Last week while grocery shopping in Brighton, I bought a package of 25 bubble tools for my two year old.  The container had all kinds of cool looking pipes and wands and I have to admit, I think I was more excited about this than my son. 

Well… turns out that most of these complicated bubble pipes and wands made horrible bubbles, if any at all.  The best ones in the bunch were actually these miniature wands, that just had a bunch of straight forward bubble holes on them.  These wands made hoards of perfect little tiny bubbles.  And they were efficient.  You could blow time after time without redipping them into the soap.

What does this have to do with small business or graphic design?  Well… those little bubble wands are like small businesses.  They’re not complicated – at least not in the same way a big firm is.  Generally, there are only a few people making the decisions – often only one person.  The lack of complication makes them more efficient.  Things get done.  They move forward.  I know when I’m working with a small business that I am working with the decision makers, rather than a go between.  And I know that the feedback on my work is really coming from the person whose opinion matters.

I also think small business people are more authentic. They don’t have someone in a marketing department telling them who they are.  They know what they’re about – it’s why their business is there.  They sell it themselves and they believe it.  When you meet a small business owner or entrepreneur, you know what you’re getting.  They’re not a crazy bubble pipe with strange little bits coming off the sides – that ends up blowing more air than bubbles.

What do you like about small business people or entrepreneurs?