"No doubt," the article says, "there are certain perks that often come with working at a larger company, be it a competitive salary and benefits, the ability for employees tomove fluidly between different business units and geographic locations, or the opportunity to learn an industry's best practices. In those cases and many more, big companies do hold appeal."

They go on to talk about thinking "small but mighty" - a term I think is pretty powerful.

So, how do you, Ms. Small Business Owner, bring "mighty" to bear on hiring new employees?

Visit the Business On Main article and check their suggestions but here are some of mine:

-- Get personal. No, don't ask how much the new hire weighs or when she plans on getting pregnant. But, do ask about her likes and dislikes. Depending on your business focus, ask her preferences for shopping online or offline. Make the conversation real - don't ask for the sake of asking. Ask because you want to know more about her, the person, as much as you want to know about her, the new employee.

-- Showcase your company's real benefits. In other words, do you allow specific time off to volunteer at shelters? Do you offer flexible scheduling? Are employees allowed to work from home sometimes? Is overtime a big no-no, or is it something you accept when the project calls for it? These are things many women want to know, up-front.

-- Introduce the possible new hire to one or more of your existing employees, then leave the room. Let THEM talk about the company, your mission, your vision; existing employees should be your biggest fans. If they can't talk you up, no one can. And, conversely, they'll know if the possible new hire is a good fit, or not.

These ideas, combined with the ones showcased in the article on BoM, can help you move in the right direction to competing with the "big girls." Often, the bigger the company, the less personal it is, even if the so-called benefits are stellar. And, in a big company, it's highly unlikely a possible new hire will meet her co-workers before her start day. And then, their opinion is too late.

What ideas do you have to share on this topic? Have you been in this situation - competing for new hires OR a new hire comparing life in the big girls' office or life in a small business? Share...

This is a Lip-sticking post sponsored by Business On Main.