Get Involved In The Small Business Community

I just came across a press release that Dell is holding a competition to find the best small business that "has used technology to drive a significant change or develop a competitive advantage in delivering superior customer value and experience."

While the message could be simpler, Dell is doing a lot of things right here:

• Don't go it alone - Dell has partnered with the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) to put on the competition and help promote it
  
  
• Give prizes - Aside from the recognition, the winner receives $30,000 in free Dell products and a lifetime membership to the NFIB. There are also prizes for the top 9 finalists
  
  
• Offer something unique - While the products and NFIB membership are good starters, the winner also gets to spend a day with Dell founder Michael Dell at the company's headquarters. What better experience could a small business owner ask for than to learn from one of the true entrepreneurial success stories of our time (see yesterday's post Teach Entrepreneurs What You Know).

Running contests and getting involved in the small business community is a great way to stand out, attract attention, and build a brand as a company that cares about entrepreneurs.

Small Business Outlook For 2007

In order to sell to small businesses, you first must understand them. MasterCard Worldwide recently released its Annual Small Business Survey. It's a poll of 4,000 small business around the world who manage businesses with 1-99 employees.

Optimistic For 2007: Looking ahead to 2007, more small business owners are optimistic (28%) than not (21%) and see the future to be promising. Entrepreneurs from the United States and Australia, 66% and 65% respectively feel that 2007 will be a promising year for them.

Working In And On The Business: The average entrepreneur works more than 50 hours a week and spend 18 of those hours on administrative tasks. The more employees an entrepreneur has, the more time is spent on administrative tasks. Solopreneurs spend 7 hours on admin tasks per week while those with 2-9 employees spend 18 hours per week on administration. Owners with 10 or more employees spend 31 hours per week on average on admin responsibilities.

Competitive Challenge: The number one challenge small businesses feel they will face with their business in 2007 is competition. Other top challenges are cost increases and sales / business development.

Motivation To Work: The top two motivating factors for small business owners are making enough money to cover living expenses (70%) and having more control over the future (64%). Other important considerations are providing employment, contributing to society / the community, building something that can be passed on to their family, and being their own boss.

The survey also discusses trends in year-end bonuses, job fulfillment, and business control. You can read the entire article here.