Working for a Mom and Pop Store
By Leads on Jan 14, 2008 in Finance
When I was 17 years old and still living in a small town in the mountains of North Idaho, I had very few job options to choose from. The are had a fairly high unemployment rate and teenagers were low on the list for those needing jobs. So, it took a little bit of work and a lot of careful searching to find someone who would hire me. Eventually though, a friend of mine’s grandparents, who ran a local bakery, took me on to clean up the area out front of the store and in the back at the end of the day. It was an easy job and took very little time out of my already hectic schedule, plus it put a few extra dollars in my pocket.
About two months into the job though, I was tossed back out on my bum when I was told that they could no longer afford the small business loan payments and that their equipment lease on most of what they had in the store was up. I was shocked. They made good money and were always busy – people loved them in that town, but apparently small business loans are not always as kind as the people who take them out. I eventually worked at McDonald’s until I graduated High School, but I’ll never forget the kind old couple who first gave me a job and the way they were unfortunately treated.