Getting to Scale

Getting to Scale

by Jill Bamburg
Released August 2006
Publisher(s): Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 9781605090153

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Book description

Ben & Jerry's. Stonyfield Farm. The Body Shop. Tom's of Maine. All leaders in the socially responsible business movement—and all eventually sold to mega-corporations. Do values-driven businesses have to choose between staying small, selling off, or selling out?

Jill Bamburg says no. Based on intensive interviews with more than thirty growth-oriented, mission-driven entrepreneurs—including American Apparel, Give Something Back, Wild Planet Toys, Organic Valley Family of Farms, and Village Real Estate—her book explodes the myths of scale from both ends of the spectrum. She debunks both the limiting “small is beautiful” approach as well as the “you have to sell out to grow” mandate.

Focusing on the unique challenges that socially conscious companies face, Getting to Scale addresses the issues that affect all businesses:

Production and personnel
Access to capital and markets
Changes in organizational structure
Ownership and control
Corporate culture

Filled with practical and tested advice, Getting to Scale provides a blueprint for socially responsible entrepreneurs in any industry who want to benefit larger groups of customers, have a greater positive impact on their communities, and maintain their independence by scaling up their enterprises.

Table of contents

  1. COVER PAGE
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  4. FOREWORD
  5. PREFACE
  6. INTRODUCTION: THERE IS ANOTHER WAY
    1. Conventional Economies of Scale
    2. Small Is Beautiful
    3. Appropriate Scale
    4. About This Book
    5. Companies and Interviews
  7. CHAPTER ONE: MISSION COMES FIRST
    1. Small Potatoes Urban Delivery Inc. (SPUD)
  8. CHAPTER TWO: ANY BUSINESS CAN DO IT
    1. Village Real Estate Services
    2. Novex Couriers
    3. New Belgium Brewing Company
    4. Tweezerman International
    5. Wild Planet Toys Inc.
  9. CHAPTER THREE: ORGANIC IS THE WAY TO GROW
    1. Organic Valley Family of Farms
    2. Birkenstock USA
    3. Seventh Generation Inc.
  10. CHAPTER FOUR: FINANCE YOUR INDEPENDENCE
  11. CHAPTER FIVE: BUILD YOUR VALUES INTO THE BRAND
    1. Country Natural Beef
    2. Eileen Fisher Inc.
    3. Give Something Back Business Products
  12. CHAPTER SIX: MATCH MANUFACTURING TO MISSION
    1. American Apparel Inc.
    2. GreenDisk
    3. New Leaf Paper
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN: MORPH EARLY AND OFTEN
    1. ScriptSave
    2. The Green Institute
    3. Flexcar
  14. CHAPTER EIGHT: FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
    1. Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.
    2. Gardener’s Supply Company
    3. Great Harvest Bread Company
    4. Equal Exchange Inc.
    5. New Community Corporation
    6. KickStart
  15. CHAPTER NINE: THE SOFT STUFF IS THE HARDEST
    1. Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.
    2. Equal Exchange Inc.
    3. Eileen Fisher Inc.
    4. Seventh Generation Inc.
    5. Frontier Natural Products Co-op: A Cautionary Tale
  16. CHAPTER TEN: GETTING TO SCALE: IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?
    1. Defining Success
    2. Succeeding at the Mission
    3. Succeeding at the Business
  17. NOTES
  18. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
  19. INDEX
  20. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  21. ABOUT BERRETT-KOEHLER PUBLISHERS
  22. BE CONNECTED

Product information

  • Title: Getting to Scale
  • Author(s): Jill Bamburg
  • Release date: August 2006
  • Publisher(s): Berrett-Koehler Publishers
  • ISBN: 9781605090153