Without Question, These Business Stories Hit the Mark

By Dick Weiss
July 31, 2007

Usually, I dislike stories that start with a question. But this one grabbed me:

"What kind of business doesn't want you to find it?"

The answer: "The kind filled with millions of dollars of wine that is not for sale."

Intriguing. You just have to read more. Good stories don't have to start with a question. But they should raise questions that propel readers into your piece. Paul Nussbaum of The Philadelphia Inquirer did just that with the story of a man who has built a warehouse especially designed to store wine for the wealthy.

My other two picks come from the The Seattle Times where Monica Soto Ouchi persuaded her bosses to let her follow Costco's chief executive around for a day ... in Hawaii ... and The Commerical Appeal in Memphis where Don Wade wrote about how his town is one the nation's most attractive for ... shoplifters.

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3 The World's Busiest Costco

Monica Soto Ouchi of The Seattle Times

We all should take notes on how Ouchi was able to persuade her bosses to send her to Hawaii on an assignment and how she was able to get Costco's CEO to let her follow him around as he kept an eye on his employees and spied on the competition. Ouchi's editor, Becky Bisbee, tells me that Monica bundled this story idea with some others that had a local connection. That made the trip cost effective and worthwhile. Making the story even more worthwhile for readers was Ouchi's witty treatment of her subject, Jim Sinegal, and how she used his relationship with his 10-year-grandson to provide charming bookends for the piece.

2 Memphis Has High Rate Of Shoplifting

Don Wade  of The Commercial Appeal

You can try this story at home, especially if you live in a city rated among the highest for shoplifting in the annual FBI crime reports. Those figures not only address the number of shoplifting crimes, but also the average theft in dollars. Memphis was high end on both counts. Wade also provides an interesting analysis with the numbers, including why some retailers prosecute and others don't.  He also did his readers the favor of breaking the figures down by municipality and county. Local, local, local.

1 Where Wine And Secrets Are Left To Age

Paul Nussbaum of The Philadelphia Inquirer

This short, but delightful piece takes you into the head of a savvy businessman, Scot H. "Zippy" Ziskind, and the world of the elite. Nussbaum cleverly mixes spicy quotes, anecdotes and vivid descriptions to keep readers both amused and engaged. A favorite paragraph from Nussbaum's visit to Ziskind's warehouse: "This is where cautious spouses hide expensive caches from their more frugal mates. This is where a doting father preserves his 8-year-old daughter's future wedding present. This is where divorcees-to-be stash their liquid gold to keep it out of the settlement."

Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism