Company of One: Why Staying Small is the Next Big Thing for Business

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Let's use as an example the Casper, a company that sells mattresses online. Well, Casper's target audience is already specific, it's young people who want a good night sleep, but they want to avoid the hassle of going to a physical mattress store.

To succeed as a company of one, you have to have a real underlying purpose. You can’t fake your purpose. It’s how your business acts and represents itself and your values put into action. bq] "Companies of one [...] focus on stability, simplicity, independence, and long-term resilience and rely on starting small and becoming as profitable as possible, without the need for outside investment." For companies of one, the question is always ‘what can I do to make my business better?’, instead of ‘what can I do to grow my business larger?’ Psychotactics is a company which provides psychology-related consultancy services to business, and which is run by a certain Sean D’Souza. I’m a productivity coach ready to help another 10.000 men and women across the world work less, achieve more, and live fulfilling, abundant lives without distractions, fear, or procrastination getting in the way.For the author of this book, it was web design. Jarvis was not in love with it, he just became good at it. By educating new customers on how best to use your product or service and become successful with it, they will likely become long-term customers and tell others about their positive experience. Invest your time on building relationships with your customers and listen to them, so you can improve your product/service

Especially in a company of one, where you aren’t the largest player in your niche and probably not the cheapest, using your personality and standing for something can be how and why you gain customers’ attention.Apparently, it is not only Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s followers or the New-Age Minimalists who believe sincerely that “less is more.” Counter-intuitively, this is more and more becoming the ethos of many modern businessmen as well! This turned out to be Tom’s best career move,” writes Jarvis, “both emotionally and, surprisingly, financially.” Tom runs the "Marketoonist" business with his wife. Sometimes they hire freelancers as they need, but that's the limit he imposes for the expansion of the business. I guess read this if you have doubts about the advantages of staying small, but personally, I would have liked to read more about how to manage subcontractors, strategies for determining what work to invest your time in vs. delegating, etc. Chapter 13, with his personal story, was the closest it got to practical advice along these lines, and that’s the book I’d like to read. This is a comprehensive summary of the book Company of One by Paul Jarvis (part of the business book summaries collection). Covering the key ideas and proposing practical ways for achieving what’s mentioned in the text. Written by book fanatic and online librarian Ivaylo Durmonski.

There’s a core assumption that growth is always good, that bigger is always better. But that’s not always the case. Company of One by Paul Jarvis questions the form of traditional growth and explains the benefits of staying small. The book promotes a new business approach where you can have “enough” and still be satisfied. The Core Idea: In the book "Zero to One", the author Peter Thiel gives the following tip: when there is competition, companies do not have power over the market. Therefore, they must sell their products at the market-regulated price, or they will be massacred by the competition. When you stop the monopoly, you are the one who dictates the rules. So, look for a niche. The more specific your audience is, the easier it will be to connect and build trust with them. And, the more diverse your needs are, the easier it will become to learn how to satisfy them.Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business by Paul Jarvis is like a breath of fresh air. It shows you an alternative – and better – way to build a company and live your life. It’s much more than just a business book, it presents a way of living. A way of making enough money to support your business and staying true to your principles and goals.

One example is Kurt Elster, who only serves e-commerce businesses that utilize Shopify. Put yourself in your client’s shoes. Would you rather have a consultant who sort of knows how to do everything or one who knows and uses the exact same platform you use? Lesson 3: Forget investing big upfront, focus on making a small profit fast instead. A company of one is about becoming better at one thing. Becoming the best individual, or organization, by doing one particular task, satisfying one particular niche. Showing your personality allows you to attract the kind of customers who gravitate and are energized by your type of persona. That, in turn, will make your work and life smoother. While your skills can be replicated by anyone else with enough time and effort, your authentic self isn’t replicable. So, you can make your personality shine through the “professionalism” of business and gain a competitive advantage through it. Well, the truth is, of course, you won’t. However, quitting your job should only come after you’ve developed something to work with.Jarvis's ideas will lead you to discover what it takes to become the CEO of your own business. Main ideas of the book "Company of One" Paul Jarvis does a great job of highlighting the importance of why we need to question growth as it relates to our both our personal and professional goals. Putting good processes and structure into place allows fewer people to do more work, and actually build the foundation for more autonomy.