| I remember some time back, say...about 15 years ago | | | | of us in the business, social politics is minimal...if not |
| or so...I thought that a company has to be big in order | | | | eliminated.We don't need fancy carpeted and |
| for it to be efficient. Now, with the rapid growth of the | | | | air-conditioned board rooms, meeting rooms, |
| Internet, things have changed. Now, a company need | | | | bathrooms and office space to be efficient! The best |
| not be BIG, MASSIVE and employ THOUSANDS of | | | | place to work is the most comfortable place...and that |
| people all over the world in order to be efficient and | | | | is home. If you're in the business alone and if you're |
| famous. Let's look at it this way...first thing first, all | | | | disciplined enough, you WILL enjoy working from home. |
| companies that are successful today either started | | | | And besides, for parents, they can be there with their |
| miniscule or from the home/farm/backyard. During their | | | | kids while working as well. The key to small business |
| early days as one-man-shows, they gained a fierce | | | | successful operating out of small homes, condos and |
| reputation and generated a lot of sales not because | | | | apartments is this...learn to draw the line. If the line is |
| they were big. It was because they were good that | | | | distinct and clear, you'll get somewhere some day.One |
| these then-small companies grew to a point that they | | | | thing most corporate figures hate most is the traveling |
| had to be bigger in order to meet consumer | | | | and the traffic. We spend so much time on the road |
| demands.So, in short, we don't have to be big in order | | | | trying to get from point A to point B everyday that we |
| to be good or in order to be efficient. There are many | | | | lose so much precious time. For small businesses, |
| good things about being a small business. The first thing | | | | there's sometimes no worry about traffic congestion. If |
| I have to mention is the overhead cost. Because we're | | | | you're working from home, you don't really need to |
| small businesses, our overhead reflects the size of our | | | | travel, do you? If you have a small office somewhere |
| company. And because our overhead is low, we can | | | | else, you can choose to leave for work earlier or later |
| offer better rates! And customers love it when we | | | | to beat the traffic.Aha! The most amazing thing about |
| pass on the savings to them - wouldn't you?When | | | | a small business is the efficiency of using online tools |
| you're a small business, you also have the ability to | | | | to communicate with literally anyone all over the world. |
| focus...to zoom in on making the best product ever in | | | | For example, instant messengers, free chat programs, |
| your industry. For instance, if you have a baking | | | | online conference rooms, online payment |
| company, you can focus on making the world's best | | | | gateways...etc. As you can see, we save quite a bit of |
| pastry. Now, being good is not enough. Being the best | | | | money and time this way and as a result, our price is |
| is our target. So, when we have the time to focus on | | | | always lower than our bigger competitors.So, if |
| making the world's BEST PASTRY, we will get there | | | | someone tells you that you HAVE TO be big in order |
| some day. Large corporations need MANY people to | | | | to succeed, give them the above examples and see |
| focus on one thing because they are too | | | | what they have to say.All the best to your small |
| diversified.And of course, most of us work either alone | | | | company!Marsha Maung is a freelance graphic |
| or with one or two others, there are not as many red | | | | designer and copy writer who works from her home |
| tapes and procedures to carry out before an action | | | | in Selangor, Malaysia. She loves nothing more than |
| can be. Let me tell you this, having to go through | | | | blowing bubbles in the park with her 2 kids, Joshua and |
| nonsensical procedures just to send out a letter is NO | | | | Jared. She designs apparel and premium items at and |
| FUN. In fact, it's frustrating and counter-productive! So, | | | | is the author of "Raising little magicians", and the |
| this is another huge advantage small businesses have | | | | popular "The Lance in freelancing". |
| over big corporations. And since there are only a few | | | | |