The secret weapon of a small business (and how to use it)

Each week I host a mentoring call for my business community Launchpad. It’s one of my favourite times of the week. I just love it because it’s an opportunity to get in the trenches with our members and help them get unstuck with their current business challenges. Last week, we chatted about the best thing small businesses have. It’s a kind of secret weapon that not many business owners use — and that is your purpose.

Let me explain.

The difference between a small business and a big business is that small businesses are run by founders who are deeply passionate about what they are creating. They really care. Every detail matters and every customer counts.

A big business doesn’t care if it sells another unit or item. But as the saying goes: every time you buy from a small business, someone behind the scenes does a happy dance.

More than ever, consumers want to know that they are buying from someone who gives a sh!t, someone ethical, or someone who cares about the planet and our impact on it.

In fact, when consumers choose your products they are joining an unofficial community of people who are conscious of their buying decisions. Not only do they get the ‘warm and fuzzies’ to know that their money is going to a brilliant, courageous founder who has taken big risks and poured their heart and soul into the details of that product, but they also can identify themselves with a community of people who are also supporting small ethical businesses. Conscious consumers are then connected. They might recognise the dress or the earrings in the queue at the coffee shop — and connect with the stranger — as they are part of the same ‘unofficial community’ of supporting small businesses.

Most of the time they will have to pay more, but the quality is usually far superior and the product goes the distance.

So, how do you leverage this in your business?

You make sure you show this happy dance, tell them your journey, show your passion, and share your story and the impact your brand is creating. Go live and talk to the camera on Instagram, get personal in your emails, and be real, authentic and vulnerable.

It’s not unprofessional; it’s real and it’s engaging, and it connects people. People want to buy from people.

I have been doing this for my business for a few years and the result has been nothing short of amazing. Not just on the purpose and impact, which is hugely important to me, but also on the bottom line.

One way I do this is to send a personal email every Sunday about the behind-the-scenes of running my businesses and my community — it’s the good, the bad and the ugly.

I have had so many people reach out to me, requesting to connect, asking for advice, or just telling me how much they enjoy the raw, honest approach. I’ve even had one subscriber tell me they printed off one of my emails and posted it on their wall as a reminder (it could be of what to do, or what not to do — I didn’t ask!). How wonderful is that?

I encourage all small business owners to lean into their purpose and the ‘realness’ of being a small business. Show your wild passion. Let your customers connect with you and get to know you — and the best way is to show up, embrace the cringe, and be open, raw and honest on whichever platform your audience is hanging out.

Give it a go, and let me know the outcome.

Chris Edwards is the founder and CEO of Honeycombers, a lifestyle media platform in Asia, and the founder and CEO of Launchpad, a conscious community of ethic-led entrepreneurs that spans across 11 countries.