Archived press releases – March 4,2002 Atlanta Job Hunters Find Small Businesses Yield Big Dividends

Archived news – Finance Canada

June 24, 2002
June 6, 2002
New York,/PRNewswire
Atlanta, Ga. (March4,2002)- Atlanta job hunters should not discriminate based on company size, according to Trent Perry, CTP Enterprises, a career management firm.

“Atlanta’s biggest employers are actually its smallest businesses,” said Trent Perry, whose company helps professionals and executives with job searches. “Exclusively targeting major corporations will severely limit your options.”

Seventy-seven percent of the businesses in Atlanta’s metropolitan area employ 10 people or less. Only two percent employ more than 100 people.

“Learning to sell your skills to small companies will open up more job opportunities and possibly enhance your earning potential,” said Mr. Perry.

Here are his tips for succeeding in the small business arena.

Go straight to the top – It’s likely the owner/operator also makes all of the hiring decisions.

Demonstrate that you can multi-task – In small businesses, everyone wears several hats. Emphasize the variety of work you can do.

Keep your ego in check – Everyone has to pitch in to do whatever needs to be done. The president needs to be as willing to answer the phone as the next person.

Understand the culture – Small businesses are often family operations with a close-knit environment.

Indicate that you are flexible – With a small infrastructure, any employee may be called upon for crisis management. Show that you are willing to drop what you are doing to focus on urgent needs or projects.
Use creative salary negotiating techniques – If the compensations is smaller that at a major corporation, determine what you might like instead. Consider flexible hours, increased training or delayed compensation in the form of bonuses in exchange for increasing revenue or cutting costs.