Recently I’ve written about how to have a sustainable business and what sustainability means to solo entrepreneurs. In addition to criticizing large corporations’ business plans that require continuing expansion and growth just to cover loan payments and reach the break-even point, I brought up the idea that small business owners need to design and develop businesses that complement their lives to have long-term success.
Seth Godin has a recent blog post on the same theme. He bucks the trend and suggests businesses lose important things when they’re always focused on getting bigger.
The right size for your business? The size that lets you serve people in the way you do best, with your unique gifts, talent, passions, and perspective. The size that brings enough newness to be interesting, but enough consistency and focus for you to become exceptional. The size that lets you keep loving what you’re doing and doesn’t pull you away from your core mission.
I just read about this precise concept in a book I am reading about bread: an artisanal bakery reaching it’s maximum capacity and having to decide how to maintain their vision for quality and still meet the growing demand for their product, which is beginning to outstrip their capacity. It led to a very innovative solution in once case, building a very specialized facility scaled to allow for expansion as needed while maintaining the same level of quality.
Sounds very innovative, Darcy.
Have you noticed how good you are at bringing in related ideas and good information? More than just knowing a whole lot of stuff, you’re very adept at connecting ideas and examples.
I think it will help you stand out in the design world, especially when it comes to figuring out ways to bring the design you care about into the lives of people who will enjoy it.