Being Small Doesn't Mean Being Invisible

Guest Contributor: Deb Kolaras
Deb's Posts - Deb's Site


Care to take a guess as to how many small businesses get started each month here in the U.S.? According to a study done by the Kaufmann Foundation, more than 465,000 entrepreneurs hang a new shingle out each month - that number is not a misprint. With such a staggering figure, even during obviously slim times, the opportunity to reach these businesses remains very strong. So how best to make sure you are not overlooking them? Start first with acknowledging them, regardless of their size or where they are on the map.

Location, Location, Location

Recently, I tried unsuccessfully to do business with a large, international office supply company whose headquarters are rather close to my own. After jumping through what I consider "needless hoops", I was virtually kicked to the curb because my business is home-based. Why that matters, I don't know, but I was given little to do other than finding my way to another supplier. Of course, it's a little disheartening; I have an excellent credit rating and have been in business more than a decade, but this didn't appear to matter. Instead of dwelling on it and going to the top to complain, I calmly dialed my other supplier who has always regarded me as a business they wanted to serve, irrespective of my size or location - my bad for looking for a deal. To me, this is the perfect example of what not to do as a large corporation - why on earth would you care where the client is located, as long as you can ship or deliver there? Better yet, wouldn't this actually be a great niche to hit, given the enormous amount of growth in the small business sector? Oh, and did I mention the other supplier is a nationwide supplier in their own right?
Don't Fence Me In There is profiling of all sorts going on in the business world and really, I think it's offensive as a small business owner to answer silly surveys and questions about my spending habits and what I see my business doing over the next 5 years - it's really none of your business, even if you think you're entitled to know. What should be your focus is concerning yourself with my needs and concerns as they are presently; rather than ask a client if they're buying a printer this year, why not find out how things are going, really going? Why not offer options that don't always mean upgrading to some new, more expensive item that you want the client to buy? How about proactively presenting simple solutions to common problems, some of which might be entirely free? Why not think about their bottom line, versus yours? If you can do these things and offer them more affordable, unique alternatives, even if it means referring them, you will earn their trust and their business. If you're only looking to move them into the next new widget they really don't even need, you're just another salesman they will not want to avoid.

Size Really Shouldn't Matter

While it might help you fix on a potential number you can expect in sales over a year, it does little for your client when you ask how many people they have employed at their company. Whether they have 1 or 50, they still control the purse strings and your company will only gain their business by treating them like they were the largest VIP account you could ever have. Dispense with looking at a company and discounting them because of their size - small businesses are connected to other small businesses; they share information, good experiences and they talk amongst themselves - they also tell each other who to stay away from, I know I do every day. If your business has a model that simply doesn't want smaller clients, at the very least, refer them to another company that is willing to serve them no matter their size or location.

Small businesses across the U.S. want to do business with companies that treat them as important and worthwhile players. For your company to be successful in reaching them, put yourself in their shoes and walk around awhile; you might find that by adjusting your offerings to accommodate companies on the smaller scale, you'll actually be making more room for growth for them and more profits for you.