After nearly a century in business, this small-town company still keeps it in the family.
Name: David Don Carlos
Business: Don Carlos Insurance
Employees: 3
Location: Greenfield, Iowa
The Don Carlos family knows small business. Greenfield-based Don Carlos Insurance has been involved with NFIB since 1947, making it Iowa’s longest-standing member. Here, owner and president David Don Carlos talks the past and present of small business.
Tell me about your business.
It was started by my grandfather back in 1919. He ran it for several decades before I took over the business in about 1986, and now my son Marc is working with me as well.
How have you seen small businesses change over time?
Definitely a loss of small business. It’s always been a struggle, but particularly now. I never know what’s going to happen from one day to the next.
How is Iowa as a climate for small business?
I think it’s the same as anywhere—people are so mobile now that they can go to the big city to get the services they need; it’s a lot harder to keep small-town businesses alive. But that’s true all over the place, whether it’s Iowa or we’re talking about or Nebraska or anything.
Why did you get involved with NFIB?
My grandfather was the one who joined back when he owned the business—I’m just carrying on the tradition.
What’s your advice to other small business owners?
All you can do is provide a service. Just find out what people want and find a way to do it. It’s so hard with the Internet and people being able to find everything they want elsewhere, looking for that immediate gratification, but we need these small businesses now more than ever.
