When I was a kid my bicycle was the first ride to freedom. I had two goals. The first goal was to ride up to the Junior Foods ( corner stop) to play my favorite video game. Yes, that’s a thing of the past but growing up in a small town during this time supplied great memories. The second “road trip” was to ride to the Dairy Queen that was located right down the hill from the court house, and get a milkshake.
Those two things I wanted to do most existed because someone decided to go into the service business. I believe that we come into this world hard wired in some ways. I’m not saying we don’t have choices, I’m just saying that we might be predisposed to want to follow a certain dream, and do a certain kind of thing if we take the risk and leap of faith.
This year is shaping up to be a real “Humm Dinger”…..it’s effecting every part of our lives. We’ve had to think outside the box….A LOT….especially for those people who put that crazy dream and idea out there for the world to love or hate. The events of the past few months have taken our test of faith to a new level. The locally owned restaurant business is one of the worst hit during this time of crisis, followed by many others.
Naturally, there are many folks who took a different path and purpose with their lives and that’s a good thing. We need everyone doing what they do best. However, if you fall into that camp, then here are a few things to consider and think about next time you see your neighbor. The one that owns the barber shop where you get your ears lowered, or that favorite “whole in the wall” you love to dine in because the foods off the chain and they treat you like family. Those people and places you may have taken for granted. They exist because we live in a free society and they made the choice to follow a dream.
Chances are they saved up a little money and took out a loan, and then another loan, or went through the ungodly amount of paperwork required to fill out that “Small Business Loan application” just to put that shingle up and get started. Chances are they failed the first two or three times too; suffering through armchair quarterbacks and all the “I told you so’s” . Nevertheless, they kept going. Then they finally opened the doors only to be hit with every tax known to man just to do that thing they love. That dream they wanted to build. From making payroll, to trying to provide health care benefits to employees, to employee retirement options, payroll taxes, business licenses, fees, property tax, equipment tax, buying equipment, and the list just continues and we haven’t even started talking about the cost of actually “running the business'“.
For them, their business is their life. Their way of providing for their own families and living with a purpose. It’s not some slogan. They don’t have sick days and paid vacations unless they pay for it. They don’t have many holidays or weekends off. For most, even when they are “not there” they are still “there”. These folks do not want your sympathy either. They know they could’ve done something different with their lives. On the toughest days, they asked themselves that very question. They’ve heard it all before when times get tough. It usually comes from that educated guy with the degree from Harvard who is always right but has never taken a risk in his life. You know the type. Yeah, that type.
No, at the end of the day, these folks do what they do because they love freedom and they love people ( now, sometimes they don’t like dealing with all of us, when we’ve had a bad day and they get our order wrong) BUT, for the most part, they love being of service to others, doing a good job, and making our world a better place. They make our communities a better place too. How many of us wore a jersey with a local businesses name on it because they sponsored our team ? If you think they did that simply for “advertisement”, then you have been mislead.
These folks are some of the strongest people I know. They are daily problem solvers, quit witted, and they have to have a sense of humor. You have to adjust, re-think, evolve, change, and change again, if you want to survive and keep doing what you love. It’s like breathing to the small business owner. It’s a passion that will not expire till he or she expires. They sure labeled it right when they placed these types of businesses in the “service” category. Their entire focus is providing a service to someone.
This year alone we have all lived through something that an insurance policy won’t cover, and neither will a government “bridge to more debt loan” fix. For the small business guy in your community, he’s out there in the storm right now just trying to keep it steady and get to the other side.
I loved that corner stop and that Dairy Queen. I still remember it. I loved our record store, the barber shop, and that locally owned Western Auto too. As for the Dairy Queen, I can still taste that shake in my mind and see the hands and smile that served it. Times have changed, the names and franchises may have changed, but the dreamer and entrepreneur journey hasn’t changed at all. It is a major part of what makes our country great. I know some of them may not make it. There are no perfect solutions during this time.
Stay strong out there….you are my people, our people….and many of you are an extension of family! I have traveled a lot of miles and met many of you. I have played music, entertained, and become part of an event in your business, community, and supported and promoted your dream….because without your dream, I wouldn’t be able to share mine. We wouldn’t be the same without you!
Love you, Love you Big!