In 1973, E.F. Schumacher wrote Small is Beautiful – required reading for anyone interested in a sustainable, localized approach to economic wellbeing and the concept of ‘people matter’. Before sustainability and reduced footprint became the norm, Schumacher made the case for economics as if people matter. The game is about the evolution of character, not the capacity to consume.
In business, this philosophy has meant an embracing of smallness. Not smallness of vision, of change, of boldness. Smallness of the burden of debt. As a result of more modest cash, decisions are more modest. Growth is slower. Risk is also reduced because bad times can be easily weathered.
At Grandma Emily’s Granola, ‘small is beautiful’ has been part of our mission. Slow growth, no debt, building the business one client at a time. Small also means that staff can have a great quality of life, have time and energy to pursue other passions beside their work.
Laura Heino, our administrator par excellence who really runs this company, is also a professional musician. Not only does she oversee the administration as well as production, she does the buying and customer service as well. Laura is also going to perform in 8 concerts between Sept 1st, 2010 and Dec 15th, 2010. She plays french horn with several local orchestras and also donates her playing time to the Salvation Army for their fundraising campaign. A big heart handling big responsibilities. Now that’s no small feat.
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