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Title details for Boss Life by Paul Downs - Available

Boss Life

Surviving My Own Small Business

by Paul Downs
Jonathan Hogan
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
When columnist Paul Downs was approached by the New York Times to write for their "You're the Boss" blog, he had been running his custom furniture business for 24 years strong-or, mostly strong. Now, he embarks on a book length essay that intends to show a portrait of a real business, with a real boss, a real set of employees, and the real challenges they face, in hopes of promoting a better understanding of the behaviors of small business owners. In 1986, fresh out of college, Paul Downs opened his first and last business, a small company that builds custom furniture. With no idea how to run a business, or how to build custom furniture, Downs spent a year teaching himself the business and in 1987, he hired his first employee. That's when things got complicated. As his business began to grow, he had to learn about management, cash flow, taxes, and so much more. Furthermore, globalization and the arrival of the internet made a big impact on the economy, causing him to have to re-evaluate, restructure, and reinvent. Most important, Downs is keenly aware that every small business, no matter the product it makes or the service it provides, starts with people. He writes with tremendous insight about hiring employees, providing motivation to get the best job out of them and incentive to maintain their loyalty and respect, and the difficult decisions he's made to let some of them go. His insights into each of his employees provides a window into how people work together in any professional situation, and how each of their identities lends to the strength and success of his business, both in daily output and end-of-year dividends. Downs also looks outward to his dealings with vendors, clients old and new, negotiating contracts and providing each client with exemplary customer service along each step of the way, from first sales pitch to final delivery. With honesty and conviction, Downs tells the true story behind building and sustaining a successful company in an ever-evolving economy, often airing his own failures and shortcomings to unveil the difficulties that arise from being a boss and a business person. We've heard countless stories from employees about their managers; Boss Life seeks to tell the other side of that story.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 1, 2015

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781490698267
      • File size: 359257 KB
      • Duration: 12:28:27

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 29, 2015
      In this eye-opening debut, Downs presents himself as just your average small business owner; Paul Downs Cabinetmakers is only one of the over seven million American companies employing fewer than 20 people each—for a grand total of nearly 30 million employees. Since 2010, however, he’s also been writing for the New York Times “You’re the Boss” blog. This book provides a fleshed-out view of the “triumph and tragedy of small business” as Downs experienced it over the course of 2012. His intention is to help readers understand what this substantial portion of the American economy looks like, and what challenges small business owners face. Month by month, 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. The book unfolds like an extremely tense thriller, as Downs races to break even by the end of the year, all while navigating the recession, hirings and firings, payroll, expansion, and a demanding home life. He is strikingly hard on himself, and 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. Agent: Paul Lucas, Janklow & Nesbit.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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