All of us at Onepager come from families that have run small businesses. We wanted to talk about those experiences and why are building a product to help small businesses.

My parents have run Moore’s Engine Supply, an automotive machine shop in Northern California, since 1977. My father trained as an apprentice to a machinist in the Bay Area before picking up and moving his family to the mountains to start his own shop. My mom, previously a bank teller (and former hippie!) started the business with him in its first location, in the back of an auto parts store.

They quickly moved a few stores down to their own space and my dad was finally doing what he loved. They had built a respected business and were a big part of the community.

Times weren’t always great. I specifically remember one holiday season when my mom was counting and rolling coins to buy Christmas presents for me and my sisters. Things eventually improved, but that memory sticks with me today as a reminder that I never want to see them, me, or anyone else in that situation.

In 1996, when the internet was starting to get really popular, I made my parents a website and have continued to maintain and redesign it over the years. They’ve gotten a significant amount of work directly from that site and I’m happy that I’ve been able to help them and their business grow.

I’ve seen that side of how a website helps a business, but I’ve also seen it from a consumer side. When I’m looking for a place to give my business (restaurant, dry cleaner, barber, etc), I’m always concerned if they don’t have a site. Does that business still exist? How do I know that the hours or phone number are accurate on the 3rd party site?

Small businesses are important to communities and you can’t argue about their impact on shaping the culture or our towns and cities. We’ll keep doing everything we can to help them get online and find other ways to grow their businesses!

- Matt Moore