Is a Small Biz REALLY small?
I want to share one of the many things that taught me a valuable life lesson about perspectives. Years ago, I was standing in Enterprise Rent-A-Car with a friend who was about to rent a car. Somewhere (I am not sure how I acquired this knowledge), I read that Enterprise was a small business. Ok, no big deal. Back then, it probably did not mean much of anything to me, other than it being another tidbit of random information that I stored in my memory bank. Fast forward a few years, and I was in my first role as a consultant (even though back then, I had no clue that what I was doing was an actual career). I was doing the legwork, helping a business owner navigate the federal funding procurement process for her small business.
Amid all of the work we did, learning about small business certifications (8A, DWSB, DBE, HUBZone), I remember asking myself, “how is it possible that Enterprise Rent-A-Car appears to be so big, if they are really a small business?”. I knew they had many locations all over the US, and they seemed to dominate the car rental space. So, I started researching. I do not recall the exact data I found in the revenue reports, but what I did learn was that my idea of small was massively different from what Corporate American called, small! In fact, it was shamefully different. As I think about it, there were many moments that shaped how I thought, but that was one that stands out. I never looked at things quite the same after coming into that knowledge.
Now, about twelve years later, I gave birth to SmallBizRehab (www.smallbizrehab.com). When I started targeting small businesses for my business rehabilitation services (which, by the way, is just a fancy way of saying “I provide services to help fix different business problems”), I was told that I would likely not make any money if I was relying on small businesses for my bottom line. I was told, “they just don’t have the extra money to hire a consultant to handle things that they can do in-house.” I chuckled and I said, “would you mind sharing your e-mail address with me so I can share something with you?”
This is what I shared: https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2019/04/30/forbes-small-giants-the-best-small-companies-of-2019/?sh=11f3d8cf382c
Also, a little research on business size standardization for small businesses, shows that the U.S. Small Business Administration counts companies with as much as $35.5 million in sales and 1,500 employees as “small businesses,” depending on the industry (NAICS categorization). Outside government, companies with less than $7 million in sales and fewer than five hundred employees are widely considered small businesses.
Here is the takeaway I hoped to convey through this post. Keep your perspectives open. Think big and bigger. Always challenge the status quo. I started working with traditional “small businesses,” long before small businesses were a “thing.” I named my business Small Biz Rehab because I wanted to pay homage to and offer continued support to those that I feel are the heartbeat of our global economy — small business owners. From the little lady that I watched grow from a mop and bucket home cleaning service, to a commercial janitorial conglomerate, to the at-home jewelry makers, restaurateurs, health and beauty companies, and more. I SEE you, and I see the possibilities! My scope was widened long ago, and I hope that the work we do at SmallBizRehab can be a small part of your success. I succeed when my clients succeed, and I have no reservations — at all — with pursuing the business from small businesses.
