Small Business, Large Clients

As business has increased, Michelle Kalbearer, 36, and her brother Jeff Cresswell, 33, also have had to make sure they're keeping up with demand. Their company, Klean Kanteen, sells reusable, eco-friendly water bottles to REI and L.L. Bean. The bottles are manufactured in two Chinese facilities, which someone from the company visits three to four times each year.

"[Selling to large companies] has actually been good for us, as it keeps us on top of our inventory and improves our image," says Kalbearer, who expects the Chico, Calif.-based company to bring in $2.5 million in sales this year, up from $750,000 in 2006.

"This year has been difficult. As sales have grown exponentially, it's been hard to predict what monthly sales will be and order accordingly," she adds. "Some of our larger accounts have given us forecasts that have helped in our ordering process."

Living Large

The entrepreneurs we spoke with tend to agree that working with large corporate clients is peachy -- for the most part. But they do sometimes face "too many cooks in the kitchen" syndrome. "It [can] make life difficult when there are too many decision makers and they can't agree on certain concepts," says Irwin. "Oftentimes, we find that we're mediating between departments."

But the lack of that bureaucracy at your own company can be a selling point. "[The client] can interface with the principals of the agency, as opposed to an account executive who's been here for six months," says Fallone. "That can be pretty compelling for some clients and be a reason to choose a smaller agency."

When seeking out large clients, you need to display confidence in your small business' strengths, he adds. "If you're a good businessperson, there's no reason to not believe you can compete extremely well against larger competition. Have the confidence to not apologize for your size, but to make sure that any potential client or business partner understands what you can bring to the table."

And make sure you can meet those expectations, even if it means seeking assistance. "Get help wherever you can," advises Hardaway. "Don't be greedy. Pay people to do things and don't do it all yourself."

Finally, don't neglect the little guys like yourself. Beyond the "don't keep all your eggs in one basket" credo, serving smaller clients offers a variety that'll keep you inspired. id29 serves local and regional clients, as well as national accounts like Scholastic, MapInfo and The Case Foundation.

Klean Kanteens are sold in mom-and-pop, green-friendly shops in Chico and other California cities, as well as REI. As for Irwin, one of her latest orders speaks for itself: "One of my reps is working on a 250-piece pom-pom order for our local middle school."