Photo by The job market can be a tough place full of competition. Depending on the industry, there can be hundreds of workers applying for the same job. Not to mention the time it takes to get a response from big corporations. Even though there are a lot of reasons why you might be interested in a position at a bigger company, here are some reasons why you should consider working for small businesses instead.
1. Community Connection
Small businesses tend to be very connected with the local community because locals tend to make up a large portion of their customer bases. Many of the small businesses in one area tend to support each other and partner up for promotions and other partnerships that can benefit both companies. Many repeat customers will often go out of their way to bring their business to you in an effort to „shop small.“ Having such a fiercely loyal group of customers can help you form stronger connections and better meet customer needs. Working for a small business also means you can utilize useful software like CRM for small business to further strengthen the connection with customers.
2. Visibility
Workers at big companies can easily get lost in the crowd of employees. Many of the people in higher positions looking to promote from within may not even notice you. At a small business, you’ll likely be working with much smaller teams, including the manager or owner. This gives you an opportunity to form relationships with the people who can promote you or give you raises throughout your time with the company. Even if you don’t intend to work there forever, you can get experience at higher levels before moving on, when others at bigger companies will have barely moved upwards at all.
3. Cultivate Company Culture
Working in small teams has another advantage as well: you can directly influence the company culture. Many corporate jobs in California offer employee benefits better relationships between employees and management mean your ideas are taken seriously. You can work together to create the ideal working environment and ask for what you want. You’ll be in a better position to influence things like a casual dress code, better bonuses, and company bonding experiences.
4. Flexibility
Small businesses are more likely to be flexible and work with your needs. For example, a small business owner can create a schedule around college classes, whereas a bigger corporation may have strict scheduling policies for all entry-level hires. When a winter storm hits, a small business may close for safety and because there’s no foot traffic in bad weather. A bigger company may have deadlines that need to be met for clients halfway across the world and can’t let anyone go home early. Small businesses also tend to be more flexible about working remotely.
5. Learning Opportunities
Having a smaller team means you’ll likely be involved in a lot of different tasks that a small business requires. This gives you the opportunity to take on different roles and learn more about your chosen industry. When a conference or convention comes up that your boss doesn’t feel like going to, you may be asked to attend instead. This allows you to make personal connections you wouldn’t make otherwise.
6. Better Communication
Because the company structure is less complicated, information is sent and processed faster. You won’t need to wait weeks for upper management to respond to your messages or reports when you can just pop into the next room. Task delegation becomes easier, and projects are completed faster without so much miscommunication. If you have an idea or specific proposal to run by the boss, you can likely do it in person and get an answer right away.
Many people have dreams of working with larger businesses, but that doesn’t mean the big corporation route is right for you. Spending some time with small businesses can help you learn more in less time and help you advance in your career.