It's not a small business. It's your business. And it's pretty big to you.

I live in an old, old community that's about 2 miles outside of the Philadelphia city limits. Glenside, PA. It sprung to life in the mid-1800's as a "summer retreat for the Philadelphia business elite". But I know it as my home for over 30 years where I raised my children from birth to adulthood in a 1913 home in a front porch community.

Glenside is also home to a countless number of quaint, family-owned retail shops and small businesses, like those pictured here. Betty & Jack's. Humpty's Dumplings. The Village Diner. O'Neills Market. The Keswick Tavern. Bullseye Burger. And more. But these businesses aren't small to the owners, not at all. They're pretty darn big to their owners and have profound meaning and impact on them and their families.

I've participated recently in a series of small business marketing forums and been asked what small business owners can do to market themselves to compete with bigger shops. Here are some of the tips I shared: 

1. Remember your “Big Mac”: Don’t try to be everything to everyone, focus on that core product and service that has defined you, that has led to purchases and retained customers.
2. Outsmart, don’t outspend: The mark of any good marketer should not be how much you spend, but how little you need to spend to achieve your goals. Social is a good way to go, and e-marketing to your customers and prospects costs very little.
3. Get tech-savvy: A small-biz owner can be the Davy that beats Goliath if they know how to be crafty and nimble in using on- and off-page tactics to beat the big-company sloths at SEO keyword rankings.
4. Focus on process as much as product: Brands and lasting customer relationships are built on good customer experiences. Provide great products and services, sure, but also deliver the “wow factor” with a fast, simple, certain process backed by a trusted personal brand.
5. Be your brand: Customers buy based on function and emotion, they need to believe in the promise of the product and the person who stands behind it. Amplifying the very human, very personal story of the business owner behind the brand can create strong emotional bonds with customers.
6. Live and learn: Or maybe “test and learn” is the better phrase. There are so many marketing avenues open to you and they come with the ability to measure results and effectiveness. Don’t be afraid to be a mad scientist, trying different things in the lab until you get the formula right.