A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“Most large markets evolve from niche markets”

Regis McKenna (b. 1939) US marketing entrepreneur 

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained  

“If you don’t understand what makes people tick, they won’t tick.”  

Robert Swan (b. 1956) British explorer 

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained

“Problems are only opportunities in work clothes” 

Henry J. Kaiser (1882-1967) US industrialist, New York Times (1967)  

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained

“Worthwhile success is impossible in a forty hour week”  

Clarence Birdseye (1886-1956) US businessman & founder of Birdseye 

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“Technology is so much fun but we can drown in our technology. The fog of information can drive out knowledge.” 

Daniel J. Boorstin (b. 1914) US historian, New York Times (1983) 

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained  

“Is your company so small that you have to do everything for yourself? Wait until you’re so big that you can’t. That’s worse.”

Michael Bloomberg (b. 1942) US entrepreneur & Mayor of New York City 

Here is today’s quote for small business owners.

“A man without a smiling face must not open a shop”

Anonymous, Chinese proverb

This is the first of a daily series of famous quotes aiming to inspire and entertain small business owners.  

Successful entrepreneurs judge correctly the need for change, then do something about it 

James Edward Hanson (1922-2004). British entrepreneur and venture capitalist  

Good question! When you read many small business publications and online resources, most people talk about growing your business. Sometimes it sound like it is important to grow your business, along the lines of if your business does not grow, it is going backward.

To tell you the truth most people talk about growing their business to attract funding - VC money, loans - believing that this money will help them to grow and this way solve their business problems. Surprise, surprise - that never works and never will, it amuses me no end when I hear some people ranting about VCs, when they not even have a business.

If you achieve your business objectives, whatever they are, why would you want to grow your business? There is no problem in remaining small and as you are, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Work on your work-life balance and enjoy your success.

As Michael Bloomberg - a U.S. entrepreneur and Mayor of New York - once said:

Is your company small you have to do everything yourself? Wait until you’re so big that you can’t. That’s worse.

Could not have said it better myself - there is your answer. ST.

Disclaimer: As with any of my readers questions, I do not have all the answers and here on my blog I can only give you some ideas, since I know very little about your small business. If any of you can add anything here do so for the benefit of my reader, who asked the question and everybody else, leave a comment below - I’d be most grateful.

Running, growing or starting a small business means dealing with obstacles everyday - it is part of the small business landscape. Some obstacles are beyond your or everyone else’s control, but most are not.

The number of times people have told me, that my business was worth nothing or this problem could not be overcome, and so on and on. You will quickly learn that you can proof them wrong time after time. I believe in what Leonardo Da Vinci had to say about obstacles:

Every obstacle yields to stern resolve.

That is something to remember, next time someone will have you believe you can’t do what you want to do. ST.