What does it mean to think big about your small business?

Does it mean that you have to grow in size? Do you have to build it as if it were a franchise? Or maybe you want to keep it small and lean and just focus on continuing to increase profits? What? What? What? What does it mean to you?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Eric K Ghemu on December 29, 2008 at 9:10am

Thinking big to me is a road map to success. I am not saying that you going to become a millionair overnight, but thinking big encourage you to do your work faithfully and honestly to achieve your goals.

Permalink Reply by Brent Burns on December 30, 2008 at 3:32pm

For 2009, thinking big about my business means having a clearly defined goal of generating the majority of my income from my coaching and speaking practice by the end of 2009, then breaking down that big goal into smaller "wins", such as adding "x" number of people to my database each month, speaking in front of "x" number of groups each month, etc. So, I guess to summarize, it means reaching the big goal by achieving small goals and builidng on the success of achieving each one.

Permalink Reply by susanne ruiz on September 10, 2009 at 6:46pm

Mine is a personal service business (being a personal legal coach to people who need to navigate through the maze of the legal system). My goal is to use my intuition along with my skills as a lawyer and therapist to inform, support, and coach people who have to deal with a legal problem. It's where doing two things that I really would do for free (and have) meet. So the meaning for me is personal satisfaction and a sense of contribution to the greater good which manifests itself in monetary compensation and a sense of helping others. Win-win!

Permalink Reply by Bea Bohm-Meyer on October 22, 2009 at 12:03pm

It means joining the conversation. Understanding the how your business can contribute authentically and how you can serve. Business is not about just making money it is about serving the community. We tend to forget that. The profit comes because you offer value. Wishing you all the success you deserve!

Permalink Reply by Dianne Crampton on January 23, 2010 at 1:36am

Thinking big about my small business means that I put into place the type of culture that is fully scalable. Once established, I have the latitude to grow it so that it fits my life style, dreams and purpose.

I built my business so that it could be replicated. And, I am putting into place the systems and strategies that are able to operate independent of me and quite lien, so that I can work on my business rather than in it. It helps that my team culture philosophies drive my life.

I think scalability is the key and I've known for some time that the top down, individualistic cultures are not scalable after a certain point. This means as a leader, my company is able to do more with less and I have people in place that I do business with who know what they are doing. And, it is important to develop the business in such a way that it operates very well without me.

Let me give you another example of this.

One of the companies I highlight in TIGERS Among Us: Winning Business Team Cultures And Why They Thrive (2010, Three Creeks Publishers, http://www.TigersAmongUs.com) has 10 employees and $5M in revenue. Because of their team culture, the employees are doing the work of possibly 20-30 employees, love what they do and could not imagine working anywhere else. The leader is able to leave work at night without worry and has the time to write books, speak to business groups and create business innovations that produce residual income for her company. One is a card deck for new entrepreneurs on how to start a business because sometimes it seems that people launch into businesses without a full deck. I still chuckle when I think about that. And, sadly, it is sometimes true.

Great question, by the way.