There was a lot of discussion in last night’s State of the Union address, as well as the two Republican rebuttals, about the can-do abilities of Americans to create opportunities for themselves when need and notion arises, to recreate themselves and their businesses, to continue to innovate, especially in rougher economic times such as these, and to live The American Dream: We’re on the cusp of greatness, President Obama said, thanks in part to “the prospects of a small business owner who dreams of turning a good idea into a thriving enterprise.” (There was also that mention of smoked salmon.) A growth in smaller, local, hands-on DIY food businesses who are turning a good idea into enterprise is of course something already long in the works here in New York City, among other cities, and it’s a phenomenon we chronicled in our last issue. We found that while it’s tasty and emotionally fulfilling, running a small food business and maneuvering the plethora of rules and regulations to do so (that would be that smoked salmon Obama was talking about) is rarely easy or even often economically rewarding, at least at first. But it can and does happen, happily. Read “Craft Goes Capitalist” right here.
