Sometimes working with independent businesspeople is almost impossible

A case study example is the announced dissolution of the popular and seemingly successful Karibu Books, a small regional and recently growing chain of African-American/people of color-oriented bookstores. According to newspaper reports, disagreements between the two partners, not to mention the divorce of one of the partners, and the loss therefore of their chief bookbuyer, couldn't be resolved. Rather than trying to sell the chain, they are closing. It seems ridiculous to me, but many independent business proprietors are independent for a reason, so that people can't tell them what to do.

The Retail comic strip by Norm Feuti is particularly excellent on these kinds of issues. It's available on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer website. He's also written a book that is pretty funny: PRETENDING YOU CARE: THE RETAIL EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK.