Weathering Change

Oral histories of long-term business ownership provide a valuable resource for understanding how businesses weather change over time. Unlike the owners of large corporate endeavors, which might change leadership every few years, owners of small and family businesses witness change across decades. In addition, multi-generational businesses often pass down stories as a part of family lore. The narratives in this project thus provide tremendous insight into the specifics and strategies of longevity: how communities change, how people respond, and how businesses evolve.

In this project, business owners were specifically asked to discuss the effects on their business of the following types of change:

• Industry-related changes, which include issues of compliance and politics as industry standards change.
• Public policy changes such as government initiatives that impact how businesses are operated.
• Technological changes, including computerizing systems, adopting social media, and upgrading equipment.
• Neighborhood changes, particularly gentrification and shifting demographics, both of which can have an immense impact on community-based businesses’ ability to survive.