The Mr. Fix-It of Greenwich Village

                Colin Ryan, a 62 year old man who was born and raised in Greenwich Village, has made a living off his entrepreneurship. He is a Vietnam veteran

who learned firsthand how difficult it is to find work after returning home from war.  Because of this he decided to become a self employed handyman or as some may say a freelance carpenter. He carries his tools almost everywhere with him and travels where he is needed, sometimes this means taking the subway to Manhattan or Queens, catching a ride Upstate, but most of his work comes right in the Village.

                In most states many people would not trust leaving a man like Ryan in their home to do repairs. However, in New York, Ryan’s costumers consider him very trustworthy. Many people hire him to do repairs such as adding a deck to their home and refinishing a wooden stairway. Ryan says that because the Village has always been his neighborhood, everyone knows who he is, which I’m sure helps him get tons of business! When you have known someone for a long period of time you tend to trust them when doing things such as fixing your home, and often would prefer to hire them over someone you don’t know. By hiring Ryan, they are not only getting repairs done, but also helping a friend out.

                Ryan also helps out young veterans who are returning home who may not easily be able to get hired, and older veterans. One of his customers,

Katya Salkinder, said that she liked Ryan because of his $25-dollar-an-hour rate and his stories- which I’m sure he has many of.                

                From this, I can say that Colin Ryan is a very well-rounded entrepreneur. Although he does not have a storefront, a website, or a cell phone that is always in service, he does have a stoop where he can often be found between jobs getting money for beer. His boldness to make a change and not wait around for someone to hire him after he returned from war and to create his own job is very inspiring. Many people would probably look at a man like Ryan and think he was up to no good, not realizing that he has made very wise decisions in his life that have led him to his career today. He says that he does “not need no pot of gold”, all he needs is enough money for cigarettes, beer, and subway fare. He does what he has to do to get by, and his lack of greed will get him far.