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Dan Furman
09-17-2008, 04:46 PM
I noticed a lot of small companies try to seem bigger than they really are, almost to the point where they hide. I'm not sure why people do this.

I mean, I'm not going to announce "unshaven guy in basement wearing sweats" on my homepage, and I do sometimes talk in the "we" (and there really is a "we" from time to time.) But by the same token, I never go out of my way to "hide" the fact that I am essentially a home based business. Hasn't hurt me so far (I think it helps, actually, even with big clients.)

I dunno - I just think there's something dishonest about blatantly hiding. It just sets the wrong tone, in my mind. In my opinion, you are who you are, and trying to be something else probably makes things harder than they need to be.

Thoughts?

cbscreative
09-17-2008, 06:28 PM
I agree. I even wrote an article about this before. There is no reason to be ashamed at being a small business, it actually has big advantages. Since that article gets lots of traffic, I'd say this is a pretty significant issue. Like you, Dan, I've had no problems with clients on this at all. The main thing is professionalism and skill, not the location of your office or the size of your company.

I do recognize that it also depends on the business. If you are a broker for example, you base your reputation off the capabilities of your suppliers. That doesn't mean you have to put up a facade, but it does mean you have to instill confidence in backing up the services you provide. I wouldn't resort to deception if I were in this situation, but I would put the focus on being capable because of connections, and not on the size of my own company.

orion_joel
09-17-2008, 06:48 PM
I have read so many articles giving this similar sort of advice. Trying to pretend to be something that you are not is really only going to lead to a bad place. It may not be today or tomorrow but one day someone will question it and you will end up losing out on something because you didn't lay it out upfront.

In reality for probably 3 years i was a primary technology supplier to one of the largest businesses in the area. Yet it is just me. As long as i could provide what they wanted and did so at a competitive price, they did not care.

Blessed
09-17-2008, 08:29 PM
I don't try to pretend to be bigger than I am and while I don't answer the phone if my daughter is crying she does sometimes start crying while I'm on the phone so... if I tried to appear bigger than I am she would blow my cover... I'm glad most people like cute babies :)

On another note though - some of my business I have gotten because I am a mom and I'm trying to make working from home so that I can be with her work - people like to feel like they are helping me fulfill my dream - and they are, in return I give them great prices and professional service.

KristineS
09-17-2008, 10:13 PM
I think it's more about the quality of the work and your professionalism than it is about how big or small your business is. I've seen a lot of "big" businesses that give terrible service and have employees that don't care about the clients they serve.

Bigger isn't always better. Trying to appear bigger can just be a lot of extra work for not much benefit.

orion_joel
09-18-2008, 01:53 AM
In retrospect trying to appear like a big business may not be as difficult as it would seem. All you need is some flashy brochures, an automated phone system that keeps people on hold for 20 minutes and i don't care i am just following procedure attitude.

Sounds pretty easy to me, however i would have to put a disclaimer on that which is "I do not condone this sort of reckless disregard for potential customers"

Steve B
09-18-2008, 04:47 AM
Everyone makes good points and I agree you should be honest. But, there is a reason many small businesses are tempted to appear bigger than they are. And, that's because the potential customers are often thinking about things like what if this guy gets hit by a bus, or goes out of business in a year or two. It's a valid concern that they have. So, without being dishonest, I think it's wise to be sensitive to this issue.

In my case, my hardware has a lifetime warrenty. But, customers aren't impressed by something like that coming from me since I'm an independent one person operation. So, I sometimes tell them that they would be able to deal directly with the manufacturer in the event that I get hit by a bus (I'm now very careful around busses). I also try to slip in the fact that I've been doing this for 5 years so they know I've gotten by the first few years where many go out of business.

I'm never dishonest, but I do go out of my way to have very professional looking marketing material to at least project that I'm a stable and profitable company. I also left my wife's voice on the voice mail even though she doesn't help out as much as she used to with the telephones. I do have a part-time employee or two, so I will say "we" once in a while.

Blessed
09-18-2008, 08:20 AM
...potential customers are often thinking about things like what if this guy gets hit by a bus, or goes out of business in a year or two. It's a valid concern that they have. So, without being dishonest, I think it's wise to be sensitive to this issue.

This is true - especially for those who provide an actual product and not just a service.


I'm never dishonest, but I do go out of my way to have very professional looking marketing material to at least project that I'm a stable and profitable company...

Here is just a personal opinion - I think if every small business owner realized the value of professional looking business cards, stationary and marketing materials - there might actually be more small businesses survive and thrive than what currently do. - just a thought, I think I'll go start a thread in the marketing section now :)

KristineS
09-18-2008, 10:51 AM
I think having professional looking informational material is a must for any business regardless of its size. The same goes for web sites. I think that's a bit of a different issue there. Having good materials doesn't necessarily imply you're a big company, but it does imply that you're a professional who is aware of the value of marketing.

cbscreative
09-18-2008, 11:43 AM
I think if every small business owner realized the value of professional looking business cards, stationary and marketing materials - there might actually be more small businesses survive and thrive than what currently do. - just a thought, I think I'll go start a thread in the marketing section now :)
Good thread too, Blessed. That is very important.

Aaron Hats
09-19-2008, 04:45 PM
I think it's more about the quality of the work and your professionalism...

That's exactly it. If you read our "about us" page we tell you our story and the fact that we're a small company. Surprisingly, a lot of people read that page and mention it to us.

Be up front and honest in all your dealings.

Aaron

Paul Elliott
09-19-2008, 10:03 PM
That's exactly it. If you read our "about us" page we tell you our story and the fact that we're a small company. Surprisingly, a lot of people read that page and mention it to us.

