Today’s post comes from Norm Bour, a blogger with the  NewportBeachPatch, CoronaDelMarPatch, and LagunaNiguelPatch.  

Norm is a 30 year veteran entrepreneur, specializing in creating workshops in partnerships with cities, chambers, nonprofits and associations. www.OPISnetwork.com

For the past several years I have been monitoring and reporting on  how the public feels about the “trustworthiness” of small business.  I  was pleasantly surprised in 2009 when I shared in workshops that small  businesses had a higher degree of confidence over virtually all other  “institutions”, including organized religion, the educational system, TV  and all media outlets, banks and certainly Congress and major  companies.

The Gallup organization has been doing these types of surveys since  1973 and small business has consistently been close to or at the top  level. The latest survey backs that up and it seems that 64 percent of the  American public trust small business owners and is surpassed only by the  military with 78 percent. The complete survey can be viewed at http://www.gallup.com/poll/148163/Americans-Confident-Military-Least-Congress.aspx. Following small business is Police departments with 56 percent and at the bottom with a dismal 12 percent; Congress.

In reviewing the historical averages since 1973, the top two, the  military, with 67 percent and small business with 62 percent have remained consistent  as have the BOTTOM ones which are Congress, Big Business and HMO  organizations.

So, putting numbers aside let’s find out WHY Americans trust small  business more than any other organization that they regularly deal with:

#1) They are just like me and you.

The cliché of the “Ma & Pa” store is not just a cliché; it really  means that the owners can be a husband and wife or any derivation of  family that owns a business. The business can be a local restaurant,  nail salon, dry cleaner, car repair place or any other types that you  can imagine. In many cases they have been in the family for years or  even decades and this business is their livelihood. The service you get  is probably better than at a bigger chain store and that sense of  belonging and identity may keep you going back for years.

#2) You can talk to them and they listen.

How many times have you had a dispute with a major company and drove  yourself crazy getting it resolved? Big Business can be unwieldy to work  with and it may be difficult to get satisfaction working through 800  numbers or overseas call center in case you have a conflict or dispute.  Small business cares and they understand that one unhappy customer can  create many more, as can a happy one.

#3) Convenience

Small business in many cases is not that small at all, but generally  they are more proximate in your life and local enough to be within your  travel route. The corner hardware store that you can walk in to and talk  with someone that knows your needs is a valuable magnet that keeps you  coming back for more. The definition of what constitutes a small  business can be whatever you think it means. SBA defines it as a  business with less than 500 employees, but for most of us it means that  you can speak with someone in charge and feel some degree of  communication and comfort.

If you are a small business owner, congratulations! YOU are what  fuels the economy, so take the confidence that the public feels for you  and be the best you can be and keep the trend going.