Recap of #EntrepreneurIntervention, #GEW Twitter Chat with Jelly Belly Inventor David Klein

This is the Twitter transcript of Financial Bin’s chat with David Klein (@wwwcandyinvento), inventor of the Jelly Belly, on Sunday, November 20, 2011:

@FinancialBin: What is entrepreneurship to you? What does it take to be an entrepreneur?

David Klein: thinking outside the box…patience….publicity seeking…….novel product or service…luck luck luck luck

@FinancialBin: What was your first entrepreneurial experience?

DK: I was in the copy paper business with a man who was later arrested for burning down his warehouse.

@FinancialBin: Are you able to tell us why he burned it down?

DK: We would go to the trash bins of our competitors and dig out envelopes with a return address of their customers … he was heavily in debt and he wanted to collect the insurance……case of arson … I needed to know who had certain copy machines…this was before the days of plain paper copy machines. … I left before the arson took place….I was told that he was closing down..I started the business for myself … when I started for myself–I received a phone call that my legs would be broken if I continued in the same business … I waited one hour and called him back and told him that I reported his comments to me to the police department.

@FinancialBin: Is that when you went into the candy business? 

DK: Yes — candy business much safer..although a man went to jail for tying up his competitors and telling them he … would burn down their business if they continued to compete with him….

@FinancialBin: What are some ways that the community can get involved in entrepreneurship? 

DK: we have always attended street fairs, school and church functions to promote our candy product–Sandy Candy

@FinancialBin: So, can you tell us about how you came up with the Jelly Belly?

DK: The whole story by the way is now streaming on Netflix Candyman: The David Klein Story … the year was 1976..I had 800.00 to my name. I loved jelly beans and wanted to make them in different flavors …

@FinancialBin: What is your favorite quote on business or entrepreneurship? 

DK: “Don’t give up your day job” … “You only need to be a genius for 15 seconds in order to come up with an idea.”

Make sure to check out Financial Bin’s new book, Entrepreneur Intervention, available now in paperback through Amazon and CreateSpace.

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