Scent-sational!

Owning his own business isn't a new experience for Scents of Nature licensee Paul Barton, who fondly remembers the more than two years in college he spent running a skim-board manufacturing company. "I always liked working for myself, but when the skim-board company fell through, I thought I needed to get into a more professional career," explains the 25-year-old surfer.

The Marriott Corp. sounded professional, so Barton worked as a supervisor for the hotel for a year-which was all it took for him to long for the freedom of entrepreneurship. "I realized how much I didn't like working for someone else," says Barton.

Jumping back in the saddle again, Barton went the kiosk route with a beach souvenirs cart in 1997, an endeavor he admits was a struggle. But with kiosk No. 2, a Scents of Nature aromatic oils and incense cart he opened in early 1999 (corporate name: Botanical Scents of Nature), Barton finally found his stride. "I went through a lot of trial and error with my first kiosk," he says. "When I opened up Scents of Nature, boom-I was making money right away."

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Touting Scents of Nature as a fairly painless road to independence, Barton points to the well-designed start-up kit-complete with display kit, label pack and a personal consultation about inventory focus-he received from corporate headquarters. Assures Barton, "They'll [walk] you through your first order and give you everything you need, from pointers to product information."

Barton won't be turning back to corporate life any time soon. "Working for myself is so great," he says. "I'm much happier now because I can take a day off to spend with my family without having to get permission from my boss two weeks ahead of time."