Support Small Business

I’m a sucker for underdogs, and I’ll admit it. And not just the underdog, the little guys. The ‘David’ of ‘David and Goliath’. Consequently, it should come as no surprise that I’m a big proponent of small businesses. Let me clear, I don’t mean this in a way that I boycott mass producers, or that I even dislike large corporations; I just mean that when there’s the opportunity to support the ‘ma and pa’ shops, I take it.

There’s this assumption that comes along with hiring a larger company, that somehow, by the sheer size of the organization, clients are guaranteed quality work and service. As a result, small businesses are perceived as inexperienced or under qualified.

The benefits of hiring a large company are obvious: they have more capacity, are often more established, and they’ve probably been around longer.  But when you hire a small business, you get love. A love for the industry, a passion for the product, an enthusiasm for the work, and a pride of accomplishment. You’re more than just a job to a small business owner. Things are handled on a more personal level – they interact with you, get to know you.

Want to make some changes to your project? Add a few new components? Small businesses have fewer layers of management, making their operations more flexible and adaptable than those of a larger company.

When you hire a small business, you’re making a difference. You’re not lining the pockets of some wealthy CEO, you’re helping a carpenter send his son to soccer camp; you’re contributing towards the retirement fund of a landscaper or you’re helping a young family save up for their first home.

One successful job of a small business can make or break them. Only 51% of Canadian small businesses live to see their fifth anniversary. Let’s put that into perspective:

Popularity Lifespan of Furby	3 years
Average age of losing a first tooth	5-6 years
Time to complete undergraduate studies, on average	6 years
Average Lifespan of a Great Dane	7-10 years
On air Time of Keeping Up with the Kardashians	9 years

 

30% of Canadian small businesses will be outlived by Furby’s popularity, while 49% will fail before the average student completes his BA. The odds are pretty much 50-50 that a small business will fail in Canada, so why not help? Why not support the little guys? Why not make a difference? You can help small Canadian businesses last longer than a Kardashian marriage.

I’m not telling you to drop your larger companies, or even to hire a small business. I’m just trying to point out that size isn’t a defining factor in the quality of work.

I’m simply saying: next time you need to hire a company, consider a small business.