Living in Oregon, we are fortunate to be able to identify the provenance of many of the products we use and the produce and meats we consume. More so than anywhere else I’ve lived, there’s the ability to shop locally, with any number of locally owned and run businesses and services complementing the offerings of the larger nationwide chains. By and large, these are small businesses. In fact, small businesses make up more than 97% of all employers in the state and account for more than half of the private sector of the labor force, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

That’s why I found a recent article in DailyFinance particularly interesting. The article interviews Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact, who lays out the benefits enjoyed by small businesses and why they often have a marketing edge over their larger counterparts, even with much smaller marketing budgets.

Among the benefits enjoyed by small businesses: the ability to develop a unique personality for their business and build meaningful relationships with customers, relationships that can be leveraged for inexpensive market research. Read more….