There’s Black Friday & the Shop Small Business Saturday campaign that reminds shoppers of the importance to patronize local small businesses, or those reachable via other means. It has been reported recently that about 65% of the economic growth in America during the last decade or so has come from small businesses. That’s great news & really not new news at all. Small businesses have occupied the main streets & back alleys of our communities forever.
And despite all the technological advances that have allowed us to shop globally, small businesses are still necessary and desired in our communities. And although continually evolving & changing with the desires and needs of a community, small businesses thrive.
It is small businesses that give a distinctive identity to a community. Where else, for example, can one find Philly Cheese Steaks like those from Pats who has been serving up their world-famous sandwiches since 1930?!
Only in Philly are they like this!
Dog Bark Park is about the smallest type of small business possible; we’re a true Mom and Pop business. It is just one pop and one mom; we have no employees.
Mom, Pop & the Dog
Dennis has been self-employed his entire adult life except for a few years when he first started working. He can’t imagine making a livelihood without being his own boss! I’ve had my feet in both worlds, always working for someone else until joining Dennis to grow the dog-gone best business we could imagine for our lives together.
Running your own business is not for everyone that’s for sure. Not everyone can be comfortable with uncertain paychecks, 7 day work weeks, no paid holidays or vacations & certainly no paid benefit packages and retirement plans. We Mom and Pops thrive on more than such certainties (and how certain are they actually!). We live to make our own way, to be the sole decision makers about our chosen livelihoods, to have the flexibility to conduct our business when, where & how we choose. We love being responsible for ourselves. We love the discipline required to march to that different drum. We love being able to be generous whenever it strikes us to do so for whatever reason; we don’t have to justify to anyone our philanthropy, or lack thereof. We love the satisfaction of providing goods or services that are the results of working our hands or heads.
As small business owners, we’re thankful for the direct connection we have with our customers who actually feel, and are in many instances, good friends. The awareness created by Shop Small Business gives us all a chance to appreciate with words and our patronage the many small businesses around & important to us.
