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Don't Be Afraid To Go Local

It's nice to think of having Corporate America on your side, but if it makes sense, think local. After all, firms that are both nearby and similar in makeup to your own can offer personalized attention that may be harder to come by with the big guys. New York PR agent Lindner, for example, uses a small, local outfit to host her company's website. "Sure there are problems sometimes, but I don't get put on hold for three hours, and I get an explanation within hours -- sometimes directly over instant messenger," she says. "That's service."

Because many local vendors don't sponsor pricey television advertising campaigns, how can you find the good local alternatives? The best bet is to ask your local service providers, especially your accountant or your lawyer, for recommendations -- after all, they're plugged into the local business community. And whether you're going local or national, start small. Test out a vendor before signing over all your business. That's what Susan Gilbert, owner of Café in the Park, a restaurant with seven employees in San Diego, does. In her line of work, she says, "inventory is cash flow. So when I'm dealing with a vendor, I need to know how quickly can they deliver, how quickly can I turn over the inventory and keep it all tight." If she needs, say, 100 Danish delivered each day to serve hungry throngs of tourists, she'll start out with an order of several dozen and evaluate how the vendor she's selected performs. She says that she takes the same approach with everything from office supplies to delivery services.

Finally, even if you get frustrated, don't give up hope. Even the most recalcitrant vendor can have an epiphany that leads to better service. Remember Witeck, the Washington marketer looking for domestic-partner benefits? After he was turned down by his health-insurance provider, and after he searched without success for an alternate carrier willing to provide the benefit, he didn't simply throw up his hands. He contacted other entrepreneurs in the area, and even enlisted the support of the Washington, D.C., mayor's office. After a year of pressure, Care First announced in May that it would begin offering the benefits to small companies. "The decision made not just my day, but my year," Witeck says. It's an important lesson: Small companies account for 99.7% of all employers in the United States. Wield that market clout, and you'll be surprised at just who you can get to work for you.

5 Who Get It

Finding a vendor who really understands the needs of entrepreneurs is tough -- but it's not impossible. Meet five big players who have figured out how to think small.

1. Intuit Inc.: Willing to Customize
   Intuit takes an uncommonly nuanced approach to entrepreneurs, defining them by the number and complexity of financial transactions they make. The result: products that are neither more nor less than what you need. Intuit also customizes for specific industries, offering different versions of QuickBooks for retail, construction, health care, and nonprofits, with more on the way.
2. The Principal Group: Size Is No Object
   No one likes to be told that they're too small to matter. The Principal Group, one of the leading suppliers of 401(k) plans to small companies, understands this. Unlike other providers, this Des Moines-based outfit offers entrepreneurs the same features that big firms expect, such as the ability to design their own plans, and sophisticated advice on tough issues, like managing risk.
3. Dell computer: on call When Things Go Wrong
   When your technology fails -- as it is wont to do -- Dell works on deadline, offering support within two hours, whether the problem is an individual hard drive or your company's server. What's more, they can often solve the problem over the phone because they keep up-to-date records of exactly how your system is configured.
4. Wells Fargo & Co.: Always Innovating
   More than most banks, Wells Fargo constantly rolls out new services for entrepreneurs, transforming a bank into more than a place to park cash. Sure, there are loan programs tailored specifically to the entrepreneur's financial needs and an award-winning website. But Wells Fargo also reaches beyond traditional banking services, offering entrepreneurs things like payroll services and retirement plans.
5. United Parcel Service Inc.: The Human Touch
   UPS wants to be an extension of your own company -- your own personal fulfillment house. That's why they've rebranded 3,000 Mail Boxes Etc. outlets into UPS Stores, where they'll help pack your wares. And if you're shipping more than the store can handle, UPS provides the same kind of services that the big guys get: Instead of combining your load with other smaller shipments, UPS will commit to a delivery date.

Alison Stein Wellner is a freelance writer in Brookline, Mass.

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