5 reasons why you should build a small business - not a startup

I know we all want to do important things. We all want to work on important products, establish important companies and solve problems that can change the world and have a huge impact on it. In the business and technology community, this is noticeably more than anywhere else.

The question we ask if we hear about a new business or idea, whether it is renewable energy, or a messenger, or a damn sled for hamsters, is this:

Is it scalable?

And then, if we understand that the idea we are looking at cannot instantly scale to a million users and not turn into a billion-dollar enterprise, we reject it. Sometimes we even laugh at her. When we do this, we can be considered idiots. Because the foundation of a large, branched, sophisticated, diaphoretic technology company is not a panacea, we do not become fools if we decide not to go this route.

In fact, it is possible that moving in the opposite direction will make you happier, healthier, richer, and much wiser. You can choose to create a small online business, rather than a startup “unicorn”. What is the difference between them?

• The start-up “unicorn” wants to grow fast and strong, to receive investments and gain leadership.
• A small online business wants to grow within understandable limits, achieve profitability and serve customers.

Intuitively, it might seem like a mistake not to strive for more. However, I believe that in this approach there are pluses that pay off efforts.

You can focus on simplicity

You are building something small, with clear limits and boundaries. No one needs to add new features, and you can focus on the details that are important to you and your customers. Almost none of the large and ever-growing companies succeed in creating products that remain simple. Small businesses have no such problem.

People mean more

As long as your business remains small, you can spend more time with people who are truly important to your business. Regardless of whether you have one employee or five, they will be more important than when you hire more people trying to support the growth of the company. Small business is about people.

Business remains human

I like to feel a personal approach in business and product. But it is impossible to save it if you kill yourself trying to become a Great Very Cool corporation. But when you build something small, there is always time for something personal. You can spend time getting your users and customers a little magic every time.

Small doesn’t mean poor

If your product is small, like your company, this does not necessarily mean that you are going to make donut holes and die in poverty. Undoubtedly, you will earn less. But you have a much better chance of building a company in a million than a billion dollars. Small size means less overhead, less - and makes it possible to save all the profits inside your company and in your own pocket.

You do not have to always remain a small company.

If you want to grow, you will have a much better chance of doing this from the perspective of managing a successful, profitable small company. When you already have a well-known product and cash flow, you are not only more attractive to future investors, but you can finance your growth even from your own pocket. Not to mention that you will have a lot of knowledge and experience that can facilitate scaling.

Some people call this bootstrapping, but I look at it the other way around. For me, bootstrapping just means self-financing the company. Starting a small business, we finance a company, set boundaries and limits, understand our product or service and their function, and work on planning and compliance with all installations

If you decide to follow this path, you will not become a billionaire. But you can become a very happy millionaire. And I really like this option.