Boss Life: Surviving My Own Small Business

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. (Aug.)