| When somebody mentions "the Family Business" | | | | worked on last time and how the problems you |
| I think of a well dressed, old and skinny | | | | may have experienced before fit with what's |
| Italian man with a scratchy voice and has a | | | | happening now (or not). It doesn't matter |
| name like Tony or Sammy. My Grandfather, who | | | | whether you're fixing transmissions, brakes, |
| I've mentioned in some of my other articles, | | | | or air conditioning, or your fixing a |
| definitely fits the bill. With just one | | | | dishwasher. Family owners tend to care and |
| glass of a good Chianti wine, you might find | | | | so many are so very trustworthy. |
| him in our garden patio, rocking back and | | | | |
| forth, singing Italian love songs for hours. | | | | |
| He was indeed a short, skinny guy, who talked | | | | |
| in a voice very similar to the Godfather and | | | | Family owned automotive repair is much like |
| at the age of 80 he still had a full head of | | | | a family doctor and his trusted nurse |
| gray hair. Give him a mandolin and it was | | | | practitioner and small administrative staff. |
| almost like being in an old Italian movie. | | | | In a big hospital conglomerate where Dr's |
| | | | might be overworked and see you once or twice |
| | | | in an emergency room, they aren't going to |
| | | | care about you as much as Dr. Mulligan who |
| Well let me get back to what "Family" means | | | | will be with you for years as your family |
| to me in a Family Business (beyond that old | | | | doctor and knows you and your family's names |
| Italian theme). It doesn't matter whether | | | | and watched your kids grow. In addition, |
| it's an automotive service business, like | | | | although the hospital doctor might ask you a |
| Sandy and I operate, or a cleaning business, | | | | few questions about what happened to you in |
| a landscaping business, or even a street | | | | the past, he's really not going to put it |
| sweeping business. You see, when Grandpa | | | | together the same as Dr. Mulligan who was |
| owned businesses in his younger days, it was | | | | there treating your family's health issues |
| his name, his word, and his values that he | | | | with you. |
| was offering. He wasn't fixing transmissions, | | | | |
| brakes, or air conditioning like we do. | | | | |
| Grandpa was painting murals on grocery store | | | | |
| windows. But like us, he knew if he didn't | | | | I guess that kind of sums it up for how I |
| deliver good quality work for his customers, | | | | feel about family businesses. Many small |
| his name would be ruined and he might have a | | | | businesses are indeed family businesses, so |
| hard time finding work - especially in a | | | | when you hear somebody say they are a small |
| tight nit New England town. That's why I like | | | | business, you may very well be hearing |
| working with businesses here in Austin that | | | | somebody offering the luxury of a family |
| are family owned. Businesses that are family | | | | business. More than likely, it will be a |
| owned are much more likely to stand behind | | | | business from which you'll enjoy years of |
| what they do because they're offering far | | | | great service.Frank Bellucci is the President |
| more than a product, their offering the | | | | of Performance Motors in Austin, Texas. In |
| meaning of their word and their reputation. | | | | addition, he likes to think of himself as a |
| | | | rather funny person. His wife doesn't agree. |
| | | | But that's OK. Frank seems to have |
| | | | limitless funny experiences with cars, one of |
| In the automotive business, a family owned | | | | his great passions in life. You can catch |
| business is more than just an automotive | | | | Frank driving down 183 in Austin in his Land |
| repair facility. A family owner, and his hand | | | | Rover. He loves his Rover more than wine. |
| picked team, can be "trusted" advisors of | | | | And he really likes wine (just not at the |
| what you "don't" need to do as well as what | | | | same time). Anyhow, look for articles that |
| you might want to do now to avoid bigger | | | | have good information with a bit of humor in |
| problems down the road. They'll get to know | | | | the coming months! |
| you and your car so they remember what was | | | | |