Big Company Vs. Small Company: What’s Best For You?

Working in a small or big company is a common situation you may face when starting your first job or looking for a new job. 

I have worked both in big companies and small companies. I personally prefer to work in big companies. Here I would like to share my personal thoughts on why I prefer large corporations, and their advantages over small businesses. 

Definition of a Big Company

My definition of a big company: “large scale, standard rules & regulations, and good management”.

Big companies are not meaning companies with a large number of people, a well-known reputation, or many organizations. 

In fact, there are also a lot of companies in the market with many employees but with bad management. 

Next, let me talk about the value of big companies.

Advantages of Working for a Big Company

1. Platform Value

The real value of big companies lies in the height or big of the platform. 

Take sales as an example. A small company may make a profit of 1 million USD a year. But a big corporation may spend 2-3 million USD in marketing budgets a year. 

When you have the experience of spending 2-3 million USD, you’ll stand at a new height to look at sales and marketing, which is a completely different concept compared with studying the best-sellers book to study sales and marketing theory. 

In terms of doing business, your ceiling point in a small company may be the starting point of a big company or even lower. Even if big companies are with complicated relationships, and fight openly or secretly, they are the ones that test and train people. 

Those who can survive are excellent staff. All they need is the right environment and they can show great potential.

But if you are only struggling in a small company, you may never reach that height.

2. High-value Networking Contacts

You are surrounded by people who are like you or even more powerful than you when working in a big company. As long as these people can recognize you, they will bring you greater value in the future. This is the power of high-value networking contacts.

A person relies on hard work before the age of 35, and after the age of 35, he may rely on the contacts accumulated before to conduct business. Especially those who do sales may have this kind of personal experience. The more high-value contacts you have accumulated before, the more helpful to you will be in the future.

Let’s see the pros and cons of a small company.

Advantages of Working for a Small Company

You may do many roles in a small business. The advantage of working in a small company is that you’ll become more comprehensive as you almost can do everything.

Disadvantages of Working for a Small Company

The disadvantage is that the individual may only focus on the field he is doing, the vision is narrow, and doesn’t know how big the outside world is, and can’t control a big situation. This is caused by the lack of vision, and there is almost no way to change it.

Let me talk about 5 things that make you crash when working in a small business:

1. The low salary. The monthly salary of most small businesses is 3000~4000 USD per month.
2. The boss spends a lot of time “stealing” the experience from capable employees, and then finds all kinds of excuses to dismiss those who have been crushed.
3. Jobs with room for development and more money (such as purchasing) are all occupied by the boss’s relatives and friends.
4. There is no power and no operating space at work, only responsibilities and obligations.
5. The boss is either self-righteous or jealous, and always feels that he is better than anyone else.

Have you experienced the above?

What You’ll Learn If Change from Working for a Small Company to a Big Company

If you are now doing sales in a small corporation, what can you learn by hopping to a big corporation? I think there are at least two things:

1. Changes in Thinking Models.

Big companies have a lot of things that small companies can’t match in their thinking mode. Sales need to open themselves, constantly learn and accept new things, such as dare to quote, dare to guide and challenge customers, dare to give up mismatched customers and many more.

2. Changes in Sales Models.

Big companies generally have established sales methodology. Sales should learn to absorb nutrients from the new methodology and become part of their daily sales skills.

Generally, a high-potential sales from a small company to a big company may have an adaptation period of about 6-12 months. During this period, there may be a decline in sales performance, but then it will restart again.

They may become top sales in big companies if combine the advantages of small companies with the models of big companies.

Small Company is Worth to go?

You may have thought about this question for a while. Whether a small company is worth work in or not, it depends on your condition. But in fact, as long as you consider two points, you can find the answer.

1. What Do You Need?

Some people go to a small company because they can’t get in a big company, some want to exercise, some want to take more responsibility to prove themselves, and some are paid high by small companies…

So the first point is to understand whether this company can give you what you want.

2. How About the Boss?

Whether the boss can put employees’ interests first and try to be considerate. Small companies test the unity of employees even more. If the boss only cares about the interests of the company and ignores the employees, this kind of company may no prospects.

3. Other Factors to Consider

Other factors, like industry prospects, working environment, and company reputation can only be known after entering the company.

Keep Mind You are Working for Yourself

Whether you’re working for a big or small company, you are working for yourself, regardless of the size of the company, especially for sales. Sales are actually personal brands, especially the longer you do in an industry, the more significant your brand effect will be. 

Joe Gerald, an American salesman, who was the seller of the most cars in a year (1,425 in 1973). You had to make an appointment with him if you would like to buy a car from him.

He sold standard Chevrolet cars, which you could also buy from other dealerships. Why people line up to find him is because he had built his own brand.

So sales can change companies, but suggested not to change the industry (if you don’t know which industry is right for you, change as early as possible, you can change 2-3 industries a year, I did it back then).

In addition, the sales position is a little different from other positions in the company. It doesn’t matter what kind of guarantees the company provides you. Your ability and value are your guarantees. 

This ability may not only the work ability, maybe popularity, flattering, loyalty that the boss likes…

Final Thought

Therefore, if you want to have a career of your own in the future, it may be necessary to go to a big company (know how to fill out the job application form) while you are young and have the opportunity to experience it.

You will find the same thing but a different sky. At least you will know how the company will grow bigger. If you just want to make some money, it doesn’t matter where you go, and sometimes you may also have great opportunities in a small company.

Finally, we can calm down and think about it. In fact, it is the big companies that change the world, right? Even if they’re not big companies, but most probably invested by big companies.