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April 12, 2010

Looking at the Reality of Running a Small Business

A great new blog was introduced on the New York Times web site last week.

You're the Boss: The Art of Running a Small Business is being penned by Paul Downs, the owner Paul Downs Cabinetmakers, which is based in Philadelphia. In his first post, Downs explains that he will be concentrating on "the kind of business that doesn't get much press: the plodder. The survivor. Alive, but not necessarily thriving." He writes that he owns a "plodding" business and that he thinks about it all the time.

What went wrong? How can I make it better? What am I going to do next? I'm going to tell you about the mistakes I've made, and the problems coming at me. (And also the things we do well, because we do excel at some aspects of our business.) I won't be dispensing my wisdom from above--frankly, I'm hoping to learn more than I teach. I'm going to try to be honest about the decisions I've made and how they have turned out.
There are so many kinds of business, so many different plot lines, there's no expert who can know it all. I sincerely hope that my posts prompt all of you to start sharing your own experiences. Thank you for your attention.

Media today (maybe always) concentrate on the stories at the ends of the spectrum: the poor and the privileged; the sad and the successful. Businesses are either bankrupt or booming. The unglamourous middle, where most of us reside and work, is ignored. I'm delighted that Downs and the NYT has opened up a forum for the plodders of the world.

Posted by Lori Smith on April 12, 2010 4:56 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Lori Smith, , Editor-in-Chief
Lori Smith is the editor of Gifts and Tablewares, Canada's premiere gifts and tablewares magazine. Written for retailers of gifts, tablewares, housewares, stationery and home furnishing accessories, its objective is to help readers increase their sales and run their businesses more profitably by providing information on new products, merchandising, small business management, customer service, consumer behavior and industry news. The magazine is published six times a year by BIG Magazines, LP, a leading Canadian information company.

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