Small business can compete
I work for many small businesses as part of my day job, often one-person businesses and start-ups. Something I have learnt over the years is how a small company can compete against the biggest of competitors, and just how this can be done. In recent years, I have worked with companies that have seen tremendous growth from one woman to a team of 20 people in less than 2 years.
It is success stories like these that keep me motivated to work on marketing projects and websites for small companies. It is the thrill of the ride and knowing I am having a big impact for someone, somewhere. While a lot of my work is for smaller companies, I also work with a number of large national businesses, and I am uniquely placed to see both sides of the same coin.
Why small is better
Let’s get the first one out of the way, as it has been beaten to death already. Small businesses can move faster and can change directions easily. This is true and this is a benefit of being small, but it is not the only benefit.
When you are a small business, and I say you because it is often just you, there is real motivation. Then you have to make everything you do work. You have the motivation to make it work because at the end of the day, your business is funding your meals, so it has to work. Once you start employing people, if you don’t get people with the same passion and determination as yourself, then you start to see things slip.
It is this slipping of motivation that make it hard for big businesses to move at the same speed as you do. As a small business, if you need to get something moving, you will work until 3am to see it through. A big business will not get this from its employees; hence everything takes longer and changing tactics takes weeks instead of days.
The final reason is why I am staying small and do not intend to grow my business beyond my immediate family. Small companies can provide the best customer service, and service is what people really want. As a small business when you call I will answer the phone, I know you and your business, and you are not a number — this is what people like and this is what big businesses cannot provide. For me, the decision to stay small was an easy decision after speaking with my customers to find out what they wanted to see from me as I expanded, it turns out the personal service they want means it is best for me to stay as I am.
