Book Review: Small Giants: Companies that choose to be great instead of big

by Bo Burlingham

Conventional business wisdom tells us that growth is good, but is unfettered growth the only option for successful businesses? In Small Giants, Bo Burlingham tells the story of a group of highly successful companies that have chosen a different path.

Given the opportunity to go public, or sell to a become part of a larger corporate, these companies chose to remain in private hands. Why did they make this choice, and what does it mean for their success?

With national or international reach, high turnovers, and up to 2000 staff, the small giants are not ‘small businesses’, but they all started out that way. They are companies that reflect the vision and values of their entrepreneurial founders while providing lifetime employment for their staff and creating deep connections with their communities.

This book helps us to understand some of the common features that have made these companies great and asks business owners and managers to reflect on possible alternatives to traditional growth strategies.

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