Posted on October 09, 2026

It’s 2026 and times are… interesting. The people and organizations with the greatest impact on the economy are… interesting. The conditions the rest of us operate in are tough and getting tougher.

Check out this take from a small manufacturer. He’s at the point where his business is so likely to fail that there’s effectively no cost to “getting political” by recognizing that the emperor has no clothes, even if that offends half his customers.

I’m naturally a bit salty and I’m an economist by training. Lesson Number One in the history of economics as a discipline is that tariffs make tings worse. I’m tempted to add a surcharge named after its cause.

I’m getting distracted… costs are rising and my prices are too low. But

a) it’s not just one price, but a whole price structure. b) how do I even raise prices?!

It’s important to me that my menu includes a cheap option that is still excellent. I think my espresso at $3 fits that bill, but too few people appreciate straight espresso, so I’ve got the Americano at $3.50.

When I started, I just made everything $5, but that’s adjusted to allow a range of prices that give people the choice