Tampa Bay Buccaneers center Jeff Faine was first bitten by the entrepreneurial bug as a third year player in Cleveland. He opened the Barley House restaurant in Akron, Ohio, in 2005, and he's been chasing his next hot business venture ever since.
"When I retire, I don't ever want to have to face the question, 'What do I do now?' " said Faine.
Faine's newest addition to his business portfolio is Poppa D's Nuts, a line of snack nuts that is sold in all 623 7-Eleven stores in Florida, as well as various locations throughout the Midwest and west coast.
Poppa D's is moving about two to three bags a day at each 7-Eleven, and the future looks even better. A spicy, buffalo flavor will debut this month to accompany the popular Butter Toffee, and Faine plans to partner with numerous universities and professional sports teams to distribute Poppa D's Nuts that are sold in stadiums and branded with their respective team logos.
Politicians, statisticians and economists all have something to say about small business and hiring. Here's what small business owners had to say.
