Getting to Scale: Growing Your Business Without Selling Out

by Jill Bamburg

Ben & Jerry’s. Stonyfield Farm. The Body Shop. Tom’s of Maine. All leaders in the socially responsible business movement—and all eventually sold to mega-corporations. Do values-driven businesses have to choose between staying small, selling off, or selling out?

Jill Bamburg says no. Based on intensive interviews with more than thirty growth-oriented, mission-driven entrepreneurs—including American Apparel, Give Something Back, Wild Planet Toys, Organic Valley Family of Farms, and Village Real Estate—her book explodes the myths of scale from both ends of the spectrum. She debunks both the limiting “small is beautiful” approach as well as the “you have to sell out to grow” mandate.

Focusing on the unique challenges that socially conscious companies face, Getting to Scale addresses the issues that affect all

Production and personnel
Access to capital and markets
Changes in organizational structure
Ownership and control
Corporate culture

Filled with practical and tested advice, Getting to Scale provides a blueprint for socially responsible entrepreneurs in any industry who want to benefit larger groups of customers, have a greater positive impact on their communities, and maintain their independence by scaling up their enterprises.

Genres: Business

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Worker Co-op & Economic Democracy Reading List]

Not specific to coops, but useful reference

[C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh'. Maybe I've read too many business books that are similar to this, but it didn't motivate me. I liked the chapter on growing your business organically, and the section on American Apparel, but overall I was bored.

[Lori Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

An optional-read book on managing your small business for entrepreneurs.