Just because you run a relatively small business does not mean that you cannot have relatively big clients. After all, size can be a matter of perspective. Then again, what if you really operate on a small scale and yet you believe that you can provide a beneficial service to an establishment that operates on a much larger scale, say a government agency or some other private institution? Will this partnership even be possible?

The good news is that yes, it is indeed possible for a small business to cater to the needs of much larger entities. The trick lies in finding the right channel of communication in order to get your message across to the larger entities. If you have not heard of the Small Business Administration’s Business Matchmaking, then it is about time that you did. This program is intended to give a lending hand to small business owners so that they can build contacts that can open wide doors for them.

InYork carries this story:

Presented by SCORE, Hewlett Packard, and other private companies, Business Matchmaking is a series of regional events that bring corporate and government buyers to small-business owners. Since the program began in 2003, business owners have landed more than 20,000 appointments with key government and corporate officials from hundreds of major corporations and agencies.

The best thing about the activities under this program is that they are free! You only have to make sure that you have your killer pitch ready. You never know, you just might land yourself a big fish soon.

That does not sound particularly attractive or glamorous, does it? Don’t shut me off though – hear me out and you might think differently of placemats before the end of this post. I actually got the idea for this post from Small Biz Survival – same place where I found the simple article on accounting for small businesses. In his post, the blogger highlighted the idea of perceiving common everyday things in different ways. It’s kind of like the “glass half full or glass half empty” thing.

Anyway, he shared an experience wherein he saw placemats being used for ads:

I’m from a big town. 300,000 people live within 14 miles of me. It’s almost the smallest town I’ve lived in.

When I look at a placemat like this, I think “small town.”

It’s an advertising medium designed for people without access to or budgets for large media. It’s an advertising medium designed for diners and cafes and pizza joints rather than steakhouses and chains. It’s an advertising medium with instant gratification for local businesses. (“Hey, I just saw your name on the placemat.”)

I saw this placemat last week in my big town. It was in a diner, yes. And it got me thinking.

What if you used a placemat to drive traffic to your business’s website?

Indeed, what if you used a placemat to advertise your web site? I think it is brilliant – whoever thought of doing this should be given an award or something. For small businesses operating in a relatively small area, placemat ads would provide wide coverage for a relatively small cost. What do you think?

We are experiencing a recession. No, there is no recession. We hear both statements – and other similar things – from everyone. One camp says things are fine. The other camp says that things couldn’t be worse. I guess it does not really matter what people say. What matters is what you are experiencing and if you are like many other small business owners, you just might be experiencing lean times.

If so, what is the best route to take? What is the best thing that you can do for your business during this time?

I am sure that you will get a wide variety of answers to this question but this is what I can tell you: The best thing that you can do for your business in times like these is to try and make it better!

You might want to expand but you might not have the funds to do so. You might want to give up but the potential is still looming over the horizon. In the meantime, while you wait for things to get better, you should utilize your time and improve what you can with what you have!

So how do you do this? Try following these simple steps:

1. Determine the areas for improvement.
2. Determine which areas you can actually afford to improve given your circumstances.
3. Set specific goals which are realizable.
4. Identify measurable ways by which you can monitor your progress.
5. Seek help – find people who can help you achieve your goals.

Here’s to a better business!

In these days of economic turmoil (no, the problems are not over yet), it is not surprising to hear of businesses, big and small, cutting back on their expenses. I was just talking to a friend who runs a big BPO operation based in Europe. Majority of his producing entities can be found in Asian countries. Despite the fact that he has already saved a considerable amount in moving his operations offshore, he is still very much worried by the economic situation.

I can just imagine the plight of small business owners. With the prices of most everything going up, they are also being forced to increase their prices and at the same time, cut back on costs. I read something about a lean business – that is, one that spends on only what is necessary to improve profitability.

However, the author notes that cutting back on costs should be examined thoroughly as there are some cut backs that may actually do more harm than good to your business. Rieva Lesonsky highlights some of these areas in her article.

Of the areas she took note of, I particularly liked two. These are little perks and marketing. This is what she has to say:

Don’t be a penny-wise and pound-foolish business owner. You may think you can trim the fat by eliminating the morning donuts or the company parties, but the money you save will quickly be replaced by lowered employee morale.

I think that nothing can match a good morale and work attitude. These things should be nurtured – the rewards are worth more.

With regard to marketing, this is what Lesonsky thinks:

I’m a big believer that recessions (or near-recessions) are actually a good time to increase your marketing budgets. While that might sound counterintuitive, it’s not. While most businesses are hunkering down, waiting for the good times to start rolling again, your marketing message will be heard more loudly in the vacuum. Trimming your marketing budget (whether that means creative or staff or both) will likely hurt, not help, your business.

I tend to agree with her. Take advantage of the times. Be more aggressive and gain the attention while your competitors are quiet.