Market like a Chihuahua

Living in New York City, I meet a lot of Chihuahuas, I usually encounter them while walking my 65-pound Standard Poodle named Pilot. These Chihuahuas’ personalities range from out of control aggression to talented provocateurs.

When we encounter one of these little four to five pound creatures, I never know what to expect. The little guy can take one look at my bigger dog and go into an aggressive attack mode. It dawns on me that the Chihuahua either has no idea, or is willing to take the risk that my 65-pounder could make him a bite sized snack. Other Chihuahuas we’ve encountered walk right up to my guy and posture like they are long lost friends. Oblivious to their size, they appear to have no concept that a 65-pound dog might not make the most gentle of playmates.

According to the American Kennel Club, “Chihuahuas are graceful, alert and swift-moving with a saucy expression. Chihuahuas are highly intelligent and should not be underestimated even though small in size.”

As a small business owner, if you are shying away from marketing to larger accounts or partnering with bigger firms, you might want to rethink that position. Today’s technology has removed so many barriers that anything is now more possible than ever before.

For example, thanks to social media and the internet, you no longer need a six-digit budget to get the word out. With a solid website, and social media marketing done well, you can establish a presence that can match, if not rival, competitors of any size.

Another example is if you can’t afford to make the investments to expand, and think you can’t afford to hire top-notch talent, there are pools of talent accessible on sites built just for the purpose of matching available talent with companies in need of resources. You can contract talent for a specific project until you can establish yourself and create a steady stream of business that warrants and supports hiring full time talent. Some sites you might want to check out are www.guru.com, www.freelancer.com, and www.elance.com. Of course, don’t forget to post on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

If you think that being small is a disadvantage competitively, then I suggest a quick visit to a dog park in your area. Watch closely for the little dogs—such as the Chihuahua—who manage to rule the roost. Size matters not. Brains, attitude, a willingness to take risks, and a forward stance is what makes a five pounder push back a much larger dog. I’ve seen one five pounder own the dog park, keeping nearly a thousand pounds’ worth of dogs well in his control.

Chest out, tail high and wagging, wide opened eyes, a confident bark, and forward movement could win you the next big account. Now, go fetch that account.