Right now, there’s a lesson big business owners are beginning to learn: Never underestimate the underdog. In a modern world, bigger isn’t always better. In fact, in an age of rapid communication, social media and light-speed tech innovation, people crave connection, and there’s no better place to find it than at a small business. After all, where else will you find someone who’s offering a smart product with a human touch? Now it’s easier than ever for a savvy small business to compete for high-level brand partnerships on a global scale — even when going against the biggest businesses on the planet. Sometimes, prominent brands worry about partnering with smaller businesses. Usually, it’s a question of manpower. While being the “big” client means more attention, it also means the brand will work with a smaller staff who might not offer the same time, expertise or experience. Of course, these reasons aren’t always founded in reality. (In fact, they might be the opposite of how your small business works.) But in order to score that big account, you have to show these potential clients why they should trust your business and how your smaller company can tackle a big account even better than your bigger, more established competition. Small-Time Business Proving yourself is never easy. But it’s important to remember that smaller can be stronger. After all, a smaller company has more at stake when it’s striving to impress, and that means it will put its best work forward — every time. At a small company, your clients can count on working with a senior staff member without paying an inflated fee for layers of junior-level staff. And your clients are treated with care and attention, [...]