Shopkeeper Stories

Tag: Shopkeeper Stories

  • A gift for you from Shopkeeper Stories

    A gift for you from Shopkeeper Stories

    SHARE THE LOVE Share your 3 favourite posts from the Facebook page and I’ll mail you the book for free – no matter where you live in the world! It means a lot to me that you appreciate these posts about small business owners, and this is my way of saying Thank You. Just send me a…

  • Little Red Dot

    Little Red Dot

    Get ready for Singapore! An island, a city, a state, a nation. When the nation was mocked for being a “little red dot” because you can hardly see its territory on the global map, Singaporeans took this mockery in stride and transformed the moniker into a fashionable brand name: “Little Red Dot”. One might even…

  • Food Stamps

    Food Stamps

    Many stalls at Lexington Market (Baltimore, USA) display bright signs declaring that they accept “Food Stamps” (or the “Independence Card” — visible in the earlier post with the butcher.) Misconceptions about social welfare float loosely in public conversations: who receives welfare, why they receive welfare, should they receive it, and how much. About 1 in 7 Americans…

  • First Steps

    First Steps

    I like asking business owners how they got started because it usually tells a story of confronting change and uncertainty. Henry is from the Dominican Republic. When I asked him how he got started selling jewellery at the Lexington Market in Baltimore (USA), he didn’t miss a beat. “How I got started? Straight from the…

  • Getting Fresh

    Getting Fresh

    When I asked Leo whether I could take his photograph, he glared at me: “You trying to get fresh with me?! Are you getting fresh with me?” Stunned but unfazed, I looked right back at him and joked: “What? You? Never!” He broke into a wide grin, but his eyes quickly brimmed with tears. He…

  • Bringing home the bacon

    Bringing home the bacon

    A butcher shop at Lexington Market in Baltimore (USA) Microbusinesses typically offer a pathway of upward mobility for immigrants and, today, many stall owners at this market are Korean. Bill Devine, the owner of Faidley’s Seafood, explains the transition of vendors: “Wave after wave of new immigrants. This guy over here isn’t Krause anymore, he’s…