“There's nothing wrong with finding the right size and then focusing on being better. Small can be a long-term plan, not just a stepping-stone.”

Why it was said

Paul Jarvis writes Company of One against the assumption that every business should aim to grow. This line comes from his case that a business can settle at the size that suits its owner and its customers, and then put its effort into getting better rather than bigger.

What it actually means

Most business advice treats small as the first stage of something larger, so a company that stops growing is read as stuck. Jarvis separates the two. Size is a choice with costs: more staff, more overhead, more management and less of the work the founder started the business to do. Once a business earns enough and serves its customers well, the next unit of effort can go into quality, margins or time rather than headcount. The line gives permission to define 'enough' and to treat it as a target, not a failure.

How to use it

1. 1Write down the revenue, working hours and team size that would count as 'enough' for your business, and check each new opportunity against those numbers.
2. 2Before your next hire or expansion, list what you could improve for existing customers with the same money.
3. 3Pick one measure of 'better', such as repeat customers or margin, and track it alongside revenue.