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Company of One

Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business

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Company of One

By: Paul Jarvis
Narrated by: Sam Woolf
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Company of One by Paul Jarvis, read by Sam Woolf.

What if the real key to a richer and more fulfilling career was not to create and scale up a new business, but rather, to be able to work for yourself, determine your own hours and become a (highly profitable) and sustainable company of one? Suppose the better-and smarter-solution is simply to remain small?

Company of One
is a refreshing new approach centered on staying small and avoiding growth, for any size of business. Not as a freelancer who only gets paid on a per piece basis, and not as an entrepreneurial start-up that wants to scale up as soon as possible, but as a small business that is deliberately committed to staying that way. By staying small, you can have freedom to pursue more meaningful pleasures in life, and avoid the headaches that result from dealing with employees, long meetings, or worrying about expansion. Company of One introduces this unique business strategy and explains how to make it work for you, including how to generate cash flow on an ongoing basis.

Paul Jarvis left the corporate world when he realized that working in a high-pressure, high-profile world was not his idea of success. Instead, he now works for himself out of his home, and lives a much more rewarding and productive life. He no longer has to contend with an environment that constantly demands more productivity, more output and more growth.

In Company of One, Jarvis explains how you can do the same, including planning to set up, determining desired revenues and keeping clients happy, and of course, doing all this on your own.

©2019 Paul Jarvis (P)2019 Penguin Audio
Business Development Employment Entrepreneurship Motivation & Self-Improvement Small Business Business Career Inspiring
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Critic reviews

You are not alone with Company of One. If, like so many others, you're setting out to take on the world by yourself, then welcome to the best company there is, your own (Sam Conniff Allende)
A bright, useful entry in the small-is-beautiful genre (Kirkus Reviews)
Company of One is the next frontier for less is more (Richard Koch)
In Company of One, entrepreneur Paul Jarvis attacks the rapid growth model of Silicon Valley and promotes a different, gentler route to business success, calling for a slow growth movement (Tom Hodgkinson)

What listeners say about Company of One

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One of the best business concepts

If you want to provide any service, and not only you should read this book

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    5 out of 5 stars

Very Good Book

The book is mostly a reminder of things I know already but that's because I read a lot and have read similar books. Overall, it's very good and I'll recommend.

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Inspiring book

Inspiring book demonstrating an alternative way to run businesses to capitalism with it's resulting destruction of our planet and society.

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Insightful book for small business owners

I hadn't heard of the Author before, but thought I'd give the book a go after reading a few positive reviews.

Glad I did. The book has given me a lot to think about as a small business, and was written in a way that is engaging and easy to digest. Very relatable listening, especially so as I'm in the same industry (web) as the author.

Highly recommended for anyone that owns a small business or is building a side hustle.

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It’s perfect if you’re ready for it.

It’s a great thought starter for anyone who is in a position or is thinking about starting a company centred around sustainable approaches to work.

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Psychological Guidance

Paul Jarvis in his book presents examples of how other people started/managed a company of one and how it was done. He also talks about his own experience in this matter. With that, the book does not only feel like a simple guide 'How to..." but it gives you psychological guidance too. Vast examples and authors' comforting words can make you consider starting such a company. All I missed are so bad examples where the company of one failed andy why.

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Amasing

Amasing book. Fill of useful content. Going to listen it again and again and again

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Insightful reading / listening for those 99% of businesses who are truly small

It’s a sad reflection that the vernacular of small business is obsessed with ‘growth’, ‘investment’, ‘scaling’. It’s language banded around by what seems a noisy 1%, or worse still, those actually in employment who purport to be champions of small business but who have empathy constipation with what that actually means.

99% of businesses will always remain small, often by choice or design. Paul Jarvis speaks this tribe’s language: assuredly, convincingly and supportively. There are some fabulous insights and glaringly sensible recommendations in his book.

The mantra is “be too small to fail” but there are some great surprising stories and case studies along the way, including businesses that will be well-known to you.

Highly recommended.
(1.7x speed listen)

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Brilliant read for Solopreneurs and Bootstrappers

Growth for growth's sake is definitely a thing. VC backed companies go down this route to varying levels of success. This book focusses on the benefits to keeping your business small, on purpose. An excellent read and a lot of really valuable learnings to be taken from it.

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perfect fit

I really got a lot from this book. As a company of one it was really interesting to listen to Paul's outlook of why it isn't a bad thing to stay a company of one. It's given me some food for thought but also backed up what I probably already knew.

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