These days, small businesses typically have a large number of issues to deal with when doing just their everyday operations, let alone how entrepreneurs might need to think about the ways in which they must innovate to compete with larger entities. However, doing the latter might not be as hard as many believe, as long as they know where to look and what they need.
These days, there are a number of online-only firms that exist to help small businesses best position themselves to succeed overall, according to a report from the New York Times. This could come through streamlining the buying of goods needed to more affordably make products or offer services, or potentially promote themselves more effectively. Others might allow firms to ring up purchases using mobile devices, thereby giving them more flexibility in the field when necessary.
Often, these companies are focused specifically on helping smaller businesses and helping them compete, especially in a market that seems to increasingly favor the industry’s giants, the report said. While there are often some growing pains involved, the end result for many companies might be improved or streamlined internal processes that make success easier to achieve moving forward.
“I was warned it would be like herding cats,” John Rubin, who founded the startup Above the Treeline to help independent booksellers better connect with each other and publishers, told the newspaper. “But I just want to give them every edge, everything they can do to narrow the gap between Amazon and the bookstore. It’s all about helping those one or two people in the tiny back office. I want to help those guys.”
Some conditions may apply
Of course, small business owners know all too well that what might be right even for a similarly sized competitor might not be right for them, and as such it’s important for them to approach these kinds of opportunities with cautious optimism, the report said. If independent firms can test out a service and see if it works for them and what they need, a closer look might be warranted.
Owners who want to ensure their firms have as much success going forward as possible, though, might be able to do so in a different way: By cutting expenses. That might include taking the time to find more affordable small business insurance – including commercial insurance – to reduce costs by as much as thousands of dollars annually.
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