The “Occupy” movement, especially the 1% vs. 99% tagline, with its vaguely envious undertone, has got me to thinking. Wouldn’t it be nice to be too big to fail?

Actually, no; I don’t think so and I hope you don’t either. I’d much rather be small, even micro, with the freedom to create and innovate — heck, even fail — without the eyes of the world upon me.

The bigger your business becomes, the harder it is to create a memorable customer experience. For my money, that’s the ticket to success in this business

Back in the day, I ran a “large” carpet cleaning company of as many as 14 crews (large is relative; even our industry’s largest companies are classified as small businesses by the government). I dreamed big, as in the biggest carpet cleaning company in the country. I dreamed of offices from coast to coast, with thousands of crews “cleaning up America.”

I look back now and thank God that I never realized that dream. What a logistical nightmare it would have been! Imagine the bureaucracy required to manage a company like that.

Then think of what it would be like to work in that kind of environment. Actually, those readers who have entered the industry after being downsized probably know well what that is like. Lots of rules, processes and systems are required to run large, complex organizations. Innovation? Not so much.

Finally, think of the customer experience. The best big businesses, Southwest Airlines comes to mind, are still able to deliver a positive customer experience. But they are very much the exception; as a rule, competent or satisfactory is about as good as it gets.

How much better to receive delightful, wonderful or memorable service — service that is customizable, that meets the customer’s individual needs.

That’s where size matters. And the great advantage goes not to the large company but to the small company. Because the small company — in our industry the owner-operator — is better able to create and deliver a memorable customer experience… if he or she is passionately customer focused.

If not, well, I understand the large companies — with dreams of cleaning up America—are hiring.

John Downey is owner-operator of Downey’s Carpet Care of Granville in Granville, Ohio. When he’s not scrubbin’ rug, his wife, Cecilia, lets him help out his brother, Tiger, owner of Perceptionist, an appointment scheduling service for small service businesses (www.myperceptionist.com), or assist Dr. Michael Berry in his efforts to bring science-based environmental management practices to the cleaning industry. John can be reached at jdowney@johndowneyco.com.