Although this year’s National Small Business Week is now behind us, don’t lose sight of the reasons to continue celebrating the benefits of being a small business.

American small businesses often have advantages over larger companies. It’s important to recognize them — and make the most of them — as you start and grow your company.

Here are six characteristics that often give small businesses an edge over bigger competitors:

• Personal Touch — Small business owners have ample opportunities to develop face-to-face, person-to-person relationships with prospects and clients. Leaders of small, local businesses are generally more accessible than those at bigger more broadly dispersed companies.

• Flexibility — Small businesses usually don’t have multiple layers of approval to pass through to adopt ideas and initiatives. They can implement creative ways to serve customers more quickly than many larger businesses.

• Agility — When changes need to be made to fix a process that’s not working well or to meet the challenge of competitive pressures, small businesses can typically act fast. They have fewer employees to communicate with and train for transitions.

• In Touch — Because they often directly interact with customers, small business owners are aware of what their market needs and can recognize how to better serve it. 

• Power to Partner — Small business with complementary products or services and/or those located within the same community, can find power in partnering. By partnering to cross-promote each other or offer a pooled solution to customers, they can adeptly expand their expertise, extend their market reach and enhance their credibility.

• Passion — Small business owners feel closely tied to their businesses and find motivation within themselves to seek success. That drive and desire can result in exceptional products and services — and customer satisfaction.

As you work to make your small business successful, remember all that you have going for you.

As an entrepreneur, not every day will go as smoothly as you’d like, but realize there are many plusses to being a small business. Keep them in mind not only during the good times, but in the challenging times as well.

For more insight about the realities of starting and growing a small business, contact your local SCORE chapter to talk with a mentor.

If you would like help with this process, or other aspects of your established or start-up business, the volunteers at SCORE are available to help.  SCORE is a nationwide network of over 13,000 experienced volunteer executives offering free assistance to small businesses looking for mentoring, counseling, tools and workshops.

You can read about SCORE at www.score.org.  The Polk County Branch of SCORE can be reached at 828-351-9003 or via email at scorepolkcounty@gmail.com.