March 29th: National 'Mom And Pop Business Owners Day'

March 29th is National "Mom and Pop Business Owners Day", a day to support and celebrate the many "mom and pop" organizations, and small businesses in general, that drive most of the U.S. economy. You would typically picture a "mom and pop" to mean a small store or business, but really could take into account any small, owner-operated outfit.

The term "Mom-and-Pop" conjures images of a largely bygone era, in which the businesses that most people frequented were owned locally, or family-run, or otherwise small and personalized on a level that many of us, especially when we're already so familiar with the Walmart-type big boxes and need to get in and get out in a hurry, don't really get to experience or appreciate, anymore.

In reality, as of 2012, the 27 million small businesses in the United States (those with fewer than 500 employees) accounted for 99.7% of the U.S. economy, with 73% of those being sole-proprietor. 64 percent of the net new jobs created between 1993 and 2011 were at small businesses. There is a heavy churn in turnover among small business, however, with 50% surviving 5 years or more, and only 33% making it to the 10-year mark.

A full 90% of the trucking industry is also made up of companies with less than 10 trucks.

On a more personal, local level, one of the more interesting and popular, true mom and pop shops in the Western New York region is a classic "5-and-dime" in East Aurora, NY, named "Vidler's". Established in 1930, it has grown to a 2-story cornucopia of knick-knackery, cheap toys, and a whole bunch of stuff you might not expect to find. "5 and 10 cent stores" had their heyday in the 1920's and 30's, carrying a wide variety of goods, most of which cost either 5 or 10 cents.

It's honestly kind of like a flea market inside, and is a riot to chase small, easily-distracted, children around in. But if you need to re-supply your candy stash, pick up yarn for that scarf you're knitting, find a new harmonica in the key of "G", and replace your old rolling pin, Vidler's is the place to do all of that, and more:

Technically being one of these mom and pops, we here at TruckingTruth can appreciate the hard work, dedication, and countless hours that it takes just to survive, much less thrive, in a competitive economy.

We also appreciate the time that all of you take to come by and make us what we are, so Thank You, for helping us to carve out a niche in a world where reliance on automation and impersonal interaction with robots and phone menus seems to be moving forward more rapidly, despite the actualities of technology's limitations.

Small Business Administration FAQ

Vidler's 5 & 10 Official Site