Top 3 Ways People Unknowingly Look Down on Small Businesses

1. People expect small businesses to tell or always have some impactful story before they decide to support. Some even need to feel a "vibe" with the owners before supporting. But for big corporations and those who are already on, people just shop 'til they drop and could care less about what big companies do behind closed doors. They've earned the right and the status to do what they want and people don't even think about questioning them nor their history. Small businesses are deemed as their equals or even less than with no right to privacy. They always need to see the face of the company. Sad, but it's just the simple reality of today's society. People are also lazy shoppers now-a-days and now need influencers to help them make a decision of whether or not to support and buy from a small brand.

2. People are turned off by small businesses asking directly via email, DMs, physical mail, social media posts, etc... to buy products and services. But big corporations and brands they love can and do email and market in some way to consumers/customers 2-4× a day and they don't even lift a finger to unsubscribe but feel harrassed or pressured if a small business or even someone they know emails 1-3x a month. People are quick to unsubscribe from a small business or stop supporting them for the smallest things. Large companies get a pass.

3. People feel as though small businesses, even those offering the best in customer service, should lower the prices on their products and services. People think that just because it's a small business, these small businesses have no right or reason to charge what they charge. Would the average shopper go into Target or a big name clothing store and haggle the cashier for a better deal? Nope. They are willing and ready to do it at a small business that they believe has less power, essentially looking down on small business owners. In a lot of cases, when people do buy from a small business, they only do it when a discount is being offered. Some small businesses cannot afford to offer discounts or free shipping. They offer it because they hope buyers will spread the word about their products. Sometimes people won't buy until someone they know gives them the stamp of approval. Hence the reason why many small businesses need to get subscribers and reviewers to post about their products.

It's rough out here for small businesses. There's a great amount of businesses who flock to Amazon to reach a larger audience, because unfortunately small businesses aren't as trusted as big names. People don't like waiting 3-7 business days for packages to arrive. Who can really compete with Amazon and Walmart's Same Day and 1-Day shipping. But Clay + Stone will be holding on for a little while longer. Let's just say we are going to 'Master P' our products for a little while before handing our work over to Amazon.