As you read this issue, think about these insightful words from Jim Loehr:

Life is enriched because of the commitment, passion and focus  we give it, not the time we give it.

Farmers, of course, have always been guided by the seasons. Perhaps there's something natural and nurturing about working and living in response to the seasons and cycles of the planet. In fact, a seasonal business can teach you a great deal about flexibility, going with the flow and seizing the opportunities that are unique to a limited time of year. You can't postpone or procrastinate when your venture is tied to the calendar.

A seasonal business also makes sense if you have a long-term project that you want to work on that won't be producing cash flow for a while.Or perhaps you just love a holiday or season of the year so much that you want to share your enthusiasm with others. Here's a sampling of ideas for the opportunities that are looming in the weeks ahead.

° It's about time. No season of the year makes folks as breathless as the ones headed our way. When I was a newcomer to Boulder, CO and feeling lonely with the holidays coming on my new hometown, I put a little ad in the paper offering my services to help people be guests at their own parties. Not only did I get paid to go to parties, I met some terrific people and enjoyed the holidays more than I'd anticipated.

Deliver something. Help someone by running errands. And if you love to shop, there's an obvious way to get your fill--and get paid to indulge yourself.

° Rent out your brawn. Putting up and taking down lawn decorations is a seasonal business with huge possibilities. Or pick up and deliver an unwieldy Christmas tree.

° Amuse the children. If you don't have kids yourself, you may have forgotten the wild anticipation-and wild behavior-that comes with waiting for Christmas. You could organize art classes for kids while their parents shop or be a daytime babysitter. (Do you know how hard it can be for parents to find someone during the day to provide this service?) If you haven't babysat in years, you may be surprised to see what childcare folks earn these days.

° Put your creative talents to work. Offer holiday pastries, gift baskets, wreaths or holiday decor. Build your reputation for specialty goods and sell them at bazaars and/or directly to customers. Or join forces with other local artisans and throw your own holiday gift fair.

For more ideas about seasonal enterprises, begin by asking yourself, "Who's got a problem I know how to solve?" and see where that leads you. And if the winter holidays aren't your thing, think ahead to the special times coming up next year. Advance planning could have you celebrating in a profitable and creative way. Party on!

After all, when I get excited about some new discovery, I can't keep it to myself. I also realize that anyone building a business has a limited amount of time to devote to tracking down resources, finding useful information and just connecting with entrepreneurial thinkers. So a bimonthly newsletter is my idea of a perfect vehicle to fill in some of those gaps.

Unlike information that's shared electronically, Winning Ways is intended to be kept as a permanent resource. I suggest that new subscribers get a three ring notebook to store their issues. It's always a surprise (even to me) to go back and rediscover information and ideas that I'd forgotten about. And, of course, sometimes the timing is better at a later date when a resource is exactly what's needed in the moment.

Even though I've been publishing Winning Ways for 23 years, I still get just as excited when I find a book to pass long or a marketing idea that's a perfect fit for a small operator. I like to think of this newsletter as adding a bit of high touch in a high tech world. There's nothing slick and glossy about Winning Ways, but there is a lot that's friendly and personal.

Frankly, I'd like to see more folks joining me for these explorations. So I'm doing something I've never done before. From now until Thanksgiving (which isn't that far away), you can become a subscriber and take a 25% discount. That's just $27 for a full year's worth of ideas and inspiration. You will also receive the current issue as a bonus, so you'll get seven issues instead of six.

Winning Ways Newsletter

It's not just Cirque that has evolution as a contributor to their success. A recent piece on CNN's Website spotlighted some surprising examples of businesses that shifted gears along the way. Take a look at this quick read about companies that switched industries at some point in their histories, usually for the better. You'll find some familiar names on this short list.

Surprising First Products of 14 Famous Companies

Barbara