Big Vision, Small Business - 4 Keys to Success without Growing Big [Paperback]

"Walters is a prophet of an emerging new economy of intelligent, caring, cutting edge entrepreneurs who seek to make a living - not a killing. Big Vision, Small Business is a mustread for all who believe that business can and should be fun, life serving, and human-scale." - David C. Korten, author of When Corporations Rule the World and Board Chair, Positive Futures Network; "If you're a small business owner - or even just thinking about being one - let Jamie Walters be your guide to finding both money and meaning in your business. Big Vision, Small Business offers practical insights and thoughtful observations on how to craft a company that reflects your entrepreneurial vision. I found it to be one of the most thoughtful and enjoyable books I've read in a long time." - Terri Lonier, author of Working Solo and founder, Working Solo, Inc. and SOHO Summit

In a world that worships all things "big," Big Vision, Small Business recognizes and offers practical guidance to small businesses, while saluting their power to create change. Based on more than seventy interviews with small business owners and advocates, as well as a decade as the owner of a "big-vision, small enterprise," author Jamie Walters demonstrates that a business doesn't have to be big in size to make a big impact and significant contribution to the world. Indeed, Walters shows that there are certain things that are only possible through the smallest enterprises. There is a widespread belief in the world that although most businesses start small, they must keep growing if they are to stay healthy and survive. A common saying in regard to business is "grow or die." This idea is so pervasive that Inc. Magazine calls itself "The Magazine for Growing Companies" and the highest recognition it gives each year is to the "Inc. 100" -- the 100 fastest growing small businesses. This book challenges this conventional viewpoint. It shows that small businesses can stay small and remain vital, healthy, and successful. As one of the chapters is titled, "There's More Than One Way to Define Growth." The book advocates having a "Big Vision" instead of growing in size, and it gives lots of examples of small businesses that do this.

Jamie Walters and her firm, Ivy Sea, have provided counsel to a wide variety of organizations, large and small, well-known and unknown. The firm's award-winning public-service web site (www.ivysea.com) was chosen as a content partner for Inc.com; and has been recognized by About.com, Entrepreneur's Edge, The CEO Refresher, and other business and leadership website portals as one of the best sites for small-enterprise owners and entrepreneurs on the Internet.