For them, the state of the economy it not about Wall Street, or meltdowns or the bailout.

For these three owners of small businesses, it’s about the people who live in their community. And it’s about trying to survive.

Hudson: The last two weeks have been the telltale. I’m down to five days a week, working seven or eight hours, rather than seven days a week, 10 hours a day. I think the economy really has people scared.

Instead of getting highlights, they’re just getting a darker color. Instead of $85, they’re spending $20. People are starting to make concessions.

The bailout has people worried. The failure of WaMu. Retirements have been affected. One customer cashed in a CD and told me, “We feel better with the cash.” She’s retired. They just weren’t sure if their money was safe.

It really is a struggle. Nobody knows where it’s going to fall out.

Tompkins: We have what we call the “Milton Table” from 6 a.m., all day long. The people come and go, they all know each other. It’s like sitting around the wood stove at the old general store.

It’s scary. People are talking about the economy. They’ve never talked like this, especially about the city. It started when gasoline went up, and when food prices went up.

If we raise our prices, you price yourself out of business. People who came once a week, now they’re coming once a month. We went back to $1 for a cup of coffee. It went down from $1.50, to show them we care. Maybe they’ll come in more often. They’re talking about the cost of living, this thing with the banks. They’re angry. The bailout? I haven’t heard anybody for it. It’s like the politicians don’t care about us – they just care about getting re-elected.

Sader: In the last six months, it’s been quiet. Things went down in 2001, but came back up. People are trying to save any way they can.

My mom, 82, comes in to help me.

Tompkins: Now that we need to get a loan, it’s tough. This place has been here for 65 years. We’ll give it another two months. It’s a family. Another restaurant has already closed.

These small restaurants – I drive around and count cars. If this keeps up, you won’t have any more mom-and-pop restaurants.

We simplified our menu, combined lunch and dinner. I refused to raise my prices. Enough’s enough.

Friday is seafood and steak night. It’s the only night I do steak. People quit ordering steaks. I do breakfast specials. More people are splitting meals.

I do a comedy night on the last Friday and Saturday of every month. For the last three months, it’s been crazy-busy, sold out. It’s five bucks.

Hudson: We go out once a month for dinner. We’ll do more appetizers and share.

It’s the fear of the unknown. If you’re younger, you’re trying to figure it out. If you’re middle-aged, you’re already struggling.

We try to stay away from politics. We’ll have clients get in arguments between chairs. We just let ’em go.

One client said they should freeze the rates on adjustable mortgages. If they’re making payments, why raise them?

Sader: Business is like it was in ’79 to ’81. But this is scarier. The stock market didn’t do what it did this time.

Hudson: I’m a single mom with three daughters. I’ve tried to qualify for basic health insurance. Now we have to find a doctor who takes it.

Tompkins: Nobody’s going to bail me out. If my husband didn’t work for Comcast, we’d have been out of business six months ago.

Hudson: This time of day (5 p.m. last Tuesday) is usually our busiest. You can’t hear yourself talk. Now, there’s one client. This is just in a two-week period.

We’ve floated haircuts. Last week, three clients, – you get to know them – three clients asked me if I’d hold their checks. People in sales – my heart goes out to them.

Tompkins: I’ve got tabs running for a few good customers.

We cut our Sysco (food supplier) order down. Now my husband goes to Costco on the weekend.

Hudson: People read about the economy. It’s like we have to do something – but you don’t know what to do.

Tompkins: It has brought our community closer. Still it breaks my heart. I talk to people every day. They need to feel safe. I don’t think they’re going to trust the mayors and the presidents any more.

Hudson: It has affected my life. I know, economically we will weather it. It’s going to be a rough ride.

Sader: If we support each other, we’ll survive. I just wish people would listen to their hearts instead of the news.

C.R. Roberts: 253-597-8535

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