WICHITA, Kansas, November 11, 2008 – Mix a passion for animals with a talent for baking and you get the perfect recipe for a pet food business. At least that’s the case at Bradley’s Bones.

Many small businesses start with a limited production at home. If successful, they grow out of a spare bedroom, basement or garage and into a commercial facility. But they begin with a perceived demand for a product or recipe in this case.

“My mother's dog got cancer, and I was looking for something that she would eat to keep weight on her,” said Lea Bradley, owner of Bradley’s Bones. “And I worked with my mother's vet and my vet to come up with something that she would eat and would be good for her.”

And Bradley’s Bones was born. Commercial peanut butter, wheat flour and skim milk are the only ingredients in her signature bones. She decorates them with carob or yogurt and packages them with ribbons and a “made in Kansas” sticker.

She gave them away when she first started baking them in 204, but demand for her bones created a great business opportunity.

Lea says there is essentially as much business there as she wants to take. However, she's quite content working 20 to 30 hours a week from her basement making up about 50 percent of her former employer's salary. She's also quite proud of the fact that she keeps it local. For example, a 'human food' bakery sells her dog bones as do 14 other local retailers.

“It took making enough money to subsidize my pension in order to maintain the same style and same level of living that I had then,” Lea said. “This year I have not doubled what I made last year. I'm gonna do about 20 percent better than last year.”

Lea first sold through pet stores on consignment, then set up her booth at pet events and trade shows. She still donates bones for pet worthy causes.

And while it might not work for every entrepreneur, Lea has some advice for those wanting to start a home business.

“Don't borrow money -- use what you have,” she said. “Don't get into debt to have your dream.”

With hard work, a good idea and a big basement, you too may be able to go into semi-retirement a bit sooner than you had planned.