I love free stuff. I really love free stuff when it’s the type of stuff I would buy in the store anyhow, and having it for free just makes me want to dance.

No, it doesn’t take much to make me happy.

I was at a playdate a couple of months ago and a mom there started talking about Bzz Agent, a website she uses to get free stuff. She made the claim that this website had sent her all sorts of great stuff for free and that all she was obligated to do was to let people know what she thought about the products. She never had to return anything and it wasn’t even as though the website wanted her to be some sort of covert agent; she was supposed to tell people, “Hey, I got this for free, and this is what I thought of it.”

It sounded a bit too good to be true, but as an avid HouseParty member, I know that if you fall into whatever demographic a certain company is looking for they’ll be willing to send you a bunch of free stuff in the hopes that you’ll tell your friends and family about how much you love the product. I went to the Bzz Agent website and signed up.

In about a week I got an e-mail inviting me to join a Bzz Agent campaign. I answered a few questions about dishwashing detergent and was told a Bzz Kit would be sent to me soon.  I didn’t know what that meant but figured it would be a sample for me to try.  A few weeks later I received a package in the mail containing a full-sized bottle of Palmolive dishwashing detergent, a handful of single-use samples and a packet of $1 off coupons. All they wanted me to do was try the product, talk about it to people and hand out some samples. I also submitted a report on the website about what I thought of the product and about who I had told about it, but from what I can tell the reports are completely optional.

It didn’t stop there.  So far I’ve received a free Glad Sense & Spray, two cans of Diet Mountain Dew and a coupon for a free 12 pack (yes, they sent the two cans through the mail!) and now I’m waiting for the next product I’ve been promised, which is coupon for a free Taco Bell meal. All of this comes right to my mailbox and I don’t even have to pay shipping.

If you like free stuff like me – and you like to tell people what you think of products like I do – then join the Bzz Agent program.

Two similar products. One is a well-known multinational brand. The other is a family-based brand. Which one would you choose?

In a study published in the Journal of Small Business Management, association with a family business can actually give a product the leading edge.

The reasons for this positive impact on customers’ decision can be complex and many but a few stand out:

• Customers are happy to know there is a family behind the brand and not just some faceless corporate identity.
• Family businesses are perceived to put high priority on community involvement.
• Family businesses signify pride – pride in what they do and what they can contribute.

Family businesses are important to the economy. It is estimated that small family enterprises account for 80% of all business in the US, contribute 50% to GDP, and 78% of new jobs.

However, in recent years, more and more family businesses are being swallowed by corporate giants. The authors of the study conclude that by communicating family pride to customers, these businesses can actually have competitive advantages over their giant competitors. Small can be great!

So tell us what is your take on this. Big firm names or family-based brands?