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This month's letters to the editor.

How Do I Love My Job? Let Me Count the Ways

Finally--some respect and an honest look at what it means to be an entrepreneur and proud of it ["75 Reasons to Be Glad You're an American Entrepreneur Right Now," October]. It's not for everyone, but those who have been in the trenches longer than it's been trendy can attest that the path to successfully starting and building a business is easier than it's ever been. After reading Michael Hopkins's article, I am renewed. I am proud to be both an entrepreneur and an evangelist of entrepreneurship.

Frank Lunn
President and CEO
Kahuna Business Group
Bloomington, Ill.

Jay-Z, Christy Turlington, Kathy Ireland, and George Clooney all started businesses? Going into business is tough enough, but to bootstrap it from such limited incomes. They are so, sniff, so brave. Sniff.

Douglas Dearden
Principal
AND
Salt Lake City

Reasons You're Glad to Be an Entrepreneur (No. 76)

Because management is no longer about forcing people to fit into molds. It's about finding the natural talents and skills they have and building the organization around those.

Jude Norman
CEO
WaterLevel Productions
Boston

Because I can leave something more for my kids than a gold watch and Social Security payments that I might never get.

Corey Burkes
President
Rkaydz Toys and Video Games
Hempstead, N.Y.

Because, after having lupus and scleroderma for 23 years and surviving a heart attack and three chemo treatments in the past five years, I can now work my own schedule. Because I can achieve balance in my life by doing a job I love. And because I have improved my health and made a little money.

Choice Kinchen
Owner
Your First Choice Seated Massage
Sandy, Utah

Because it is better to react to change you create than to change imposed by others.

James Kramer
President
Legacy Wireless Services
Milwaukie, Oreg.

Pride. Because in America, where more and more people are only punching timecards and collecting paychecks, some are looking for something to be proud of and to call their own.

Craig Denney
Junior supervisor
Victory Homes
Spokane Valley, Wash.

Because of fair trade. Because my wife and I can help a few people at the bottom of the world's economic ladder climb onto that first rung. Because we can do that as a business--not a nonprofit--earning a living for ourselves, while making a tiny dent in the way the world does business.

Brian Smucker
President and co-owner
Baksheesh
Sonoma, Calif.

Because even if your product has no pre-existing market, it's more exciting to build it as you go along.

Jeffrey Nightingale
Founder
HierFire
New City, N.Y.

Who You Calling a Dummy?

I had a chuckle when I read about Norm Brodsky's marketing dilemma ["Marketing for Dummies," October]. We recently were in the same situation.

When I started asking for feedback from clients about a new image, I was surprised to find that they liked the old-style logo better than the new, up-to-date version. They like our non-animated, simple-to-use website. They really had no opinion about our trucks. They just wanted service when they wanted it.

The bad news is we spent a whole bunch of money getting a makeover that we aren't using. Don't do what we did. It's the clients that matter, and they know better than anyone on staff what your image projects.(And for what it's worth, I like CitiStorage's brochure as is.)

Donald Bishop
President
Gardens Are...
Marlborough, Mass.

After reading Norm Brodsky's rejection of marketing fluff, I was dismayed when I went to his company's website and there was a Flash intro. Did his managers overrule him and get their way with this? They may think it looks cool, but he should ask them if they ever waste time watching ridiculous Flash intros on company websites, or if they immediately begin hunting for the Skip Intro link. Lose the Flash intro, Norm. Spending money to create it is worse than spending money on shirts and hats. At least you could wear those.