The stigma of being small | Ember Studio

It?s equally astonishing and frustrating that ?small? in a business description is still often regarded as a negative. On more than a few occasions in the last few years, I have heard from prospective clients that they are fearful that Ember is too small to handle their business. I?ve gotten these comments on a variety of projects, everything from ad development to website builds and video productions. I?ve even had people ask about the equipment I use, as if somehow the equipment determines the ability of a company to do the work. To me, it?s akin to asking your plumber what brand of wrenches and torches he uses. Does it really matter if he does good work?

Still, it?s a common complaint of small businesses working in advertising, design, or tech that the team might be too small to do the work. And it?s one that I find difficult to understand when we are inundated with examples of small businesses doing huge things on a daily basis. Here are a few examples of small businesses defying the stigma of their size:

TWiT (This Week in Tech)
In 2005, Leo Laporte and a few friends created a recording of them sitting around discussing technology. In that casual, low-budget homemade recording, a network was inadvertently launched. What began as a weekly internet broadcast distributed under the podcast system of content delivery quickly grew into multiple shows, daily live broadcasts, and big budget ad spots from the likes of Ford, Netflix, Audible, and Citrix. TWiT created an entirely online broadcasting network with a staff of less than 20 and on an operating budget that is a small fraction of their traditional TV broadcast counterparts.

Pinterest
Started in 2008, Pinterest has become a household name and while estimates vary, most put the value of the company at over $1 billion. And with just 7 employees.

Livid Lobster
Similar to TWiT, Livid Lobster is an Internet broadcasting company that produces a few recorded shows and a weekly live show, all distributed online and through podcasting systems. And like TWiT, Livid Lobster is doing things that the large TV broadcast networks simply can?t do. They run a lean business, employing about 10 people (although not all full-time) and produce their shows in a small studio space using relatively inexpensive equipment and techniques to create professional level video content and broadcasts.

Chase Jarvis Inc.
Photographer Chase Jarvis built a name for himself as one of the most sought-after commercial photographers in the business today. No small feat for anyone, especially a photographer working in one of the most competitive creative industries possible. Taking things a few steps further, Chase continued to grow his company and has developed a number of additional products under the Chase Jarvis Inc. name, including a wildly successful iPhone camera app, two books, an online creative education network called creativeLive, and a curator of an ambitious gallery project called?Dasein. He also produces a live web broadcast called Chase Jarvis Live in which he interviews well-known figures from photography, art, music, and entertainment. All on top of an already impressive client list that includes more name-brand companies than even need to be mentioned. Let?s just say you own products by these companies, probably several, including the computer you?re reading this on. And all of this has been done with a staff of 8.

Is there such a thing as ?too small? these days? If a group of people can build multi-million (or billion) dollar businesses with a few computers in a garage, and these success stories are so well-known today, how is it that we still have to struggle through this stigma that some small businesses are too small to deliver high-quality goods and services?

Personally, I?d take the opposite approach these days. I?d prefer to work with companies that are doing a lot with a little. I would rather not pay for the excessive overhead that big businesses are saddled with, and I know that I can get better work faster from a small, nimble, highly creative small business.

Can small businesses to the big jobs? Absolutely. And they can often do it better, faster, and for a lot less money. The question shouldn?t be whether a small business can do the job. It should be, ?What added value does a larger team bring to the table??

Photo by?Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

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