
I have studied small businesses ever since I began selling “jewelry” made from bits of bark and mulch to the kids in the neighborhood when I was 11. That also was the year I started my counterfeiting business (we made $100 bills from scratch), which lasted about a week (no federal charges were filed).
John Economaki, the founder of Bridge City Tools, once told me something true after we’d had a couple of beers: “Nobody else’s business makes a bit of sense. I don’t know how the hell anyone else stays in business.”
I agree. But that doesn’t stop me from studying all the small businesses in my town. And, of course, woodworking and toolmaking businesses. I am fascinated by how they work (or don’t).
After studying businesses and their messaging, I have found a lot of red flags that are consistent from one crappy business to another soon-to-be-s…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The American Peasant to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.