At 6:40 on a holiday evening, a pipe under a kitchen sink lets go. The homeowner shuts off the valve, mops with every towel in the house, and picks up a phone. She searches for a plumber nearby. The first result she taps says "Open 24 hours." She calls. It rin
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Picture a Sunday morning in late spring. A man pulls up to a small dog grooming salon with a scruffy terrier in the back seat. The lights are off. The door is locked. A paper sign in the window lists the hours, and Sunday isn't on it. He checks his phone again
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At the end of November, the owner of a small pool service company sits down with his end-of-season email report. The numbers look good. A large share of his customers seem to have opened his "Thanks for a great summer" email. He feels pleased for about a minut
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On the last day of November, the owner of a small climbing gym stands near the front desk after closing. She's looking at the wall where members pin notes. There's a thank-you card from a parent whose shy kid now climbs every Saturday. A sign-up sheet for the
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Two weeks before Christmas, a man sits in his car outside his office at lunch. He types "chocolate gift box near me open late" into his phone. He wants something for his team, he wants it today, and he wants to know before he drives over whether the shop will
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