When it comes to business, the Yohos like to keep it in the family.

Literally.

Three members of the Yohos all own and run their own shops in Niles.

Bill and his wife, Laura, are the owners of Bill’s Appliances at 2324 S. 11th St. and the Niles Downtown Flea Market at 111 E. Main St.

Bill runs the appliance shop, while Laura takes care of the flea market.

Their son, Joseph, is the owner of the newly opened Niles Community Auction House at 802 Fort St.

Where did the Yohos get their entrepreneurial spirit?

Laura said it comes from Bill’s father, Bill, Sr., who died several years ago. Bill, Sr., ran an antiques and collectibles shop in South Bend, Indiana, for more than 40 years.

“He always worked for himself and I think that rubbed off on everyone,” Laura said. “I think it all stems from him.”

Bill said he thinks his father would be thrilled to see what they’ve accomplished.

“He’d probably be loading my son’s auction house down and putting a booth in the flea market — he’d be really pleased,” Bill said.

Faith also played a large role in the Yohos’ decision to do business in Niles.

Bill, an ordained minister, had been servicing appliances in South Bend for many years when he got the itch to open up his own place.

God, he said, kept pushing him to Niles.

“I kept hearing Niles and it drove me crazy,” said Bill, who opened Bill’s Appliances two years ago. “I drove up and down this strip (South 11th Street) about 50 times until one day I stopped at a building. It turned out to be my building.”

Not long after, the Yohos decided to open the flea market in downtown Niles.

“Antiques and collectibles are our hobby and our passion. That’s why we have the flea market,” Laura said. “We make our money with appliances.”

The family’s love of collectibles didn’t stop with Bill and Laura.

Bill said Joe is an even bigger antiques “nut” than he is.

“You can print that,” Bill said.

Joe remembers tagging along with his grandpa to auctions all over the area when he was a kid, including the Niles Community Auction House.

When Joe got the chance to re-open the Niles Community Auction House in November of last year, he jumped on it.

“He (my dad) always taught me that you will make more money working for yourself than you will working for the man,” Joe said. “That’s what my granddad taught my dad and that’s what my dad taught me.”

Bill said any member of the family is willing to help out the other on a moment’s notice.

That being said, Bill admits there is a friendly rivalry between himself and his son.

“It’s like a competition because I try to find something better than him and he tries to find something better than me,” Bill said. “I’m going to an estate sale today and I hope I find something good and rub his nose in it.”

“It does get competitive sometimes with all of us being in our own businesses, but we try to help each other out the best we can,” Joe said. “There might be something he needs that I have or something he has that I want. We do a lot of trading together. One hand washes the other I guess.”

The Yohos all say they are glad to be working close to one another in the same city.

Bill said they’ve grown attached to Niles in a short time.

Niles is a really great community. We really like it here,” Bill said.

“I never thought I’d love it so much,” Laura said.

Niles Community Auction is open bi-weekly on Saturdays. Contact Joe by phone at (269) 635-0271 or on Facebook.