It's Relationships, Stupid!

Note:  New to Deviantly Domesticated?  Thanks for visiting!  We are right in the middle of a series on micro-business and why it could be a great fit for women.  Scroll below to read previous posts, or jump right in with today's discussion!

I posted last week about the "big-box-ification" of business these days, and how sometimes bigger really isn't better.  One of the negative side-effects of big business is that the larger it gets, the less personal it becomes.  You know what I'm talking about.  Take the automated answering service that spits out a menu when you call in for help with your new cell phone.  Or the glazed teenage clerk who doesn't even look you in the eye while you check out at a box store.  Or maybe you work for a large corporation, and know that you'll never meet the CEO, and that he/she wouldn't know your name if you did.  

The truth is that personalization is rare in our economy these days.  What we've reaped in profit we've lost in human contact.  But not every corner of commerce lacks the personal touch.  Personalization is in fact one of the primary characteristics of micro-business.  In fact, this relational quality is one of the main reasons I think micro-business could work so well for women.  After all, we tend to gravitate toward relationships, surrounding ourselves with friends and family naturally.  It makes sense, then, that we would flourish in an economic environment that nurtures relationships.  And this is the kind of environment micro-business flourishes in.

Take, for instance, my sister who just agreed to watch her friend's child during the week for some extra money.  Although it doesn't seem like a "formal" business, they are exchanging a service for money.  And both of them benefit from it.  This little micro-business evolved out of a relationship, and will nurture the relationship going into the future.  Therefore, one of the side effects of relational micro-business is that it connects us with others in our community.  This is in stark contrast to big business, which often isolates us by turning us into nameless, individual consumers.  

Of course, the economy at-large tends to frown upon small, personal connections.  They are too cumbersome, and slow down growth.  Eventually the business has to start sacrificing names for profit.  And though there is some truth to this, I want to encourage all of us who are looking for a better balance in our economy to consider the personalization of micro-business as a viable option.  Whether you decide to start a business of your own, or decide to support them through the income from more traditional work, investing in micro-business is an investment in relationships, and often an investment in female leadership in the economy.  Sounds like a good thing to me!

Nuts and Bolts

Hopefully you had an opportunity yesterday to read some stories about men and women who have successfully started their own micro-businesses.  If not, scroll down to read Wednesday's post.

I thought that now would be a good time to put some nuts and bolts to some of those personal stories by answering the questions, "what is micro-business" and "why is it necessary?"  Tomorrow we'll dig into why it could be a great fit for women in today's economic times.

So, what exactly is micro-business?  Well, it's smaller than small business.  Micro-businesses are tiny--usually employing 1-5 people.  They commonly operate out of the home, and they often provide goods and services for the local community (although they don't have to).  Because they are so small, they tend to be flexible, require little start-up capital, and generally fly under the radar.

If they fly under the radar, you might ask, why are micro-businesses important?  Well, I'm sure you are all familiar with the growing "big-box-ification" trend in our local towns.  You know--where goods and services are increasing provided to us by giant chain stores and franchises.  This trend has provided us with great one-stop-shops, low prices, and convenience.  But it has also created some negative consequences in our local economies, like loss of competition, lower quality goods, and impersonal service.  

Not to oversimplify, but it kind of reminds me of high school.  The big-box businesses are glamorous, like the prom king and queen.  They can throw their weight around, influencing the entire culture.  And they are so popular--city governments throw money at them to woe them into town (aka development incentives).  In contrast, smaller businesses (most of them locally owned) are left in the wake of the popular kids.  Though they may have great creativity, ingenuity, and high quality, they just aren't as cool.  And eventually they get crowded out.

What happens?  Well, many of the things we are witnessing today.  Our jobs are not as stable because global economic forces can put the squeeze on large corporations, sometimes squeezing us out of work (think outsourcing).  Small-time entrepreneurs have a challenging time competing, and often go out of business trying.  And the popular "kids" call all the shots--No money for local healthcare?  Too bad.  Don't want to commute an hour there and back?  Oh well--they'll find someone else who will.  All the decisions are made in far-away, fancy boardrooms, and we have little say in them.

This is not to say that big-box businesses are all bad.  They aren't.  In fact, in a lot of cases, they provide an inspiring example of the American Dream.  But, they need some competition, and we need an alternative.  You know the old adage, "don't put your eggs all in one basket"?  Well, we shouldn't put all of our dollars into big-box businesses.  As it is in the stock market, a little diversity can go a long way.

So, what does this have to do with stay-at-home moms, housewives, and young working women?  Well, we'll get more into that tomorrow, but let's just say that we might be the exact population to balance the scales a bit.  Tune in Friday for more!