Celebrating Small Businesses

Let us take a moment to appreciate the small business. May is National Small Business Month but if you just stop to think about it for a minute, small businesses are just cool.

We can start with the facts. Small business is the straw that stirs the drink. They represent 99.9 percent of American businesses, employ nearly half of all private sector employees and account for more than 62 percent of net jobs created since 1995.

And that’s not all as small business leads on innovation and generates nearly half of the U.S. GDP. We could go on and on, but the more interesting story is about the bravery of entrepreneurship, the commitment to quality that enables these businesses to endure, the life-giving vibrancy they bring to community and the mind-boggling variety of the work they do.

Curry Real Estate Services is a small business. More than 100 years old, our leaders have taken risks that made them quake in their boots but belief in themselves and their team, an enduring commitment to the highest standards and love of doing well for others has been a proof case for succeeding as a small business.

Nearly all Curry tenants are small businesses. We respect the risk, honor the hard work and admire the creativity each brings to their customers and community. Each has such a great story to tell, we wish we could take you behind the scenes of everyone. Instead, we offer a peak at just a few.

World-ranked #1 blue belt at Masters 4 in 2022, John Monk is the owner/instructor at Rilion Gracie Jui-Jitsu Academy. When not competing, he shares his love for and knowledge of the sport to those he and his coaches train at his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu dojo, 5520 NE Antioch Road in Kansas City. It shows in reviews like this, “Amazing gym, amazing coaches, amazing environment.”

Thompson Clock Manor, 7339 West 97th Street in Overland Park, was founded by Ernie Thompson in 1929. Led by son Walt until 2018, longtime employees Traci Smith and Darren Klasse now continue the tradition of quality work. Check out this glowing review – “This shop is incredibly trustworthy, extremely affordable, and clearly knowledgeable. I highly recommend them.”

Suvee Sweets Cakerie, 6045 NE Antioch Road in Gladstone, lives by its motto, We Love Cake! And, apparently, so do a legion of customers who return again and again for owner Susan (“Suvee”) Villanueva’s cakes and pastries. Established in 2022, this emporium of sugary delight consistently earns kudos like this, “Needing a cake made?? COME HERE! The service, pricing, and attention to detail were outstanding.”

These are just three of the dozens of our small business tenants who dare to be great every day, dedicating themselves to bringing their best for customers and community.  The story is the same for our laundromat, hair and nail salon, counseling, food and beverage and other business tenants. Small businesses are just cool.

They open shop every day with passion, talent and work ethic that fuels them and serves you. Think about that next time you cross their threshold, and you will celebrate more than what you came in for.