The Pressure to Expand
Everyone will tell you that your food business needs to get bigger. They’ll say you should sell in more stores, make more products, and hire more people. If there’s no growth, people might think you’re doing something wrong.
The Hidden Cost of Rapid Growth
But here’s the truth: staying small can be really smart. Just look at what happens to many food businesses that grow too fast. A baker who used to make amazing cookies now has to rush through batches. A salsa maker who knew all their customers now ships to stores where they never meet the buyers. The food doesn’t taste as good. Everything costs more money. The owner is stressed out and buried in paperwork.
The Power of Staying Small
Small businesses have some big advantages. Your prices can change when ingredients get expensive. It’s quicker to fix problems. You don’t have to manage lots of employees and you can take time to make your food the right way. Best of all, you get to keep doing the part of the job you actually love – making great food.
Redefining Success
Choosing to stay small doesn’t mean you’re not ambitious. In fact, it means you’re smart about what really matters. For instance, success for you might mean making enough money to be comfortable, rather than getting rich. Additionally, it may mean having time to try new recipes. Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, it could mean knowing the names of people who buy your food.
Managing a Small Business Well
Sure, you still need to run your business well. You need good planning and fair prices. You need to find the right customers. But these normal business tasks are much easier to handle than the headaches that come with getting bigger.
Questions to Consider
Before you make plans to grow, ask yourself: Am I happy with my business size right now? Do my customers love what I make? Am I making enough money to live on?
Sometimes the best choice is to keep your business exactly as big as it is now.
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