USA TODAY - Fruitfull - Happy & Healthy Products, Inc.

by Nancy Rathbum Scott

     On a spacious farm near Cleveland, Ben Fisco runs a homebased business breeding exotic animals. It's a far cry from the time when he owned and operated a manufacturing business for 30 years. But now, he and his wife Lynda say they wouldn't trade the outdoor life for anything.
     In fact, many people who combine entrepreneurial interests with a yen for the
great outdoors have been able to combine both interests in their homebased businesses. "They are homebased but not home bound," says Mary Galinat, Happy and Healthy Products general manager. Happy and Healthy is a national franchisor for Fruitfull®, a frozen fruit bar loaded with chunks of fruit.
Their franchisees often work away from home, selling the Happy and Healthy products both wholesale and retail, from a portable cart.
     They aren't alone. A little research turns up some very unusual "outdoor" businesses. For example, Entrepreneur Magazine Group has published a report about entrepreneurs who found "backyard bonanzas" by starting herb farms. According to the report, a minimum investment of less than $4,000 could earn an herb farmer an average pre-tax net profit of $45,000 through retail and
wholesale outlets.
     Then there's Homes and Land Magazine, which offers potential franchisees an opportunity to own a pictorial community real estate and rental property advertising magazine. "The outdoor aspect would be that our franchisees go out and visit their customers," says Bill Needham, manager of corporate services. From photographing properties to distributing the magazines,
Needham says magazine owners can find many reasons to escape the confines of a
home office.

Bet the farm
     Fisco was one of those entrepreneurs looking for an alternative lifestyle opportunity when he began researching the alpaca breeding business. "To live in the country and share these wonderful animals is the perfect life. It's not a homebased business; it's a lifestyle," he says.
     At Humming Hill Suri Alpaca Farm, Fisco raises about 75 alpacas, South American exotic animals related to camels and llamas. Alpacas stand about three feet and weigh about 150 pounds. They produce one of the world's finest and most luxurious natural fibers, soft as cashmere and warmer, lighter, and stronger than wool. Alpacas come in almost 30 colors-more than any other
fiber producing animal.
      Extremely gentle, intelligent animals that love children, alpacas are known
for making good pets as well as practical investments. Pregnant females used as breeding stock are the most expensive

alpacas, ranging from $20,000 to $45,000, says Fisco. Pet quality animals are less expensive, selling between $1,500 to $3,000.
     Even purchasing a pet quality alpaca is a sound investment. Their fleece sells from $2.50 an ounce to $6.50 an ounce. Compare those prices to sheep's wool, which sells for two to three cents per pound. A high quality alpaca can yield several hundred dollars of high quality fleece. "We shear them once a year and get an average of six to eight pounds of fleece," says Fisco.
     For that return, owners invest only minimal time. For instance, caring for six alpacas takes about 10 to 15 minutes each day, usually spent feeding and cleaning up after them. "It costs about 10 cents a day to feed an alpaca because their primary source of food is pasture." When pasture isn't available, the animals eat hay.
     It's the lifestyle change that makes this particular homebased business
enjoyable, however. "My previous career was always rewarding, but I longed to escape the hectic schedule," Fisco says. "To live in the country and share these wonderful animals with children is the perfect life."

Fruitfull® investment
    Happy and Healthy Product's almost 120 franchisees find their perfect life selling 100 percent natural frozen fruit bars on wholesale and retail levels. They sell wholesale to hospitals, colleges, and corporate cafeterias. "A lot of big companies also will have the franchisee come out, set up the cart, and
give away bars to employees during a picnic," says Galinat.
    Many franchisees find retail is the favorite part of the business, however. Stroll through any county fair and you might see a family selling frozen fruit bars behind a watermelon stand. The Fruitfull® watermelon cart is
unmistakable. About as wide as the span of an average adult's arms, it is shaped like a watermelon slice, overflowing cornucopia-style with ripe fruit.
     From street fairs to craft shows and festivals, the Fruitfull® retail business
is an event that allows entire families to participate. "Children happen to be the best sellers at retail events. Put a kid behind a freezer and who can resist?" says Galinat.

The ownership options can also prove irresistible. For an $18,000 investment, a franchisee can own a retail-only business. A $40,000 investment will buy both wholesale and retail. In addition, Galinat says Fruitfull® is a business that most people can work either full or part time.
"It's a great opportunity for someone who is at home looking for extra income," she says. Especially if they want to get away from the house to make that income.