A restaurant owner contemplates moving into a smaller space. A bicycle manufacturer lays off five workers. A car salesman postpones retirement. In October, The New York Times began tracking how six small businesses were handling the recession. The holiday season seems to have provided little relief: Layoffs, shorter hours and struggles to pay bills were common refrains in recent interviews conducted by Ken Belson, Brent McDonald, Patrick McGeehan and Erik Olsen.
But there was also some hope that the new year, and perhaps the new president, would bring relief. The Times will continue to follow the six businesses in 2009.
Making Ends Meet
Michael Menna, 46, is the owner of Menna’s Quality Meats and Salumeria, his family’s 50-year-old meat market in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx. With business down, he fell behind in his electric payments, and Con Ed demanded about $6,500 as a security deposit. He has cut hours for his four workers, asked his wife to help and started working part time as a D.J. to help pay bills.
There were days where you almost feel like you want to close the doors and walk away and say, “I can’t do it anymore.” But that’s not an option.
Been doing this myself with my family for 37 years, and my father and my uncle for over 50 years. This is what I know, and I have a family to support.
A couple of my suppliers cut me off. I’d been trying to pay cash whenever I can. So that was one of the most difficult things that I’ve been facing right now. They have to pay their bills as well. Read more..
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