Small business owners are the Spartans of modern Britain. Whether burning midnight oil, battling adversity, or holding belief in a vision against all odds, they are laudable heros to whom we all should aspire.
So say the advertisers. For big companies, small entrepreneurs seem to embody the optimum model of human achievement.
Maybe it’s good business (the SME sector is on the rise, after all – so there’s a definite customer base) but maybe it’s also wishful thinking – wouldn’t we all love to duck and dive our way through a self-made career, with a smile on our faces and glow in our heart. (That’s certainly how the advertising myth seems to paint it, anyway!)
As if they hadn’t enough to deal with – now they’ve a hero image to live up to too.