Love the enthusiasm! I'll take a stab at this. Smaller companies have a ton of hurdles to overcome across a variety of industries and there's not usually much overlap. The challenges of startups can also vary greatly, and exposure isn't necessarily what a startup needs. Startups also tend to move slower as a result of smaller teams tackling very specific problems one at a time - lack of money and labor power, which you could equate with velocity, means a limited bandwidth. This also tends us toward pivots where necessary for survival.

Sweaty startups are exactly that. We have to pursue low hanging fruit and measure each step very carefully. Generally speaking, that means building relationships organically, and more often than not locally and in person. I'm not sure a nationwide network of sweaty's is the gold mine one might think it would be - though there are always nuggets for dedicated sifters.

By national standards, a small business means 100 employees at least. Anything less is technically a 'micro business" or "sole proprietorship / partnership". We generally get left out of the stimulus packages.

I would say that in this particular league, what behooves us most is usually partnerships, not always advertising. Strong local roots and community are indispensable.

But hey I'll give it a go and put it out there for posterity. I have a small team 4-8 employees yearly and we make custom wholesale candles, soaps, bath bombs, and lotion bars as well as 3PL services for smaller e-commerce websites (pick and pack service of warehoused inventory for shipping to the end consumer). I love my job and I love the work. Lots of ups and downs but I've been with it for a decade now since residential basement inception - lots to learn! I've got a stable, cash positive company with a great team and excellent prospects. Growth is good, but I don't mind the pace because it's been slow and steady.

If anything I would suggest a format more akin to a craigslist "help wanted" forum. Have a need? Have a skill or resource or infrastructure to offer? Put it up and see who matches!