In The Magic of Tiny Business, by ECOBAGS founder and pioneering green business champion, Sharon Rowe shows entrepreneurs and business owners how to build a profitable, right-scaled, sustainable business that doesn't compromise their values.
The Magic of Tiny Business by Sharon Rowe is the breath of fresh air for business owners and entrepreneurs who aren't willing to compromise their personal values in favor of growth and maximizing profit. Tiny doesn't refer to size. Instead, it's a mindset. Like a tiny house where there's limited space for "stuff," a tiny business requires that you examine, prioritize and work with what you value, eliminating what you don’t. We live in a time when we feel trapped by work that doesn't allow us to live our purpose, use our passions or offer our gifts and leaves us feeling overwhelmed by messages to go big or go broke. Sharon uses the story of ECOBAGS, which she started as a new mother at her kitchen table, as an example of a successful Tiny Business.
She offers simple rules such as;
* Set a hard 9-5 work day schedule
* No work on weekends or assigned "days off."
* Make family events a priority - don't miss a school play
* Schedule self-care (exercise, meditation) with the same priority as work
* View every problem as an opportunity
The Magic of Tiny Business shows readers how to have the life they want, without compromising values or sanity.
Author quotes
This book is for those who want to build a profitable business on their own terms by doing work that is meaningful - and still be home for dinner with family and friends.
This is not a book about having a one-person business that some might describe as tiny. My definition of tiny has more to do with intention and purpose than size or income.
A tiny business is built by keeping a laser focus on what you deem essential and eliminating what’s non-essential, all the extra stuff.
A tiny business is defined by your priorities and intentions, not how many employees you have. It has everything to do with your level of focus and not just how much revenue you bring in.
About the author
Sharon Rowe is the founder and CEO of Eco-Bags Products, since 1989, and considered a pioneer in the reusable bag movement. ECOBAGS are sold internationally, and have been featured on the Oprah Show and QVC. Sharon is recognized as a thought leader in social innovation, sustainable and responsible production. She speaks regularly on building profitable, mission & value aligned businesses, believing that business can be a force for good, a currency for ideas that shape culture. Her speaking engagements are varied, taking her wide and far, from Yale University to Sing-Sing Prison, the Nairobi Center for Innovation in Kenya to Social Venture Institute conference in the Hudson Valley. She has been featured in Time Magazine, Glamour Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, on NPR – Air America and, in the award winning documentary, “BagIt” ECOBAGS® were featured on Oprah’s first dedicated Earth Day Show. Sharon has received numerous awards, including the National 2012 Enterprising Woman, CBS Radio Women’s Achievement, Westchester Business Council Entrepreneur of the Year, 914Inc Westchester Magazine's Most Accomplished Women, the Women’s Enterprise Development Center’s Lilian Vernon Award and The Westchester Collaborative Theatre’s Most Valuable Player.
Why LoA loves it….
In Sharon Rowe’s new book, The Magic of Tiny Business, she shows entrepreneurs the art of focus, perspective, and honing the mindset in order to achieve the desired results in business. It’s all about getting rid of everything that is not central to the life you want to live and the business you want to build, and having a laser focus on what is most important to you. This is a great read for all those women entrepreneurs who know what they want and how they would like their life to be, but are having difficulty focusing on the path to get there. --- Melanie Hawken, founder and ceo of Lionesses of Africa