Many small and mid sized businesses have a bad attitude: they believe that they have to operate in a way that reflects their size and budget and that only big businesses can operate in a polished and professional manner. That kind of approach is often evident in their web site, brochures, advertising, etc. (or lack thereof) and holds them back from growing sales. Big businesses have no magic grip on customer communication, service, ingenuity, or relationship building and often are less adept at those skills due to their enormity. Any business can have a big business attitude, if they take the right steps.

Web sites are a good example. There are no financial barriers to entry here. Even on a very tight budget, there is no excuse for bad content, poor design, lack of clarity, no customer focus, sloppiness, lack of excitement, inconsistent branding, no added value, and poor coding. With a solid vision, good marketing plan, and focused web strategy, even a small web presence can be valuable to potential customers. It has everything to do with creating the best web communication platform possible and nothing to do with spending tons of money. As long as common sense and good business ethics prevail, there are no limits to what can be done. Creativity is alive and well and highly democratized on the Internet.

Social media. It’s essentially free to get started, so again there are no financial barriers, just time commitments. A Twitter account (if it’s the right business choice) takes less than three minutes to establish. A Facebook or MySpace page takes only a few minutes more. A blog definitely takes more effort to set-up, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming to get started. These and other SM (social media) draws can be established for zero money down, but they do demand an ongoing time commitment. If a smaller company has the resources to allot to generating content that their customer base values, they too can build a profitable following.

Event Marketing. Professional sporting events and concert tours are expensive to sponsor, but there are limitless event possibilities that can be created for very little money. From open houses and facility tours, to seminars, guest speakers, neighborhood events, sale days, children’s events, local sponsorships, charity drives, business networking, block parties, partner events, food tastings, and lots more, there’s something for every business and every budget. Creativity and business sense can open up new opportunities to attract loyal customers.

So what’s the best way to get started on developing a big business attitude? Look at some of the big names in marketing and advertising like Nike, Apple, Honda, Budweiser, and McDonald’s and get a sense of how they portray their brands and the consistency and quality of their message. Look at their use of creativity and how they appeal to their target markets. Then have a look at their web sites and look around the web to get a sense of the ways and means in which they connect to their customers. Take those cues and then look at your communications and marketing methods and see if your approach measures up. If not, select simple areas that you can achieve clarity, consistency, and professionalism and work on improving them. Get inspiration from their innovative tactics and look for ways to make your messaging unique. Fix design and technical issues that create roadblocks for visitors to your web site and look for ways ways to add interest. Think of the most amazing event you can have at your facility and then set a budget that you can afford and revise, adjust, compromise, and stretch until you can have an event that you can justify. Then do it!

The bottom line is this: thinking small is not a reflection of budget, just a mindset. Most businesses have the ability to improve their customer perception and sales appeal with well executed inexpensive changes. Adopt a big business attitude and you’re likely to see your sales grow.