I’ve been selling Street Sense for a few months and have managed to save and invest my money in a small room in Virginia. I wish I could say that everything is wonderful and that there was a big parade for me for trying to get off the street, but that was not the case.

Still, I never do anything without the idea of being world-class or the best at it. My landlord and my bill collectors don’t care about my troubles; they want their money on time. No excuses.

I’d like to tell you some of the reasons I sell Street Sense so people understand that we’re not homeless panhandlers begging for change. We are small entrepreneurs taking risks and trying to live the American dream. We don’t rely on paychecks and we have to budget our money so that we can stay in business.

Being a Street Sense vendor is like being your own boss. You have to use your time very wisely during the day. If anyone has ever been in business, you know the time and energy you have to put in to make ends meet.

Being a vendor is commodity-oriented and very cyclical because of the two-week period between new issues of the newspaper. I might also add that weather and climate affect people’s moods and whether they want to buy or not.

Another major factor is competition. I can never rest because there’s always new and veteran vendors trying to enter my markets. Last month someone doubled me in sales so like in any business, you’ve got to be creative and innovative.

Many areas are flooded with vendors trying to sell to the same people in the same areas, like Dupont Circle and Whole Foods. To me, this doesn’t make any sense because you kill an area with excess competition.

If anyone has ever been in sales, they know that the key is finding new markets, so I am a traveling salesman. I can show up anywhere. I especially like going to areas where no one ever heard about Street Sense. I love meeting new people and selling to them for the first time.

I pay for my transportation, food and papers and have to keep records and books so I can have a profit. Paying for all the daily expenses in a day can leave you with little at a time.

Like any business there’s feast and famine periods so you have to be frugal with your money.

If I buy a lot of papers and no one buys them, I take a loss. If I buy papers and give them away for free, that’s lost money. Like any business, when you don’t sell your inventory, you take losses.

Weather is another factor that can ruin you. When it’s cold outside, it’s hard to approach people about Street Sense. Rainy days can also hinder sales.

As you can see, to sell 1,000 papers a month, my approach is one person at a time. I don’t go out trying to sell a certain number a day. I go out meeting and saying “Hi” to people. I might get 100 rejections but those two or three sales make all the “No’s” worthwhile.

I write everything down that happens during the day to become better. Also, to attract new customers and tourists, I like to make catchy signs. My philosophy is to hit a broad range of audiences by trying to get multiple buyers during rush hour.

Sales are a numbers game so I like to go where it is busy to absorb the rejections. I want every customer who approaches me to have a very pleasant encounter or conversation with me.

There’s a stigma about homeless people and I want my customers to see that I might not be where I want to be but I do have confidence and character.

I work more hours than people who go to jobs and some days I make very little but I go back out again. I rarely take days off so holidays can be rough because I can’t really work those days.

Still, I am the captain of my ship. I rule my own circumstances. I believe in myself and want to be successful.

I just want people to realize that Street Sense vendors are entrepreneurs, not panhandlers. We are the ultimate risk-takers. Thank you.

Jeffery McNeil regularly puts on a suit to sell Street Sense. He can be reached at jeffery_mcneil2000@yahoo.com.

April 30, 2008