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 hard-working Mom and Pops Shops, they will.  But a lot of times they have to work with the Big Businesses. They need to get telephone service. They need to get electricity.  They need cell phones. These are offered typically by Big Businesses.  For the other stuff,  they look to other local businesses who have been putting in the effort to put in an honest days work for a living wage for a long time.

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 Middlesex, NJ.  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 evaluate your request, estimate the cost of what you want to do, do the work and see your smiling face as you look over the completed job.  

They may have put up a "Gone Fishing" sign if they've decided to take some time off with their buddies or take a family outing.  Since the price is right, it wouldn't be fair to pressure the owners for a quick turnaround unless you are willing to compensate them for interrupting their busy schedule and making them work long hours. 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.
• Agree to the proposal.
• Have the owner do the work.
• Pay for the work at the agreed upon time. 
• Notify the Better Business Bureau if you believe that the owner 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 us 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.

Registered and Au Gratis Mom and Pops Shops:

• Current List of Registered Mom and Pops Shops

To keep prices down, Mom and Pops may have recommended that the business be listed on the AltaVista.com Search Page and not go through the extra cost of registering with Google (for a fee) to assure search engine placement .

Last Updated: 3/27/2006