David vs. Goliath: How Small Businesses Outcompete Monopolies in 2025.
The Rise of Modern Monopolies
We all remember learning about President Teddy Roosevelt, the “Trust Buster,” who took on monopolies to protect competition and democracy. Back then, we were led to believe that monopolies were a thing of the past, something to be studied in history books. But reality paints a different picture. Here’s the truth: monopolies aren’t a relic—they’re more powerful than ever.
In 2025, monopolies aren’t just alive; they’ve evolved into global juggernauts, wielding more power than Teddy Roosevelt could have ever imagined. Google, Amazon, BlackRock, Meta, Apple, and UnitedHealth Group control vast swaths of entire industries, expanding into new territories while consolidating their power. Their market share is so high that they control the very fabric of how we consume, communicate, shop, and even stay healthy.
Take a moment to think about this:
Google: 92% of global search
Meta: 70% of social networking, owning 3 of the top 4 most-used social platforms.
Amazon: 37.8% of U.S. e-commerce, 80% of the U.S. e-book market, and now entering groceries and pharmaceuticals (Yes, pharmaceuticals. Bezos wants to prescribe your medication.)
BlackRock: $9.1 trillion in assets, higher than all but 2 NATION’S GDP
These corporations have taken a page from John D. Rockefeller's playbook, but now, their control is more insidious, pervasive, and harder to fight back against. We might not see the word “monopoly” stamped on these companies, but their stranglehold is felt everywhere. Everything is under their sway in the economy, culture, and even politics (Amazon has more lobbyists in Congress than there are Congress members in total). The corporations of the past were all direct monopolies. While not boasting the same market share, the giants of today consolidate control in more indirect, devious ways.
Historical Context: Monopolies in the Gilded Age
When Teddy Roosevelt created the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, a non-verbal rule of thumb was as follows: A company with over 50% market share may raise antitrust concerns; 70% is strong evidence of monopoly power, and 90% is almost always considered a monopoly.
Some of the biggest monopolies of the Gilded Age give us a shocking benchmark for today’s giants:
John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil controlled over 90% of U.S. oil refining before its 1911 breakup.
J.P. Morgan and James J. Hill’s Northern Securities controlled 75% of western railroads before its 1904 dissolution.
American Tobacco controlled 90% of the cigarette market before its 1911 split.
The Beef Trust controlled 50–80% of meatpacking before its 1905 intervention.
Dupont held 85% of explosives before its 1912 divestiture.
These companies were broken up because of their sheer control over entire industries. But today, companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta don’t just control one market segment—they dominate entire ecosystems, from e-commerce to media to finance. And despite not technically fitting the "monopoly" mold as clearly as Standard Oil once did, their influence is far-reaching and overwhelming.
But here’s the key thing: they can be beaten.
Why Monopolies Harm Society.
Some will argue that these giants are efficient and that they bring affordable products and services to the masses. But efficiency at the expense of freedom and fairness is not a solution—it’s a problem. Just as Roosevelt saw the trust system of his day was damaging to the public, these monopolies are eroding the foundation of what makes a free-market system truly work: competition. They crush small businesses’ and weaken the democratic principles that rely on free and open markets.
Without competition, we see:
Stifled innovation: Why innovate when you control the market?
Limited choice: One company, one product, one price.
Exploited workers: The race to the bottom for labor.
Destroyed local economies: As the rich get richer, the small businesses are forced out.
Moreover, the growing influence of these mega-corporations seeps into every aspect of our lives—economy, culture, and even politics—leaving consumers increasingly uneasy about the disproportionate control they wield.
Monopolies aren’t just economically dangerous—they warp the very nature of our society. They redefine who we trust, how we live, and what we value. And the kicker: they’re getting more brazen every day. But here’s where the story flips. There’s hope.
The Good News: A David vs. Goliath Moment
In the face of overwhelming odds, small businesses are fighting back. Against the giants of today, they’re winning. Across the country, small businesses are stepping up as the underdogs, finding innovative ways to outcompete these giants, carving out a place for themselves in a seemingly impenetrable marketplace. Small businesses are adapting to the times, playing to their strengths, and winning over consumers in ways monopolies simply cannot. It’s a revolution you don’t hear much about in the media because it’s hard to wrap up into a neat headline.
But here’s the truth: small businesses use human connection to outsmart these giants.
Breaking it Down.
I’ve watched this shift firsthand. Small businesses aren’t competing on price anymore. They’ve stopped trying to out-scale Amazon or Google—they’re outsmarting them.
