This is a subscriber-only article. Join Entrepreneur+ today for access

Learn More

Already have an account?

Sign in
Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

Caught Between a High-End Hobby and Low-Pay Vocation Caught between a high-end hobby and low-pay vocation

By Lennie LaGuire

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

If small is beautiful, I'm drop-dead gorgeous. Or at least my company is.

My tiny Ellelle Kitchen turns out hundreds of jars of small batch preserves every year, in flavors like golden raspberry-peach, blackberry-Meyer lemon and fig-vanilla bean. I work with great ingredients--fruits and herbs straight from the backyard or from gifted growers selling at local farmers markets that provide a year-round bounty in Southern California. My jars are on the shelves of Los Angeles shops and cafes that draw some of the food-savviest customers around.

But is this one-woman, shoestring operation any way to run a business? You decide.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Thought Leaders

6 Tips From a Clean Beauty Entrepreneur

Sarah Biggers went from a newbie in the natural beauty space to a pro in just a few years. Here are six things she wishes she'd known at the beginning.

Business News

An Hermès Heir Wants to Give Half His $12 Billion Fortune to His Gardener—and Lawyers Are Going Nuts

Nicolas Puech, the grandson of Hermès' founder, intends to legally adopt the 51-year-old former groundskeeper as his son, ensuring he inherits his billions.

Business Models

A Company With a Conscience — How to Make High-Priced Products Accessible to Working-Class Families

Some products are inherently expensive. Companies can offer leasing programs, financing options and other marketing approaches to make them accessible to working families.

Growing a Business

How to Get Your Business Noticed (and How to Brag About It)

Knowing how to go after important recognition awards and then leverage them can have a long-term impact on your business.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2023

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2023.