By Dean Zatkowsky

Lately I've been talking to small businesses about strategies for surviving and possibly thriving through today's economic uncertainty. I've been urging owners and managers to stay focused on customers, coworkers, vendors and community, rather than monetary policy, legislation and regulation. By all means, let your representatives know what you think, but remember that if your delivery vehicle has a dead battery, it's highly unlikely that Nancy Pelosi or Timothy Geithner is going to come over with some jumper cables.

One of the strengths of Kinko's original partnership model was the fact that even when we had 126 partners and over 1,000 stores, we continued to operate like small businesses in our communities. I used to joke that we combined all the disadvantages of franchising with all the limitations of sole proprietorship. But it was just a joke: the passion and connectedness of local involvement was good for the business and good for the communities we served.

Recently, I heard from two former Kinko's managers who now own copy and print shops, and I asked how they brought the Kinko's philosophy to their current ventures.

Kraig Schexnayder owns DocuCentre in Covington, LA (www.docucentre.net), and told me that profit-sharing was key to achieving his goals:

The profit sharing structure was the backbone and the most integral aspect of my success with Kinkos. There was no having to "buy in" to ownership - it was really there. Your hard work and success was directly compensated, as though that branch was your own. At DocuCentre, although just "turning the corner," we have the very same structure - salary and 10% profit for manager, 5% for assistant manager, and shares for full time coworkers.

Profit sharing has allowed me to pursue a vision of opening other DocuCentres in larger markets, since my role as owner is different than it would be as owner-manager. Of course, it initially costs me more to have a manager in place at the infancy of this business, but profit sharing has provided my manager with the responsibility of ownership. It also allows for more candid and effective decision making, since we collaborate and make decisions, which I find more useful than me just "taking ideas."

Kraig also told me that he keeps a small refrigerator near the front counter, and offers customers complementary soft drinks while they wait for orders to be completed. Former Kinko's Northwest President Mike Fasth (www.openairbicycles.com) always told me that the greatest secret of retail success is this: be nice to people. Sometimes it really seems like a secret, doesn't it?

Steve Astrich and I met years ago, but crossed paths more recently on Facebook. Steve owns Copy.Com (www.copydotcom.com) in Houston, TX. When asked how his Kinko's experience helps his new business, Steve said:

Paul may remember that my secret for success was always giving back to the community. I was asked to speak about it by Paul at more than one company event. I have built my business and reputation by being very generous to all aspects of our community. We give discounts to any and every non-profit that asks. We have such a reputation for giving that some donation seekers actually believe they can simply put our logo on their document and receive an automatic discount. They come in all the time, saying, "is it true that y'all will discount our job if we give you an ad on the back cover?" I am on the back cover of many, many charity event and arts programs, including some of Houston's most well-known theaters, and have been for years. This care for the community has built the foundation for our business.

Likewise, Kraig has been working with local organizations such as the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and New Heights Therapeutic Riding.

Kraig, Steve and I did not know each other well during our tenure at Kinko's, but we share an understanding that comes from growing up in the same culture; we see that customers, coworkers, vendors and the community are all the same people. Some companies see communities as resources to be exploited. Kraig and Steve see it the other way around; they have built businesses as resources for their communities, and their communities are appreciative.