A new employee will have direct responsibility for the bottom line, as well as immediate impact on projects. So the employer will be seeking candidates who can hit the ground running. Small business employers will rarely use neutral sites for interviewing and rarely do long distance interviewing. If you want to interview with a small business, plan on going to the business site. Be ready at the interview to meet more of the employees on your first visit than with a larger company.
Employers hire quickly, especially when they are in a progressive mode.
Be ready to make a decision in a short time when an offer is given. Tell how you can produce quickly by providing solid examples of skills. Small companies are more selective because hiring is an investment that has immediate effect on the bottom line. If not talking to the owner, ask what the interviewer thinks of the person for whom they work. Ask if the company experienced a layoff.