One of the hardest things for a young person to do today perhaps is to go it alone – to open a business of your own. Be your own boss, win or lose.

It is very evident that the entrepreneurial spirit still exists in Minot. Witness the opening of the indoor mini-golf business in downtown. Or, especially since the 2011 flood, the number of food trucks operating in Minot.

Today we feature one of those risk-takers on our business page, Daniel Montgomery, who is said to have a passion for barbecue. Right there is one of the keys to being successful in any business endeavor – passion for what you do.

Such passion usually shows up in the product, and you can see for yourself on Facebook the positive comments Montgomery has received recently from customers of Monty’s Heart of Texas Barbeque. That is advertising which you cannot buy.

In today’s story, Montgomery related how business can drop off over the winter months; anyone in business can tell you that’s a real problem and one to counteract however you can. One little thing Montgomery did impresses us; he reasoned that if he took the awning off his food truck customers could drive right up to the window instead of standing outside. A simple innovation that not only keeps business going but improves the experience for the customer. Well done.

Montgomery’s next hurdle may or may not be a big one. He has to find a new lot to do business on because the property he rents has been sold. It’s a critical decision to make, one which Montgomery has wisely turned to his customers to help decide. He asks how far and in which directions they would travel to eat his barbecue.

We wish Montgomery good luck with the move and applaud the manner in which he runs his stand. He is a valuable example for other young business-minded people to learn from.