It’s National Small Business Week and, unlike some of the days and weeks that we’re asked to celebrate each year, (yeah, I’m talking about you, National Lima Bean Respect Day), I’m excited to see a worthy cause get attention.
When I was in business school, I studied 200 case studies but only three were on small businesses. While I admire the capability of big business, there’s a lot to learn from the emerging, owner-operated companies we typically serve.
Here are three things I’ve learned from our clients:
- They love their employees— Time and again I have witnessed our clients account for the needs of their people as they make decisions. I’ve even seen owners dip into their own savings to avoid laying people off in recession. It’s inspiring stuff
- They love their customers—Whether directly targeting consumers or selling pieces that go into other products, our clients make and do useful things that help our world function better
- They love their communities—From parades to small acts of kindness, it’s encouraging to see how our clients serve the cities in which they reside
In recent years, we have been privileged to work with Dr. Donald Kudek at Wisconsin Lutheran College(WLC) on the Good Stories Project. This initiative introduces WLC students to small businesses that do good every day: like putting people to work, paying taxes, building helpful products and giving to charity. If you know a company that does this and is worthy of attention, I would love to hear from you.
For now, happy Small Business Week.