Be up front and honest in all your dealings.

Aaron

You're right, Aaron. Projecting a proper believable perception with integrity and professionalism is paramount.

And for those who do need a real office or meeting room, the executive business center services are a great option.

KristineS
09-22-2008, 12:10 PM
Trying to appear bigger than you are really only matters if you think your customers will equate "bigger" with "better". I think, as more and more big companies provide less and less service, many customers are starting to subscribe to the theory that smaller companies try harder. Being smaller might actually be an advantage in the minds of some of your customers.

Paul Elliott
09-22-2008, 12:36 PM
Trying to appear bigger than you are really only matters if you think your customers will equate "bigger" with "better". I think, as more and more big companies provide less and less service, many customers are starting to subscribe to the theory that smaller companies try harder. Being smaller might actually be an advantage in the minds of some of your customers.

That's an excellent market position for many companies to take, if they will.

Paul

KristineS
09-25-2008, 03:25 PM
It's the "we try harder" sort of marketing campaign.

I'll give you an example. We have one option for cable in the town where I live and it's not a great option. The company's customer service is rotten and their prices are high. If a smaller company were to come in and offer about the same level of options and the same prices they wouldn't be able to handle all the business they would get. People tend to equate smaller and local with more friendly and more oriented toward customer service. Especially if you've been beaten up by one of the big guys, you tend to be more wary of the bigger companies the next time around.

orion_joel
09-25-2008, 10:40 PM
I totally agree Kristine, not that i can remember any specific examples, but there have been a number of smaller businesses around the area and places i have been that i have visited a few times. Although it was probably not a fact, i would get this feeling that they were small and local and they cared. For the most part it was entirely an illusion, and had two outcomes. Either i found out they were actually owned y a much larger company and my perception changed. Or they were bought by a much larger company and it seemed to almost change the company overnight.

cbscreative
09-26-2008, 11:38 AM
Or they were bought by a much larger company and it seemed to almost change the company overnight.
That is just so true. I often wonder why things always seem to change for the worse. Bigger is seldom better.

orion_joel
09-27-2008, 01:31 AM
Steve, i think the primary issue comes from perception, not just from a public point of view but from a staff point of view for the people working within the company. For staff the bigger the company the less they feel appreciated, and often the more complicated it is for them to do their job within the vague guidelines set for them.

Another side of it comes from the operation's and staff can come into it here as well, how can you motivate staff to perform and give good service when you are paying them minimum wage and have a headline in the business section, about the $500 million dollar profit you just posted. While it can be easy to see when you work it out that paying more money to staff would wipe that profit out in very little time, it is not that easy to explain to staff. For example a business that employee's 50,000 people who all work 40 hours per week, to increase their salary by $1 per hour you immediately add $100million to your wages in one year.

Finally from the customer point of view bigger is in fact very often not better, yes of course bigger companies can offer better prices, or say they tell us, and in some cases this may be true. However when you see that the local computer games retail is selling the latest Xbox game for the same price as Eb Games and the major department stores, you begin to wonder, what gives. At the end of the day the only thing that bigger is better for is the operation perspective of many of the department's in the company such as purchasing, and such.

KarenB
10-01-2008, 06:18 PM
I noticed a lot of small companies try to seem bigger than they really are, almost to the point where they hide. I'm not sure why people do this.

I mean, I'm not going to announce "unshaven guy in basement wearing sweats" on my homepage, and I do sometimes talk in the "we" (and there really is a "we" from time to time.) But by the same token, I never go out of my way to "hide" the fact that I am essentially a home based business. Hasn't hurt me so far (I think it helps, actually, even with big clients.)

I dunno - I just think there's something dishonest about blatantly hiding. It just sets the wrong tone, in my mind. In my opinion, you are who you are, and trying to be something else probably makes things harder than they need to be.

Thoughts?

Hi Dan,

I just loved this post and the responses that it received. All were very valuable and honest.

As a virtual assistant, I have a strong responsibility to my clients. If I were to get hit by that proverbial bus, I do have a back-up plan.

My clients know that it is just me on a day-to-day basis. When I have a doctor appointment, I let them know that I will be away from the office for a few hours. But if something more drastic were to happen (like being flattened by that bus) I could outsource all of my tasks to other qualified VAs in a New York minute without question.

Perhaps my perspective from a freelancer's point of view is vastly different from other small businesses who may feel the need to create a more secure and trustworthy image by appearing larger than they are, although the recent events on Wall Street probably put most of those feelings of security to rest. I don't necessarily feel there is safety in numbers or that people won't feel secure simply because a business is a "me" instead of a "we."

At the end of the day, it's that unshaven guy in his basement wearing sweats that truly drives the economy and allows others to achieve their own dreams.

KristineS
10-01-2008, 08:19 PM
Hi Dan,

I don't necessarily feel there is safety in numbers or that people won't feel secure simply because a business is a "me" instead of a "we."

At the end of the day, it's that unshaven guy in his basement wearing sweats that truly drives the economy and allows others to achieve their own dreams.

I think you're so right about this Karen. I also think that people are becoming more and more habituated to working with smaller businesses and one person companies. The Internet has made a lot of things possible that weren't possible in the past. One person can do a lot more than a single person used to be able to do.

I also think that a lot of people are starting to grasp that bigger is not necessarily any better or more secure. In this economy, working with a smaller business might actually be safer because a smaller business will probably take less risks.

Dan Furman
10-01-2008, 08:36 PM
Hi Dan,
At the end of the day, it's that unshaven guy in his basement wearing sweats that truly drives the economy and allows others to achieve their own dreams.

Now if he'd only take out the trash

--Dan's Wife