotic fruit in hostel hammocks.
Together with my best friend and newly appointed business partner, I was able to create a business that was both profitable and delicious, sans any former sales training or MBA, in seven basic steps.
1. Assess your situation.
Understanding that jobs weren’t going to simply fall into our laps, a makeshift supply and demand economic session got underway as we battled evening mosquitoes. The beaches were still filled with free-spending American tourists; it was just a matter of finding a commodity that would actually turn a profit.
Shoveling another ripe four cent banana down, up came the hovering light bulb over my skull. Noting how the beaches were packed with foreigners constantly harassed by 8 year old children selling ceramic pots, local stoners pretending to offer surf lessons, and old women with cheap shell necklaces, I realized, “We could be those people!”
Brainstorming and high fives ensued throughout the night.
Photo: hiddenloop
2. Realize that timing is everything.
Deciding that our new company would manufacture, market, and sell frozen bananas in various flavors, the next step was opening a factory within our hostel’s walls. What we eventually developed was a finely tuned two-man banana assembly line that would make Chiquita salivate.
We conducted bi-weekly raids upon our local supermercado, collecting about 30 bananas, whatever meltable chocolate was in stock, skewers, and our choice for that week’s toppings. We soon learned the importance of daily visits to the store as a banana’s green-to-yellow-to-brown lifespan seems to accelerate under fluorescent lighting.
Photo courtesy of the author
Assessing that late morning and early evening were prime selling hours, our schedules shifted accordingly. Our well-stocked banana cooler didn’t exactly appeal to the drunken masses when we set up outside a popular bar later at night. Plus, we had to battle with cigarette, gum, and sausage vendors.
3. Name it right.
The catchiness and cheesiness of alliteration works wonders; thus, the Banana Brigade and Potassium Patrol were formed. Using Sharpie markers, we emblazoned our Styrofoam sales cooler with our company name along with fake banana websites and freshly created gmail accounts displaying how legitimate this operation truly was. Our ever evolving menu kept consumer interest high as “chocolate” developed to “Mounds bar,” which later developed to the mysterious “experimental” selection.
4. Play the part.
Knowing that even a cool product with a catchy name would not simply sell itself, we realized that an amicable, crafty nature would be a useful asset. Fellow gringos always welcomed a familiar face and simply striking up a chat about the recession, the weather, or the Red Sox promised future sales.
When my feet were swollen from stingray attacks or mosquito infection I found the silver lining and bandaged and limped as pitifully into the hearts of lounging retired women as one could. Vacationing South Americans responded to our heavily accented cries of “CHOCOBANANOS” after we exuded our bilingual charm. What we lacked in sales experience, we made up with in friendly conversation.
5. Emphasize quality over quantity.
As founder of your own business, pride in your product is essential. After initially trying to cut a few corners and market our aged brown bananas as “double chocolate,” we soon agreed we were jeopardizing the integrity of Banana Brigade.
As our entire livable income depended on customer satisfaction and our advertising was not much more than word of mouth, we harnessed our culinary skills to create the optimal look and taste. Once satisfied, customers returned to our frozen cooler to purchase treats they could make themselves at a fraction of the cost.
6. Remember: Sex sells.
Photo: nyki m
The female creature should never be underestimated. Especially if you have two beautiful, free-spirited Spaniards willing to forego their bikini tops and stroll the sand as temporary saleswomen. This also helped to alleviate the awkwardness of offering grown men our long, sweet, frozen delights.
7. Enjoy your work.
Running my own business turned out to be the best job I’ve ever held. I worked my own hours, accepted a hangover as an excuse for a sick day, never struggled my way through a sales meeting, and literally ate our losses.
While self-employed, you find joy and satisfaction in what you do, which is the best and possibly only reason to hold a job. The recession seems to be nothing more than an excuse by many to stifle their creative selves and play it safe and dull. I’d even suggest that starting a business in a beautiful get-away locale like Costa Rica is more promising than any. Besides the sheer beauty you experience daily, a profit can always be turned in a location where people are showing up fully prepared to spend recklessly and be as lazy as entirely possible.
Step away from that cubicle, fellow dreamer; the world awaits your genius. The risk is worth the reward and the reward has never tasted so sweet.
Community Connection:
Read other inspiring stories from people who have escaped the cubicle! Want some advice about ditching the cubicle. Matador editor Julie Schwietert tells you how to get rid of your 9-to-5 job, and Dana Ranill offers advice for convincing your boss to let you telecommute.
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25 Comments... join the discussion!
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Thanks Eileen. We spent a solid three months in Costa Rica as Banana Brigade until we decided to put production on hold for an undecided period of time and headed across the Pacific to Asia to try our hand at something new. We basically ended up making enough to survive on by Costa Rican standards which is all we were basically looking for. I’m fairly confident that a continued commitment would had us living well enough to start looking for assistant banana boys and babes.
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Thanks Eileen. My friend and I spent a solid three months in Tamarindo, Costa Rica until Banana Brigade closed its factory doors for an undetermined period of time. We decided to try our hand at something new and headed across the Pacific to Asia. As for money, we made enough to survive on by Costa Rica standards which was all we were really intending to do. However, I’m fairly confident that additional time spent with our growing business would have led to the eventual need for some assistant banana boys and babes.
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this is fantastic…I want one
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There’s always money in the banana stand.
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I’ve been waiting for that reference! Thank you, sir.
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Pura vida!
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You two are brilliant!
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Wow, frozen bananas exist? I thought that was all Arrested Development.
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Unfortunately (or fortunately?) for us, we had no idea about the whole “banana stand” of Arrested Development. Missed out on that show I guess. Half the Americans we crossed referenced it, so we were constantly reassuring our originality along with deliciousness.
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American ingenuity at its best; ya gotta love it !
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Haha, this is amazing. There’s also some students in Austin, TX that started a frozen banana stand. Check it:
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/life-arts/ut-grad-aims-to-be-austin-s-top-banana-1.1761302
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Lack of sales experience… how dare you!
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I need more details too – how much did you make? why did you stop? were there any awkward times trying to sell your long hard treats to men on the beach? what did you pay the women who sold your treats topless? I’m hoping you paid in bananas.
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Andy you are amazing! Loved the article and miss those bananas!!
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I hope you experimented with Kiwi-Strawberry and Orange Jubilee flavors.
They would be big sellers in my opinion. And the profit margin would be through the roof.
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I think the world is collectively holding its breath for blue rasberry bling bling to grace the banana scene.
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Good job frozen banana man! =D sounds like an awesome experience to me =)
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yummmmm! sounds like frozen fruit bars and snicker ice cream are old news. i would like to see how this works out on long island beaches.
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nice picture, who’s the broad you’re dancing with?
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Pura vida y choco bananas. Sounds like life doesn’t get better. I enjoyed the prose and honest humor as well.
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and to think only a year ago we were playing the window game. keep up the good work!
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Creative ! That’s awesome.
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I guess I was feeling to the point in my last comment. Sorry to post two. I could just really see this WORKING. I spent some time in Manuel Antonio nat. park Costa Rica and must have bought just about every food item that wandered by ( I was laying there , it was crucial that the item came to me ) . It was mostly coconuts and shaved ice . Nothing chocolate came by. I would have bought a banana for sure.
I’m forwarding the article to my friend that won’t believe that living in Costa Rica is a possibility.
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Crap I thought frozen banana’s only existed in Mitch Headburg jokes.
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