Product Description

It’s an axiom of business that great companies grow their revenues and profits year after year. Yet quietly, under the radar, a small number of companies have rejected the pressure of endless growth to focus on more satisfying business goals. Goals like being great at what they do . . . creating a great place to work . . . providing great customer service . . . making great contributions to their communities . . . and finding great ways to lead their lives.

In Small Giants, veteran journalist Bo Burlingham takes us deep inside fourteen remarkable companies that have chosen to march to their own drummer. They include Anchor Brewing, the original microbrewer; CitiStorage Inc., the premier independent records-storage business; Clif Bar & Co., maker of organic energy bars and other nutrition foods; Righteous Babe Records, the record company founded by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco; Union Square Hospitality Group, the company of restaurateur Danny Meyer; and Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, including the world-famous Zingerman’s Deli of Ann Arbor.

Burlingham shows how the leaders of these small giants recognized the full range of choices they had about the type of company they could create. And he shows how we can all benefit by questioning the usual definitions of business success. In his new afterward, Burlingham reflects on the similarities and learning lessons from the small giants he covers in the book.

Small Giants is a finalist for the Financial Times / Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award

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Inspiring        Rating:

According to Norm Brodsky, "[y]ou need to feel in your gut that whatever you do is the most interesting, exciting, worthwhile thing you could be doing at that moment. Otherwise, how do convince anyone else?"

To be sure, these are inspiring words. Of course, this begs the question: Who is Norm Brodsky, other than a pretty passionate guy. What does he do, exactly?

You might think that he's an artist of some sort. You'd be wrong. He must be a crusader. Nope, try again. Getting annoyed at guessing? Fine. I'll tell you. He works for a document management and storage company, CitiStorage.

And there are plenty of people like Norm in the pages of the excellent book, Small Giants. In it, Bo Burlingham tells amazing stories about particularly passionate entrepreneurs who intentionally keep their companies small. It's a great read about how many people have found that it's much better to run a small company--as opposed to a large one.

Burlingham starts and ends the book with a detailed description of something very difficult to define: mojo. The small giants have it and face constant challenges to keep it. Many companies start with it and, at some point, lose it. Once that happens, its practically impossible to get back.

Particularly noteworthy was the story of Gary Erickson of Clif Bar. I don't want to give away too much here, but let's just say that the musician and rock climber faced challenges unlike any that he could have possibly imagined. His commitment to preserve the company and culture he had created almost by accident simply blew my mind.

Small Giants resonated with me on a number of levels. As a small business person, I enjoy what I do and working for myself. Some of my clients are large organizations, many of which are rife with internal politics and dissatisfied employees--never mind customers. Over the course of my career, I have enjoyed working with small companies because you could actually solve more problems and make more of a difference. Evidently, I'm not the only person who feels this way.

On a completely different level, it was very refreshing to read about companies that are doing the right things. They are cultivating interesting places and creating meaningful jobs. They're not beholden to quarterly earnings. Customers are loyal beyond belief. Reading about so many problems and issues gets tedious. Sometimes it's simply a nice change of pace to read about people that get it.

Worth reading        Rating:

Sort of the opposite of "Good to Great". Relates the history of 14 small U.S. companies from inception, through growth, struggles, and finally the choice to remain small. Illustrates the advantages and disadvantages of growth, and offers support to enterprises that aren't quite sure bigger is always better.

This book is in that sweet spot between dry business tomes and a flimsy collection of platitudes. "Small Giants" is a worthy addition to a choice selection of business books. It's well written. It's easy to read. It's engaging and informative.

Perhaps a bit too much focus on Zingerman's. (That may just be my perception, as they are located nearby.) But I appreciated the variety of companies profiled - some manufacturing, some service, different locations, different mind sets. No one right answer emerged, but with the variety of issues and decisions discussed, everyone will find something that is applicable to their situation. Even big companies.

A thourough understanding of what is required for high performance.entrepreneurs        Rating:

Bo Burlingham provides an understandable guide for achieving effective, high performing companies. As a consultant who works with growing entrepreneurs, I strive to instill these principles in all my clients. I have given my clients copies of this book, and I've never done that before.

Not a Small Book        Rating:

Small Giants was a delightful read for me. It gave me hope that running a business doesn't necessarily have to be without a bigger purpose, instead it can be liberating if done right.

The author is brilliant in getting his point across and throughout the book I pondered endlessly over possible steps to create a 'Small Giant.' As much as that would be helpful I concluded that it would be near impossible. The key ingredient though I figured had to be the vision of the founding fathers and ofcourse the execution.

I took my time reading this book and several other books came in the way. Somehow though I put all the rest down to finish 'Small Giants,' I say give it a shot, it wont let you down.

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