Big Business vs. Small Business: Which is Better?
Making a decision on who to call for a home repair service or for an installation isn’t easy. Instead of doing the research, many people just go with the first company they see. You know, the one who plasters themselves on all of the TV advertisements and billboards. Sure, this company may seem like the right choice to be able to afford a fifteen second spot during the evening news broadcast, but can they really deliver a quality service like they claim on TV? Choosing the right company to re-do the siding on your house or add plumbing and electricity to your new bathroom is crucial. Whether it’s a big business or small business, the workmanship needs to be top-notch. After all, who wants their siding falling off from a small hailstorm? So, who should you choose? Let’s break it down:
Big Contractors
Larger companies of course have the manpower to accomplish any job. The 50 vans or so you see on the roads can prove that. The big businesses can handle any and all calls that come in, and have the advantage of getting many large jobs that require a lot of hands. The big contractors are also almost always licensed, bonded, and insured.
Heavy marketing and advertising gives the “big boys” leverage on small businesses as well, with a stronger brand recognition; however, who do you think pays for that marketing? Simple answer: the customer. The TV ads and billboards you see, the pay-per-click ads on Google, the radio advertisements, etc. have to be funded somehow. What about those 50 plus vans you pass by on the road? The price you pay for a project or service takes into account the gas for those vans, the payroll for those contractors, and the wrapping and lettering on those vans. Because of the costs mentioned above, the price of the service is sometimes double, even triple that of a smaller company. Some would say this is price gauging, but in the end, the bigger companies still need to make a profit with all of their overhead.
Small Contractors
Some people choose the bigger contractors solely for comfort, knowing that in the event if something were to go wrong, a manager is only a phone call away to fix it; however, it’s the small businesses that go above and beyond to make sure a customer’s needs are met. Smaller companies are small enough to care, but big enough to execute. They build relationships with clients that are more long-term, whereas bigger contractor companies are more short-term with their “hit and run” reputation. The larger contractors get so many calls that if you don’t choose them for your service, it doesn’t really matter; it’s on to the next call. Small contractors still have overhead and marketing, but not to the extent of a larger company, so they won’t need to price-gauge to make a profit.
There are a few things to be aware of with smaller companies. Make certain that the contractor is up-to-date with workman’s compensation, and is licensed and insured. If a contractor is too small with only a one or two man team, it may be more difficult to execute the job in a reasonable amount of time. This means it could take up to a few months down the road for your next home project to be completed. This is the complete opposite for the licensed Master Electricians at KB Electric LLC. Our team consists of six to nine, highly trained electricians, which means small enough to care, but big enough to execute.
