Small Tips for Big Growth
As you might have read in our book, THE POWER OF SMALL: Why Little Things Make All the Difference, many great businesses have made it big by thinking small. Whether they’ve come up with a breakthrough product by addressing one of life’s previously ignored little details, or they’ve built a small business one tiny step at a time, thinking small has been the key to establishing countless successful companies, including the one we started more than a decade ago.
But, as we read in the New York Times—and as we’ve heard from a number of our readers over the years—sometimes the next part is the hardest. We’re talking about growth. At first, you might think that in order to grow from a small to big business, you have to shed your small-thinking mentality, but you’d be wrong. Continuing to think small still lies at the heart of your best approach to moving upward.
Here are a few tips for growing the SMALL way, as well as some common pitfalls to avoid.
Celebrate your small wins. When you’re focused on the big end goal, it’s easy to forget how monumental your small accomplishments can be. Take time to recognize your little wins and if you have employees, don’t forget to recognize theirs as well. Doing so will keep everyone motivated.
Think of your small office space as “cozy.” We’ve all read real estate listings promoting a cozy apartment, when what they really mean is cramped. But, when you’re growing your business, embracing those “cozy” quarters can be a real cost saver. One of the biggest mistakes we’ve seen budding entrepreneurs make is upgrading their offices too quickly, moving into chic new spaces only to become over-stressed by the prospect of paying off high rent every month. Bottom line: don’t upsize until it’s absolutely necessary.
Shrink to grow. Jessica Johnson, owner of Johnson Security Bureau, tells the New York Times “One of the lessons I’ve learned this year is sometimes you can grow by subtraction.” In other words, sometimes the best way to grow your business is to look at it with micro-focus and eliminate the little things that aren’t working for you. Then you can continue to grow what works.
But, as we read in the New York Times—and as we’ve heard from a number of our readers over the years—sometimes the next part is the hardest. We’re talking about growth. At first, you might think that in order to grow from a small to big business, you have to shed your small-thinking mentality, but you’d be wrong. Continuing to think small still lies at the heart of your best approach to moving upward.
Here are a few tips for growing the SMALL way, as well as some common pitfalls to avoid.
Celebrate your small wins. When you’re focused on the big end goal, it’s easy to forget how monumental your small accomplishments can be. Take time to recognize your little wins and if you have employees, don’t forget to recognize theirs as well. Doing so will keep everyone motivated.
Think of your small office space as “cozy.” We’ve all read real estate listings promoting a cozy apartment, when what they really mean is cramped. But, when you’re growing your business, embracing those “cozy” quarters can be a real cost saver. One of the biggest mistakes we’ve seen budding entrepreneurs make is upgrading their offices too quickly, moving into chic new spaces only to become over-stressed by the prospect of paying off high rent every month. Bottom line: don’t upsize until it’s absolutely necessary.
Shrink to grow. Jessica Johnson, owner of Johnson Security Bureau, tells the New York Times “One of the lessons I’ve learned this year is sometimes you can grow by subtraction.” In other words, sometimes the best way to grow your business is to look at it with micro-focus and eliminate the little things that aren’t working for you. Then you can continue to grow what works.
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