Business - Dave Gallagher

POSTED: Monday, Sep. 28, 2009

Small business owners deserve a tip of the hat

There are plenty of people who don't get enough recognition for the work they do, and those who operate small businesses should be on that list.

Bellingham Mayor Dan Pike has proclaimed Tuesday, Sept. 29 "Mom & Pop Store Day," the same day that author Robert Spector visits Bellingham to promote his book, "The Mom & Pop Store: How the Unsung Heroes of the American Economy are Surviving and Thriving."

Spector, who also wrote "The Nordstrom Way," will be a guest for The Chuckanut Radio Hour at 6:30 p.m. in the Crystal Ballroom at the Leopold Retirement Residence. He will also talk about his book at a breakfast at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30 in the Book Fare Café at Village Books in Fairhaven.

In his book, Spector takes two years to travel across America and other parts of the world, visiting family-owned businesses and recounts the stories of those who run them. Chuck and Dee Robinson of Village Books is two of many business owners featured in the book; the Robinsons talk about how they got started and some of the techniques they used to succeed as a 30-year business.

I must admit my own affinity to Mom & Pop stores; it was a small-town grocery store that helped pay for most of my college education. I was hired to stock shelves at the El Portal Market (near Yosemite National Park) at 13, and I worked there during the summer and after school through high school. I continued coming back to work between college semesters. I've always been grateful that the owner gave me a chance at such a young age; at 13 I had plenty to learn about the working world that I wasn't getting in school.

While the job helped me build a savings account for college and taught me some important skills, it also gave me some insight about how a small business operates. The one observation that sticks with me is how much a small-business owner has to deal with on a daily basis. As an employee, I would finish up the tasks I had by closing time and head home, but I quickly learned there was plenty left for my boss to do. Several hours after the store closed for the day, my boss' car would still be in the parking lot while he was inside working on payroll, placing orders and doing a myriad of other paperwork.

I still see evidence of that kind of work ethic today. When I want to talk to a Mom & Pop business owner for a newspaper article, I can usually track them down at their business. If they are busy at the moment, I'll send them a message to their work e-mail. The time-stamp of when they respond gives me an idea of how hectic their day is; sometimes they respond very late at night, and I know they'll be in early the next day to open the store.

Along with the work ethic, the enthusiasm and passion among Mom & Pop business owners rarely fails to impress me. It's sometimes difficult to convey that to readers in short newspaper stories, but I hear and see it often. One of the more emotional times is when a business owner has decided to close a business, whether it's because they are retiring, moving on to something else, or the company is failing. There have been many instances where the business owner is sobbing as I try to get the details for the story, particularly when I ask how many employees it will impact.

Not all Mom & Pop business owners are like this, of course; but our economic system is pretty good at showing them that being a small-business owner is not for them. A year after starting a business, whether they've made it work or not, the most common comment I hear from a new business owner is about the heavy workload. It's almost always more than they expected, no matter how much they prepare.

For details about Spector's visit to Bellingham, visit villagebooks.com.