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.
