You don’t have to be Big to be Great. You just have to be the Best at what you do!
Ever hear
d of the saying “nice things come in small packages?” Although one could immediately think of a small velvet box with golden rims containing a diamond ring or of a small wooden barrel filled with an exceptional vintage wine, I would like to prove how this saying also applies to the smallest of businesses.
Have you ever worked for a big corporate company? If you have, then I’m certain you will be able to relate to everything I am about to expose and if you haven’t, you might want to think twice before choosing to. Actually, my husband, who works for a big corporate firm, inspired this week’s article. He was just telling me how he’s been sick for almost 2 months and found it strange that his “boss” never bothered to call to see how he was 
recovering. I simply answered “that’s because you’re only a number for them.”
That’s why small is simply better!
#1: no numbers here
Small businesses have colleagues, collaborators and human beings at their side, while bigger businesses have numbers. Small businesses are more apt to connect with those who are contributing to the final purpose: customer satisfaction. They build relationships with their team, reward their efforts and value them as the most precious resource they have.
#2: kings vs. revenues
Big businesses often see their customers as revenue, while smaller businesses see theirs as “kings.” Customers always have the certitude of speaking to the same person every time they need a service from a smaller company. Furthermore, a customer will always find a friendly voice or message when engaging with their “trusty” person of reference because customers “rule.” Since big businesses treat their customers as sources of revenue, rather than as very important persons, customers will often get bounced back and forth between new individuals who may not be so friendly since they themselves feel like a number within the walls of a big corporation that never rewards them for their efforts.
#3: effective communication
In a business with 1, 2 or 3 people, there are only a maximum of 3 people that can interact with each other. Therefore, a message is guaranteed to come across in the most accurate and timely manner. Furthermore, people have an easier time bonding and working with 
each other towards the final goal. However, in a corporate environment with 100 “numbers” (33 times as many as a small business), a message could easily get distorted since there are now 4,950 possible interactions that can occur. Co-workers are thus less likely to bond and more likely to try to compete against each other to get that recognition every human being strives so desperately to achieve.
#4: attention to detail
Smaller businesses focus on quality and service, which often get overlooked by bigger corporations. The team members of a small business will meticulously pay attention to every single detail every step of the transaction: from first contact to delivery. They need to grasp the attention, trust and loyalty of their customers to stay atop. Bigger businesses prefer to compete with lower rates rather than with quality and service. This could “initially” seem more convenient in the short-term, but much less in the long-term since quality by definition is more durable over time.
#5: motivation
Small businesses work with small teams of motivated individuals. This motivation is a result of the person-to-person relationships that are created both with co-workers and customers. To small businesses, “issues” are no longer regarded as what they are, but as an opportunity to get creative (as a team) and to find new ideas or solutions quickly. In big businesses, employees fear the word “issue” as they know it may cost them their job. Either way, these individuals will work long hours to try to fix these “problems” on their own because they are not motivated to cooperate with each other and because of a lack of good relationships and trust with fellow workers and customers.
Bottom line, nice things do come out of small packages. Human relations, trust, motivation and recognition only lead towards Great success stories because no one is a number, everyone is king, communication does take place, there is constant attention to detail and personal motivation is crucial. That’s why I believe a Small business can be Great compared to a Big Business with a Big name and no human touch. So, was I able to shed light on the “bigger the better” misconception or do you now also believe that smaller is often greater?
