Welcome!

Mom and Pops Small Businesses are run by regular hard-working people. They are honest. They put in their best efforts.

When they go looking for people who they want to do work for them, they look for other Mom and Pops Shops. If they can work with other Mom and Pops Shops, they will.  But a lot of times they have to work with the Big Businesses. Some Services are only available through Big Business.   For the other stuff,  they look to other local businesses who have been putting in the effort to deliver an honest days work for a living wage.

I love working with them. The builders, architects, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, the piano repair guys that I've come in contact with who work in my hometown.  They have been high caliber. I appreciate that. They have been prompt in calling back when I have to get work done. I appreciate that. They charge a reasonable rate. They do repairs to meet construction  code as needed. They understand that when they make a mistake, they own up to it and rectify the situation. They're licensed, they're experienced. It's cool seeing all this collective expertise available for the asking. They're in the Yellow Pages (Phone Directory for Businesses). They're in the ValuPac (Direct Mailers). They're advertising everywhere (Radio, Cable, TV). They need to do advertising in addition to their day to day work. It's worth the effort to search out Mom and Pops Shops when the option exists.

On a typical day, a Mom and Pops Shop's owner will be available to fix what's broken, estimate a repair or new job, do the work and see your smiling face as you look over the completed job.  

Work with the owner:

• Tell the Business Owner what you need done.
• Answer the Owner's questions to help them to estimate the work better.
• Ask the Owner "How long will it take?" and "How much will it cost?" and "When can you start?" and "When do I need to pay?"
• For big jobs, "How much do I need to pay when the work begins?"  and "How much do I need to pay when the work is half-way done?" and "How much do I need to pay when the work is done?"
• After they answer these questions and you agree that the work should start, ask the owner for a written proposal which has what you asked them to do on it and what it's going to cost.
• Review the proposal to see if everything you asked the owner to do and when you're supposed to pay is on it.
• If you'd like Mom and Pops Small Business Services to assign someone in the business to review the proposal before you agree to it, let us know. This service will cost some money to Mom and Pops Small Business Services.
• Agree to the proposal.
• Have the owner do the work.
• If you'd like Mom and Pops Small Business Services to assign someone in that industry to watch the owner while they do their work, let us know.  This service will cost some money to the consultant which Mom and Pops engages to keep an eye on the contractor.
• Pay for the work at the agreed upon time. 
• If you'd like Mom and Pops Small Business Services to know how happy you are that you got exactly what you were looking for, let us know.
• If you'd like Mom and Pops Small Business Services to know that you weren't happy with the work, let us know.  Always notify the Better Business Bureau if you believe that the owner didn't live up to their side of the bargain. We always try to work with Mom and Pops Shops to help them to rectify situations which have come up so that they are in the good graces of the customers.
• If you are a Mom and Pops Shops and you'd like to mention that a customer is not paying, you can notify the three credit reporting agencies if you believe that the customer didn't live up to their side of the bargain.

Feel free to ask any of the Owners if:

• Emergency Service is available when you need it from the individual Mom and Pops Shops. Ask them.  They may be hard to reach on "Gone Fishing" days.
• Big Business Service contracts may be available from a couple of Mom and Pops Shops working together.  This will necessitate the collaborating Mom and Pops Shops going into "Big Business mode" and then earning us that new boat or deck we've been waiting for. We're thanking you in advance for these type of opportunities.