Munching on a BLT in a corner booth at an eatery near my office Monday, I started to think about what Seth Godin says about marketing to the edge.

I've been working in this northeastern Pennsylvania coal region town (my day job) for almost ten years and in all that time the place hasn't changed one iota.

There's a saying about not messing with success but I don't know how successful the guy who runs it is. About half the booths were empty at the height of the lunch rush while a pizza place a couple of blocks over had a line spilling out onto the street (one of the reasons I chose the more sedate environ that day.)

One thing that struck me looking around was the ever present cigarette smoke still common at so many restaurants in Pennsylvania's Anthracite region. It has always been an uncomfortable situation for me, a non smoker, but in recent years with more and more of the U.S. going smoke free it is also a marketing issue.

If I had talked to the owner about it, (I didn't) he probably would have told me he was afraid such a change would chase away his existing customer base. But I've seen similar moves even here result in what seems to be improved customer response (more full booths).

I might ad that the decision costs absolutely nothing, as opposed to expensive renovations and added restaurant seating and waitress staffing the pizza place invested in a few years ago that seems to have improved its own business.

So, why doesn't a small business owner take the chance on marketing to the edge, as Godin puts it, or the growing passionate group of people who, like my wife, an ex-smoker, will try to avoid smoke filled dining whenever possible?

Well, here's where I believe bootstrappers are different than both small business owners and large business owners alike who look at financial investment as the only way to grow business and at their customer base as a constant not to be served but only to be left alone.

In my opinion, bootstrappers are braver. Here's why:

• Bootstrappers view their customer base one cash transaction at a time; they have to since cash flow is key to their success, so business is not based on historic constants but on how they can add to that cash flow in the future

• Bootstrappers have less to lose because they risk fewer assets out front. This makes them better able to adapt to change (and better able to find the cheapest way to do so)

• Bootstrappers look at increasing capabilities of their operation rather than size. This means again less unnecessary overhead risked and more focus on how the company can improve performance (how to get the best return out of the smallest possible investment.)

• Bootstrappers aren't constrained by the traditional view of large business verses small business. A big restaurant chain might cut out smoking because they have the size, revenue and assets to survive any business downturn resulting from their decision until customers come around. Small business lacks those assets, but a bootstrapper knows that the key to making these decisions without fear is to minimize investment whenever possible making each decision as little of a gamble as possible.

My suggestions, (in this situation, specifically):

• Count the number of smokers actually present at any given time in the establishment. If it's as little as one at a time, consider how many customers you are making uncomfortable and how many you may be driving away completely for the benefit of that one customer.

• Add items to your menu at the same time you go smoke free. Hedge your bets and come up with additional reasons people might come in to the restaurant. Make these inexpensive changes focused on improving service not jolting changes like deciding to stop carrying a product or offering a service.

• Advertise your smoke free dining. Whatever you do, don't hide your decision or do it apologetically. See if you can get free publicity out of the local press since there have been plenty of stories on this trend in the media and hang a sign out front promoting your new smoke free dining.