What If Growing Your Business Means Staying intentionally Small?

Does growing a business always mean making it bigger?

Not necessarily. Intentional business growth can mean earning a sustainable income, doing more of the work you love, having greater freedom and building a business that supports the life you want to live.

• Growth doesn’t have to mean hiring staff, scaling up or chasing bigger numbers.
• For many soul-led business owners, growth means staying small, keeping things calm and doing work they love.
• Choosing to stay a one-person business is a valid, fulfilling way to run a business, not a failure to reach your potential

This article explores:

1. Growing a small business sustainably
2. The benefits of staying small as a business owner 
3. How to build a lifestyle business vs scaling a business 
4. How to grow a business intentionally without burning out
5. Embracing being a “company of one’ and solopreneur

What does it mean to stay intentionally small in business?

It means choosing to keep your business lean on purpose, so you can protect the things that matter to you: creativity, freedom, depth and ease. It isn’t about lacking ambition. It’s about defining success on your own terms,

I’ve always loved small, independent businesses and one-person brands…I’m a lover of craft and depth and when I come across a brand that feels full of soul, I immediately connect and feel excited. It’s a welcome antidote to feeling like the world is shifting and accelerating towards a terrible place full of corporate homogenous offerings purely about profit, GROWTH and efficiency. And when these things are at the core, people and planet get left behind.

Why does everyone talk about business growth?

When we start our businesses, we are bombarded with messages about growth. In discussions with business advisors, attending events and even taking part in local business programs, the message was always the same… GROW, TAKE ON STAFF… and for me that looked like doing less design, less creative stuff and more admin, management and STRESS!

What happens when you follow the “grow and hire” path?

For me, trying it meant doing less design and creative work and more admin, management and stress. A bigger agency with people working for me and being on demand for clients didn’t feel right. Yours may look different, but if the growth path takes you further from the work you love it’s worth asking whether it’s really growth for you.

So after a brief flirtation with trying that out, I promptly decided it’s not for me. I know I want the freedom to head off in my van and explore. Having that bigger agency with people working for me and being on-demand for clients just didn’t feel right.

*Staying small allows me to reguarly head off on campervan adventures, work remotely and create design products  without the pressure of staff and deadlines and constant calls.

Is it okay to say your small business is “just me”?

Yes. It took me a while to feel that way. I used to question my choice when I saw other business owners growing traditionally and I felt a bit embarrassed when someone asked who worked for me. Now I say proudly: “It’s me!” A one-person business can be deep, high-quality and full of soul.

It’s only recently that I’ve felt happy with my choice and that I’m not failing or avoiding fulfilling my potential.

how do you create a simple business as a solopreneur & company of one?

I run my business in a way that leaves room for adventure. I can finish a week creating a brand for soulful business owner from one of my customisable brand kits, spend time on a couple of Design Days, and then head off in my campervan. When I’m doing work I love and still have the freedom to explore, I feel a deep sense of ease that this is the right kind of business for me.

It can be hard to go against the grain. When I see people with these unwieldy businesses that outwardly look impressive but inwardly look stressful and so far from what they originally set out doing, I breathe a sigh of relief. 

The amazing book “Company of One’ by Paul Jarvis dives deeper on the joys of staying small.

What if you’ve started a business you don’t enjoy? 

If you don’t have a passion for what you do, profit naturally becomes the main motivator. A business built around work you love gives you a different kind of motivation. As a creative, I can’t think of anything worse than not creating or designing, and I love that everyone I work with gets design I’ve poured my heart into.

How can you grow your business in a way that works for you?

Growth can look like going deeper with fewer clients, creating offers that fit your energy, keeping your business lean, giving back, protecting your time or enjoying simple moments. It’s about getting off the motorway and treading your own path.

Sometimes you need a mentor or a fresh perspective to find the right path. Explore my small business mentoring and “Unearthing Your Vision Workshops”.