This is the formula for success: Small businesses are hyper-focused on something the big guys can’t replicate—authenticity.
Smart mom-and-pop stores have realized the zeitgeist of today. Many Americans feel uneasy about the rise of automation and AI and a general distrust of large, authoritative institutions. This has created a craving for simplicity and authenticity—qualities that big corporations struggle to replicate.
The underlying secret principle is people. Despite what may be portrayed, humans like each other. We like the occasional pleasant interaction with a stranger. We very much prefer love over hate. Peace over war. We want to be free and get along. We don’t want to feel subjugated and controlled.
Many people don’t want Bezos as their new doctor or Blackrock to finance their first home. It feels too Orwell dystopian.
People are fed up with feeling like a number, an algorithm, or a transaction. They are tired of cookie-cutter options and impersonal service. Consumers want to feel connected. They want to buy from real people, not faceless corporations. They want businesses that care about their community, needs, and desires. And this is where small businesses thrive. They tap into five key principles that monopolies are too bureaucratic to understand.
The 5 Principles of Small Business Success in 2025
Hyper-Niche Focus Small businesses thrive by carving out micro-markets that big corporations ignore. Instead of trying to serve everyone, they serve specific groups of people with precision. It’s not about mass appeal; it’s about being indispensable to a carefully defined audience. By tailoring products and services to niche audiences, they become indispensable to their customers.
True Community Building Big brands claim to be “part of the community,” but their “community outreach” is just a marketing gimmick. Small businesses? They live in their communities. They sponsor local events, help neighbors, and foster real relationships. These businesses embody the values of the people they serve.
Flexibility and Agility Big corporations get bogged down by red tape. Small businesses, on the other hand, are agile. They can pivot quickly, seize emerging trends, and adopt new tools long before the big guys know what’s happening.
Relatability and Trust Consumers trust small businesses because they’re relatable. They don’t feel like they’re just another sale. They see the owner at the counter, have conversations with employees, and know the money they spend will likely return to their local community. Consumers prefer giving their money to people they trust and would rather give their money to their neighbor or members of their community who they know are relatively in the same boat as them financially speaking than a multi-millionaire / billionaire CEO who hasn’t needed to check his bank account in years.
Movement-Based Branding Small businesses are not just selling products but also ideas. They represent causes and values that resonate with their customers. Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, they stand for something. Movement-based branding creates loyalty in a way that Goliath-like corporations can’t match. Instead of promoting a nationwide social issue, they promote small macro issues within the community. While a global corporation may sponsor an initiative toward fighting climate change, a small business will sponsor the town's annual food drive.
“100 years ago, profit reigned supreme. Fifty years ago, the mantra was, ‘The customer is always right.’ But today, brands must embody a movement. Consumers are no longer buying products—they’re buying into ideas and values.”
The Future of Small Business.
The future of small business isn’t about fighting the system. It’s about exploiting the cracks in the system. Small businesses are nimble, authentic, and deeply connected to the people they serve. In a world dominated by monopolies, this is their greatest strength.
Small businesses today aren’t just selling products. They’re offering experiences, values, and connections. They’ve learned that being small is an advantage, not a limitation. By tapping into the deep human need for authenticity and connection, small businesses are proving that the little guy still has a fighting chance, even in an age of sprawling mega-corporations.
And as consumers, perhaps we have more power than we realize. Every dollar we spend is a vote for the kind of marketplace—and society—we want to live in.
A Word to the Little Guy.
To those who are already in the trenches with Goliath or about to step into the ring: keep doing what you’re doing. Keep leaning into what makes you unique. The tools are out there for success—you just need to know how to use them. Embrace your authenticity. Use storytelling to amplify your message. Invest in building real relationships, and remember, you don’t have to outscore the Goliaths—you have to outthink them.
The ever-connected social network has left many feeling anti-social. If you tap into the true feeling of community, you will have loyal patrons.
Don’t play their game. Play the game only you can win.
A local bookstore competes with Amazon not by matching prices but by highlighting its community involvement and unique events. Through strategic PR, it builds a loyal following and gains media attention for its authenticity. The bookstore proves that small businesses can succeed by not playing the game of giants.
Bill Gates doesn’t know what it’s like to spend your entire life in your small town, so you can sell to them better than he can.
And if you need help crafting the right narrative to rise above the competition, you know where to find me. The right strategy could be the thing that propels you from a small player to the David who takes down Goliath.
