"I have regular customers who used to come in once a week or once every two weeks, and they were regular, almost on the same day," John says. "The guy who used to come in once a week now will come in once every two or three weeks."

He says his peers at other restaurants have seen the same drop in numbers — to the point that several have closed.

Mind you, John's not whining. He understands that people don't feel financially safe. He just wonders how much people are hurting on a day-in, day-out basis, and how much of their reaction to the financial situation is based on fear.

"My hope is that we stop hearing so much of the negativity and people get back to their normal lives," John says. "They still have to eat. I'm hoping, as we get closer to Christmas, people get back to their lives and things get a little bit better.

"In my case right now, I'm not sure I'll survive. I'm just waiting a little bit longer. If business would have kept on going the way it was going, I had foreseen opening another store in the spring. But now, it's tough out there. And unless things change, it's going to be tougher."

It is tough, John. And for what it's worth, I hope you — and other small-business owners like you — survive this period of fear and uncertainty. My family and I will do our best to support you, even as we tighten our own belts.

I hope others will, too.

I'd like to hear from other small-business owners and readers on this topic. And, of course, I also want to find answers for your financial questions. Send correspondence to gkratz@desnews.com or to the Deseret News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, UT 84110.

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E-mail: gkratz@desnews.com