Somewhere beneath the rubble of the housing market collapse, there’s a man trying to dig out and build a clientele. And he’s doing it one question at a time.
After getting laid off from an architecture firm for the second time last year, John Morefield had a choice to make: either scratch around for one of the few architecture jobs available in Seattle or do something to control his destiny.
It’s an odd way to grow a business. Every Sunday, Morefield sets up shop at the Ballard Farmers Market. But it isn’t anything tangible that Morefield is slinging from behind his small plywood booth; he’s selling advice.
For 5 cents, Morefield offers pointers on home improvement projects. He got the idea from the Peanuts cartoon – you remember Lucy and her questionable nuggets of psychiatric help.
“If you’ve got any questions about your home – your kitchen’s too small, your bathroom doesn’t work, you want an extra story – drop a nickel, fire away,” he says.
The booth is more than a cute gimmick. Occasionally, Morefield has been able to turn these 5 cent questions into better paying jobs.
Photo by core77.