Biz editor: Size doesn't matter

Steve Liner, the new business editor at the Tallahassee Democrat, has an interesting column in Wednesday’s paper where he argues for more coverage of small businesses. And he makes a pitch for small business owners to tell their stories.

Liner wrote, “I’ve been frustrated in my brief tenure as the new business editor here that so many of our readers assume that size matters in business coverage. The truth is, in these parts, small business has a very big impact on our economy.

“Here are some facts that will put that in perspective. In the area we cover, more than nine in 10 businesses employ fewer than 100 workers. More than eight in 10 have 20 employees or less, and nearly one in four (25 percent for those of you who are as math-challenged as I) are either sole proprietors or micro-enterprises, meaning one or two employees. And, finally, more than two-thirds of all new jobs here and across the country are created by small businesses.

“The challenge for us in the media is as much understanding the value of small business to our economy and our community as finding out who’s out there and telling their stories.”

Later, he wrote, “I’d like to encourage you to think about what’s unique about your business and let me know. You started it for a reason, right? That makes you different from the competition and, in all likelihood, a better fit for some potential customers who are our readers.”

Read more here.