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Don’t call us “Small Businesses”! (We prefer something else)


hi I’m Evan Carmichael I believe in

hi I’m Evan Carmichael I believe in entrepreneurs and I also do a lot of

entrepreneurs and I also do a lot of

entrepreneurs and I also do a lot of work helping big companies sell to small

work helping big companies sell to small

work helping big companies sell to small businesses and I thought I’d create a

businesses and I thought I’d create a

businesses and I thought I’d create a new series to help these big businesses

new series to help these big businesses

new series to help these big businesses do a better job of selling the small

do a better job of selling the small

do a better job of selling the small businesses so my first tip my first bit

businesses so my first tip my first bit

businesses so my first tip my first bit of advice is stop saying small business

of advice is stop saying small business

of advice is stop saying small business small businesses don’t self-identify as

small businesses don’t self-identify as

small businesses don’t self-identify as being a small business and I get how

being a small business and I get how

being a small business and I get how it’s easy in big companies to to

it’s easy in big companies to to

it’s easy in big companies to to classify people right you have

classify people right you have

classify people right you have enterprise medium business small

enterprise medium business small

enterprise medium business small business it’s easy to have a VP of small

business it’s easy to have a VP of small

business it’s easy to have a VP of small business or a small business marketing

business or a small business marketing

business or a small business marketing manager the problem is these small

manager the problem is these small

manager the problem is these small businesses they don’t call themselves

businesses they don’t call themselves

businesses they don’t call themselves small businesses so you don’t want to be

small businesses so you don’t want to be

small businesses so you don’t want to be running that in your marketing your

running that in your marketing your

running that in your marketing your campaigns your advertising because it

campaigns your advertising because it

campaigns your advertising because it doesn’t connect to people well I riesen

doesn’t connect to people well I riesen

doesn’t connect to people well I riesen did a survey to my newsletter list which

did a survey to my newsletter list which

did a survey to my newsletter list which has almost 80,000 people on it all

has almost 80,000 people on it all

has almost 80,000 people on it all entrepreneur small businesses and I

entrepreneur small businesses and I

entrepreneur small businesses and I asked them what do you consider yourself

asked them what do you consider yourself

asked them what do you consider yourself to be and I gave them options

to be and I gave them options

to be and I gave them options entrepreneur business owner small

entrepreneur business owner small

entrepreneur business owner small business and here were the results 60.2

business and here were the results 60.2

business and here were the results 60.2 percent of people said entrepreneur 29.2

percent of people said entrepreneur 29.2

percent of people said entrepreneur 29.2 percent of people said business owner

percent of people said business owner

percent of people said business owner six point six percent of people said

six point six percent of people said

six point six percent of people said small business and four percent of

small business and four percent of

small business and four percent of people chose a different answer so only

people chose a different answer so only

people chose a different answer so only six point six percent of small

six point six percent of small

six point six percent of small businesses actually self-identify as

businesses actually self-identify as

businesses actually self-identify as being a small business now if you want

being a small business now if you want

being a small business now if you want to have success in your marketing right

to have success in your marketing right

to have success in your marketing right you’ve got to be able to speak in the

you’ve got to be able to speak in the

you’ve got to be able to speak in the same language that people speak in I

same language that people speak in I

same language that people speak in I call small businesses small business

call small businesses small business

call small businesses small business when I’m talking to big companies when

when I’m talking to big companies when

when I’m talking to big companies when I’m talking to brains because that’s how

I’m talking to brains because that’s how

I’m talking to brains because that’s how they call it internally but I never say

they call it internally but I never say

they call it internally but I never say small business when I’m talking

small business when I’m talking

small business when I’m talking entrepreneurs and the big businesses

entrepreneurs and the big businesses

entrepreneurs and the big businesses have to do the same thing internally

have to do the same thing internally

have to do the same thing internally maybe you still call it small business

maybe you still call it small business

maybe you still call it small business but when you’re out public facing

but when you’re out public facing

but when you’re out public facing talking to entrepreneurs stop saying

talking to entrepreneurs stop saying

talking to entrepreneurs stop saying small businesses because that’s not how

small businesses because that’s not how

small businesses because that’s not how they consider themselves to be now on

they consider themselves to be now on

they consider themselves to be now on top of that a lot of entrepreneurs find

top of that a lot of entrepreneurs find

top of that a lot of entrepreneurs find the term to be offensive not everybody

the term to be offensive not everybody

the term to be offensive not everybody but a number of entrepreneurs find the

but a number of entrepreneurs find the

but a number of entrepreneurs find the term small business to be offensive

term small business to be offensive

term small business to be offensive here’s part of what they said they’d

here’s part of what they said they’d

here’s part of what they said they’d consider it to be

consider it to be

consider it to be limiting degrading reflective of their

limiting degrading reflective of their

limiting degrading reflective of their ability just because somebody is small

ability just because somebody is small

ability just because somebody is small it doesn’t mean that they are small

it doesn’t mean that they are small

it doesn’t mean that they are small person or they have small goals and some

person or they have small goals and some

person or they have small goals and some entrepreneurs not everybody but some of

entrepreneurs not everybody but some of

entrepreneurs not everybody but some of them consider the fact that you’re

them consider the fact that you’re

them consider the fact that you’re calling them small they take that as a

calling them small they take that as a

calling them small they take that as a personal insult so at best you’re

personal insult so at best you’re

personal insult so at best you’re calling people by something that they

calling people by something that they

calling people by something that they don’t associate with and at worst you’re

don’t associate with and at worst you’re

don’t associate with and at worst you’re offending them and that’s definitely not

