Having sold to these businesses in a variety of capacities I agree demonstrating the value and benefit to them can be quite challenging. The smaller a business is the more cautious they will tend to be with their limited marketing dollars. My advice is to focus on low risk strategies where you offer value without commitments from them to build a relationship. Make them give you a killer offer to maximize the effectiveness of your campaigns (Free is a magic word). Once they see the direct response to your efforts let the fear of loss do the selling for you. Also ATTRIBUTION (think tracking) is key to getting past the hook point. I may be of service in refining your pitch. Thanks!