Small businesses may often feel as if they are at a significant disadvantage when it comes to competing with large companies. In many ways, this is not an unfounded thought. Big corporations have considerable resources that most local organizations simply do not. However, there is one characteristic that small businesses always possess that larger groups lack – their size.
According to a recent study by the Public Affairs Council, there is a great deal of consumer goodwill directed toward small businesses. The survey reveals that 47 percent of Americans believe that small business owners have significantly higher ethical standards than their national corporation counterparts. In fact, 90 percent of respondents replied that they have a more favorable overall view of smaller companies compared to the seven percent that felt the same way about big businesses.
This is very heartening news for local companies that don’t always see their size as an asset. However, it highlights how important it is to stress this distinction and use it for all it’s worth. Here are some elements that should be front and center in a small business marketing campaign that illustrates how an organization might be superior to its larger counterparts.
Personality
What passes for personality among large companies is normally the result of careful and expensive planning and testing simply to pick an appropriate color scheme. Most consumers are aware of this and will respect small businesses that brand themselves with affectations that are homemade or reflect some actual human element within an organization.
Value
Another element that customers may notice is the way that value is given back to them. When a big organization offers savings to clients, it is generally because a computer program indicates that a certain profit margin could be met simply by shaving a dollar or two off of a particular service. When a small business does the same, it’s because a personal relationship is being forged and an arbitrary amount of money seems appropriate for it.
Time
This element is perhaps more important than all the others because small companies have a lot more of it to give. This isn’t to say that small businesses don’t always have something to do, but it means that their time is more valuable. Customers expect large organizations to be able to take the time to talk to them. However, when a small company does the same thing, it’s apparent that they’re taking time out of their busy schedules to address their concerns.