Small businesses are a vital part of the US economy. In fact, small companies comprise nearly 50% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP)! Owning a business is considered a traditional part of the American dream and although it takes long hours, hard work, and serious dedication to start and build a business from the ground up, the rewards can be great.

On Monday (3/29) we celebrated National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day. What could be a more fitting day for MOBLZ to celebrate than a day that recognizes small “mom and pop” companies such as food trucks and other mobile businesses? Although some restaurant chains are jumping on the bandwagon, the vast percentage (80+%) of food trucks are still owned and operated by individuals or families. People who own their own business take personal pride in their product offerings, the service they provide, and in the support they give their communities. While some larger corporations may consider it, it’s much more likely to be the small restaurant down the street that sponsors your kid’s baseball team, soccer team, or scouting group. In return, we can show our appreciation to these entrepreneurial spirits by supporting them in a few ways:

• Shop with them!
• Give gift cards from your favorite small businesses as gifts to encourage others to shop there.
• Like, follow, and share their social media pages.
• Write an online review for them on their Yelp or social channels
• Talk about them and what they do well. Word-of-mouth advertising is still the best advertising a small business gets.
• Be a repeat customer. Small businesses are members of your community. They support us and we should support them.

As property managers, we can also help support small businesses by hosting a food truck or mobile business pop-up event. There’s more to the mobile economy than just food! If you’ve never hosted an event, check out the following useful articles and documents. Spring is the perfect time to get these events planned. Take advantage of the warmer weather to get people back to your properties!

• Tips for Highly Successful Food Truck Events (white paper)
• Host a Local Vendor Fair
• Food Truck Rodeos and Why You Should Host One

Also, for a complete list of food and mobile businesses in your marrket, check out our Vendor Directory

Regardless of which method(s) you decide to use, choose to support the local mom and pop businesses that support all of us.