By Alexandra Gladu, Writer for Independent We Stand
Customers know them by their stellar service and high quality products, but employees have their own list of reasons to love small businesses. While national chains have strict standards and minimal expectations for their employees, small businesses offer local opportunities and family-friendly working enviroments. Without a distant corporate headquarters to worry about, there are at least five reasons why you’ll love working for a small business.
1. Proximity to Management
Need time off for a family emergency? Have a suggestion for a new product or service to offer? When you work for a small business, your voice will be heard immediately by the business’s ultimate decision makers. You can ask questions, get feedback and make business decisions quickly because there’s less red tape, no corporate bureaucracy, and there’s no such thing as your boss’s-boss’s-boss.
2. Personal Treatment
Small business owners treat their employees like members of the family. Whether you need help selling cookies for your daughter’s Girl Scout Troop, or your dog has to be rushed to the vet during business hours, small business owners are there to help. They offer flexible schedules and competitive benefits – and they won’t forget to ask how your dog is doing the next morning.
3. Upward Mobility … Without Relocation
Small businesses have small corporate ladders. Within no time, a part-time employee can become a full-time manager. Because small businesses are locally owned and operated, these promotions don’t come with cross-country transfers attached to them, letting employees stay in the community they love no matter how long they work for the business.
4. Opportunities to Learn All Areas of Business
Human resources, advertising, buying – you could pick one of these fields and find an opening at a national corporation, or you could get experience with each one of them at a small business. At small businesses, all of these activities – and more – take place in-house, so you can explore several of them to find what you truly love to do!
5. Commitment to the Community
Working for a small business means more than just greeting customers, answering phones and increasing the bottom line; it’s about supporting the community through economic activity, customer service, and giving back. Your work everyday at a small business makes the community strong and more vibrant. You’ll show your love for the community on the job, and the community will love you right back.
Once again, small businesses show us that there’s a lot to love about going local. These businesses don’t just offer your typical part-time jobs; they offer big opportunities that come with exciting perks.
IWS Content Team:
Alex is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she is double-majoring in Public Relations and Spanish. Since becoming a writer for Independent We Stand, she has fully adopted the ‘buy local’ lifestyle. Her favorite indie business is Sugarland, a bakery in Chapel Hill, N.C, where she has been known to go a little cupcake crazy. She hopes to attend law school and pursue a career in nonprofit or political communication.
Read more about community, employee appreciation day, small business, small businesses.
