Paul Downs started making custom furniture in 1986, shortly after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in engineering. Downs has only one line on his resume but he has a wide variety of skills gained in twenty-four years of running his business. His clients range from individuals and small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, all branches of the military, and foreign governments. Downs lives with his wife and three sons outside of Philadelphia.
"A memoir--not a manual--about life as a small business owner,
complete with honest reflections on failures and
shortcomings."--Forbes "In this eye-opening debut...Downs drills
down into the ins and outs of running a small business, focusing on
sales, operations, money, and the personal demands of being a
boss....this frank accounting will be a godsend to any
small-company owners wondering if they're the only ones constantly
second-guessing themselves--or on the verge of going out of
business. An honest look at a usually overlooked
demographic."--Publishers Weekly "[A] large-hearted memoir...
Refreshingly absent of bulleted lists and sidebars, this is a
welcome addition to the literature of business ownership."--Kirkus
Reviews "[A] day-to-day, minute-to-minute tour of the intricacies
of running a business, from dealing with employees to negotiating
with vendors, the roller-coaster ride of sales, and the headaches
of customer service. This is an invaluable look into operational
details for anyone considering starting a business or caught up in
the struggle of owning and running one."--Booklist "This book is
ostensibly about a year in the life of a small business owner, but
it is actually a fascinating peek behind the scenes of a small
Pennsylvania furniture factory....The combination of a humorous,
self-deprecating, jargon-free writing style and content that mixes
business fundamentals (cash flow, salesmanship, HR issues) with
day-to-day events on the shop floor makes for a truly immersive
narrative....A great read for those who wish to understand what
running a small factory or business entails, as well as anyone
interested in woodworking and craftsmanship."--Library Journal
"My husband and I own a small book store in Memphis, TN. I read a
review of your new book somewhere, thought it sounded intriguing,
got a copy in and started it a few days ago. Before I even finish
it I think I want to thank you for writing it. FINALLY someone
being totally honest about running a small (tiny) business! I have
felt so much better in the past few days knowing that someone else
has experienced the same things we have--no cash, employee
struggles, family life and business life merging into each other,
cars breaking down, etc. I think we are all hesitant to talk about
the struggles because we might be perceived as failures. I plan to
recommend this book to all small business people. "--Cheryl Mesler,
Burke's Book Store, Memphis TN
"A memoir not a manual about life as a small business owner,
complete with honest reflections on failures and shortcomings."
Forbes
In this eye-opening debut Downs drills down into the ins and outs
of running a small business, focusing on sales, operations, money,
and the personal demands of being a boss .this frank accounting
will be a godsend to any small-company owners wondering if they re
the only ones constantly second-guessing themselves or on the verge
of going out of business. An honest look at a usually overlooked
demographic.
Publishers Weekly
[A] large-hearted memoir Refreshingly absent of bulleted lists and
sidebars, this is a welcome addition to the literature of business
ownership.
Kirkus Reviews
[A] day-to-day, minute-to-minute tour of the intricacies of running
a business, from dealing with employees to negotiating with
vendors, the roller-coaster ride of sales, and the headaches of
customer service. This is an invaluable look into operational
details for anyone considering starting a business or caught up in
the struggle of owning and running one.
Booklist
This book is ostensibly about a year in the life of a small
business owner, but it is actually a fascinating peek behind the
scenes of a small Pennsylvania furniture factory .The combination
of a humorous, self-deprecating, jargon-free writing style and
content that mixes business fundamentals (cash flow, salesmanship,
HR issues) with day-to-day events on the shop floor makes for a
truly immersive narrative .A great read for those who wish to
understand what running a small factory or business entails, as
well as anyone interested in woodworking and craftsmanship.
Library Journal
"My husband and I own a small book store in Memphis, TN. I read a
review of your new book somewhere, thought it sounded intriguing,
got a copy in and started it a few days ago. Before I even finish
it I think I want to thank you for writing it. FINALLY someone
being totally honest about running a small (tiny) business! I have
felt so much better in the past few days knowing that someone else
has experienced the same things we have---no cash, employee
struggles, family life and business life merging into each other,
cars breaking down, etc. I think we are all hesitant to talk about
the struggles because we might be perceived as failures. I plan to
recommend this book to all small business people. "
Cheryl Mesler, Burke's Book Store, Memphis TN"
In this eye-opening debut Downs drills down into the ins and outs
of running a small business, focusing on sales, operations, money,
and the personal demands of being a boss .this frank accounting
will be a godsend to any small-company owners wondering if they re
the only ones constantly second-guessing themselves or on the verge
of going out of business. An honest look at a usually overlooked
demographic.
"Publishers Weekly
" [A] large-hearted memoir Refreshingly absent of bulleted lists
and sidebars, this is a welcome addition to the literature of
business ownership. "Kirkus Reviews
" [A] day-to-day, minute-to-minute tour of the intricacies of
running a business, from dealing with employees to negotiating with
vendors, the roller-coaster ride of sales, and the headaches of
customer service. This is an invaluable look into operational
details for anyone considering starting a business or caught up in
the struggle of owning and running one.
"Booklist"
This book is ostensibly about a year in the life of a small
business owner, but it is actually a fascinating peek behind the
scenes of a small Pennsylvania furniture factory .The combination
of a humorous, self-deprecating, jargon-free writing style and
content that mixes business fundamentals (cash flow, salesmanship,
HR issues) with day-to-day events on the shop floor makes for a
truly immersive narrative .A great read for those who wish to
understand what running a small factory or business entails, as
well as anyone interested in woodworking and craftsmanship.
"Library Journal
"
"My husband and I own a small book store in Memphis, TN. I read a
review of your new book somewhere, thought it sounded intriguing,
got a copy in and started it a few days ago. Before I even finish
it I think I want to thank you for writing it. FINALLY someone
being totally honest about running a small (tiny) business! I have
felt so much better in the past few days knowing that someone else
has experienced the same things we have---no cash, employee
struggles, family life and business life merging into each other,
cars breaking down, etc. I think we are all hesitant to talk about
the struggles because we might be perceived as failures. I plan to
recommend this book to all small business people. "
"Cheryl Mesler, Burke's Book Store, Memphis TN""
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