Small Is the New Big

As an independent creative, I work as a solo professional, which defines me as a small business. Having been in business for quite a while, I have worked with many start-ups and small/ medium enterprises (SMEs) and they are my main client base.

In recent years, the opportunities for SMEs have expanded as awareness has grown of their collective power to innovate, fuel the economy and create jobs. However, there has been a lag between the expanded capabilities of SMEs and how some markets perceive them. Many of us are unfavorably compared to large enterprises due to assumptions about their supposed greater benefits.

Big companies project images of greater power, sophistication and resources. They also try to convey a sense of status seldom associated with small firms. Scale has its place, but in many cases doing business with small organizations has a number of advantages.

Bigger isn't always better, but it's often more expensive.
Large staffs have to be paid regularly and many that aren’t completely remote require large facilities with all the necessary support. Maintaining a large company with a massive overhead is a monster that has to be fed constantly. Small firms have a lower cost of doing business and their rates often reflect that.

SMBs have a responsiveness advantage. 
Large staffs also mean layers of management to deal with that don’t exist in a smaller firm. Because of their size, large firms tend to be less agile than smaller ones. This can be a problem given the rate at which business changes. Fewer people mean less bureaucracy and more ability to be responsive. It also means you will be more likely to work with senior staff, who have greater experience and expertise than more junior staff.

Big companies no longer have a technology advantage. 
The competitive advantage big companies once had in technology resources has been erased by online tools available to firms of any size. Tech has made the monopoly big firms used to have a thing of the past, especially with the advent of AI.

Responsiveness, flexibility, working with senior staff, less bureaucracy, far lower overhead and a level technology playing field mean that SMBs can offer seriously competitive advantages over larger competitors.

When it’s time for your next creative project, go small.