Here in Marietta Georgia, small business is the norm. Everywhere you turn you’ve got carpenters, contractors, decorators, designers, and even computer repair specialist like me. The only problem is that many of the small businesses aren’t what they claim to be.
I pride myself in trying new things and I’m always on the lookout for a new and upcoming company to prove their skills and show the world just why small businesses can be the better choice. Whenever I need a repair on my house, car, or even furniture, I want to give the little guys a chance.
One of the reasons obviously is price. Small businesses generally charge 30-70% less than your local chain store or major corporation. The reason for this is overhead. Smaller businesses don’t have the expenses the bigger companies have. They don’t have to worry about all the extra costs involved in hiring accountants, secretaries, etc. They normally do that on their own.
Another benefit of hiring the smaller guy is attention. You get to spend more time with the boss, which means you can specify what you want more clearly and your chances of getting the job done right is greatly enhanced.
Now for the bad part. In my experiences with small businesses I’ve found many who just don’t care. They are willing and ready to take every dollar from you they can, then disappear. They usually aren’t willing to provide any type of support, and worst of all, there really aren’t any ways of getting your money back from people like this.
So here are few questions you should always ask before making the decision to hire a small business to do your dirty work.
1.Do you provide support?
2.Do you have insurance or are you bonded?
3.Do you have any references?