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Checked wordtracker and found the most searched for term containing the word business was "how to start a small business."
It wasn't "how to start a new business" or "how to start a successful business" but how to start a small one. Does this say something about the average person's mindset when it comes to starting a business?
I blogged about it recently. I really would appreciate your opinion. Am I reading too much into it?
True, maybe it is because it is popular to root for the little guy. So nowadays the term "small business" carries the persona of the entrepreneur. maybe?
Al Delgado
I don't believe that people think in terms of SBA definitions. The word small has deeper psychological implications. I doubt people would search for "how to make a small salary" when looking for employment advice. People don't think "small" when they are truly passionate about something.
I think that because people are not conditioned by their schooling and by society as a whole, to be entrepreneurs, they are purposely conservative with their goals.
Most entrepreneurs start "small" to test their market and to confirm that they have made the correct assumptions during their market research.
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Kate
I think the US gov. defines a small business as one with under 500 employees - so the notion of small business being something you can't, as the owner, get really rich running is not accurate.
In any case, some people are, it's true, looking to start a little barbershop or something - looking to create a job where they get to be their own boss. I started out this way when I built cabinetry because I didn't want to borrow a lot of money and take on the responsibilities of having employees - things like workers comp can really hurt your bottom line if you don't have the capital and skills to bring in a steady stream of new and repeat business.
A lot of folks want to start small because they don't have a lot of money or a particularly big idea likely to attract venture capital, a-la Amazon.com or Fedex, both of which lost 10s of millions of dollars as "big business" start-ups.
A lot of folks want more income, sure, but they don't want to be mega-rich because they understand that a lot of stress and sacrifice comes along with building a "big" business with scads of employees.
Lots of people are smarter and more aware than you'll give them credit for - and in that light your assumption that people are thinking "small" just because they are looking for "small business" information is inaccurate... and you won't get ahead marketing to this crowd if you look down your nose at their dreams.
I think the majority of people wanting to start a business are looking to be in business for themselves rather than be sombody else's employee. They don't necessarily want to run a major corporation or become the next Fortune 500 company. They want to be their own boss and create their own hours and pay the bills and live comfortably. They are not looking to be the next Bill Gates.
This doesn't mean they are not ambitious enough or intelligent enough or confident enough.
Mom and pop businesses is what bring people to America. The American Dream.
From your blog:
2) People are afraid of being laughed at by their social circle and the “small” makes their choice more palatable.
What does that even mean? Maybe you need a new social circle?
I have to agree with the original post. Almost every site catering to aspiring entrepreneurs is focused on "small business" or even "home-based business".
You should check out the site www.smarterleap.com. They provide ideas for new startups that aim to be much larger than your typical small biz.
I have to agree with the original post. Almost every site catering to aspiring entrepreneurs is focused on "small business" or even "home-based business".
Well there you go. It would seem the majority of would be business owners are not interested in a major undertaking.
You should check out the site www.smarterleap.com. They provide ideas for new startups that aim to be much larger than your typical small biz.
Jeff, your website is an idea bank? So you sell business ideas? I would tend to believe if somebody has to buy an idea rather than create their own, that is not the type of business owner Byrne was referring to.
Not that every business owner needs to create an original idea, not at all. But it's one thing to buy a franchise for example and quite another to buy just an idea.
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