offending them and that’s definitely not

offending them and that’s definitely not something you want to have in your

something you want to have in your

something you want to have in your marketing your campaigns here is some of

marketing your campaigns here is some of

marketing your campaigns here is some of the specific feedback that came out of

the specific feedback that came out of

the specific feedback that came out of the survey I run a profitable regular

the survey I run a profitable regular

the survey I run a profitable regular sized business I definitely don’t think

sized business I definitely don’t think

sized business I definitely don’t think that everything that required a lot of

that everything that required a lot of

that everything that required a lot of my time thoughts and passion as small I

my time thoughts and passion as small I

my time thoughts and passion as small I refuse to be degraded I consider myself

refuse to be degraded I consider myself

refuse to be degraded I consider myself as an entrepreneur I’m a business owner

as an entrepreneur I’m a business owner

as an entrepreneur I’m a business owner a one-man band but I’m not small I never

a one-man band but I’m not small I never

a one-man band but I’m not small I never used the word small on issues relating

used the word small on issues relating

used the word small on issues relating to my business I always use the word

to my business I always use the word

to my business I always use the word entrepreneur the word small action

entrepreneur the word small action

entrepreneur the word small action limits ones potential in my opinion

limits ones potential in my opinion

limits ones potential in my opinion first and foremost I’m a business owner

first and foremost I’m a business owner

first and foremost I’m a business owner and entrepreneur the problem is a

and entrepreneur the problem is a

and entrepreneur the problem is a government to find small businesses as

government to find small businesses as

government to find small businesses as 50 employees or less and to me 50 is a

50 employees or less and to me 50 is a

50 employees or less and to me 50 is a big business a business owner I’m in my

big business a business owner I’m in my

big business a business owner I’m in my startup phase and it’s just me on board

startup phase and it’s just me on board

startup phase and it’s just me on board I’m still not a small business I always

I’m still not a small business I always

I’m still not a small business I always refer to myself as a business owner on

refer to myself as a business owner on

refer to myself as a business owner on the basis it is factually correct

the basis it is factually correct

the basis it is factually correct irrespective of size status or any other

irrespective of size status or any other

irrespective of size status or any other adjectives you care to mention

adjectives you care to mention

adjectives you care to mention interesting question and yes being

interesting question and yes being

interesting question and yes being labeled small can be frustrating

labeled small can be frustrating

labeled small can be frustrating particularly so when you feel that is

particularly so when you feel that is

particularly so when you feel that is being used to suggest your ability that

being used to suggest your ability that

being used to suggest your ability that impact your chosen market might be

impact your chosen market might be

impact your chosen market might be limited by size I struggled to find a

limited by size I struggled to find a

limited by size I struggled to find a polite way to say this but i would

polite way to say this but i would

polite way to say this but i would venture that in the context of

venture that in the context of

venture that in the context of categorizing businesses the word small

categorizing businesses the word small

categorizing businesses the word small is usually used by someone whose

is usually used by someone whose

is usually used by someone whose abilities to exist beyond the

abilities to exist beyond the

abilities to exist beyond the comfortable safety of an established

comfortable safety of an established

comfortable safety of an established corporate structure might be seriously

corporate structure might be seriously

corporate structure might be seriously limited by definition I’m an

limited by definition I’m an

limited by definition I’m an entrepreneur it is something that has

entrepreneur it is something that has

entrepreneur it is something that has bothered me for some time although I’ve

bothered me for some time although I’ve

bothered me for some time although I’ve never articulated it I consider myself

never articulated it I consider myself

never articulated it I consider myself to be a business owner if someone were

to be a business owner if someone were

to be a business owner if someone were to count my immediate permanent staff

to count my immediate permanent staff

to count my immediate permanent staff they could conclude that I was small

they could conclude that I was small

they could conclude that I was small however if they also included the

however if they also included the

however if they also included the specialized consultants who I work with

specialized consultants who I work with

specialized consultants who I work with then I would be considered bigger if

then I would be considered bigger if

then I would be considered bigger if they then consider the influence I have

they then consider the influence I have

they then consider the influence I have to enable change in other organizations

to enable change in other organizations

to enable change in other organizations and I could be considered a large

and I could be considered a large

and I could be considered a large business

business

business I guess it all depends upon whether one

I guess it all depends upon whether one

I guess it all depends upon whether one sees size in terms of headcount or

sees size in terms of headcount or

sees size in terms of headcount or influence and in the famous words of

influence and in the famous words of

influence and in the famous words of marketing giant David Ogilvy I don’t

marketing giant David Ogilvy I don’t

marketing giant David Ogilvy I don’t know the rules of grammar but if you’re

know the rules of grammar but if you’re

know the rules of grammar but if you’re trying to persuade people to do

trying to persuade people to do

trying to persuade people to do something or buy something it seems to

something or buy something it seems to

something or buy something it seems to me you should use their language the

me you should use their language the

me you should use their language the language they use everyday the language

language they use everyday the language

language they use everyday the language in which they think we try to write in

in which they think we try to write in

in which they think we try to write in the vernacular David Ogilvy so stop

the vernacular David Ogilvy so stop

the vernacular David Ogilvy so stop calling us small businesses and start

calling us small businesses and start

calling us small businesses and start speaking our language belief if you guys

speaking our language belief if you guys

speaking our language belief if you guys like this video you want to learn more

like this video you want to learn more

like this video you want to learn more about how I help brands you can check

about how I help brands you can check

about how I help brands you can check out Evan Carmichael calm / brands or

out Evan Carmichael calm / brands or

out Evan Carmichael calm / brands or subscribe to the channel thank you guys

subscribe to the channel thank you guys

subscribe to the channel thank you guys so much for watching I’ll see you soon

hi ever kill English here with mermaid

hi ever kill English here with mermaid junkutv are you on Evans newsletter

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subscription if not you should be I read every single one and you should too ciao

”

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