In our culture, we tend to define success as bigger, better and more — particularly if the bigger and more refer to the size of a company’s revenues or an individual's bank statement. In contrast, smallness is often associated with "less than," and is assumed to be "no big deal." Big mistake.

Research shows that small things make a contribution that is often more significant than their large-sized counterparts, when knitted together into the whole. They just do it more quietly, because most people consider these small actions as pieces of a puzzle rather than looking at the puzzle itself — and the puzzle is dazzling.

Very small businesses are often referred to as "mom and pop shops" or micro-businesses, and neither is meant as a compliment. And yet, these same tiny enterprises, as a group, pack an economic and quality-of-life wallop. For example, did you know that the smallest businesses:

• Create more new jobs (net) than do large companies, which often operate on "beef up and lay off" cycles? For example, since 1990, small businesses added eight million new jobs while large corporations eliminated more than four million jobs;

• Are responsible for a majority of innovations that are, at the time, deemed weird, wacky or just too risky for staid, traditional companies? Think of the zipper, the personal computer, double-knit fabric, the airplane, soft contact lenses and the pacemaker — all attributed to upstarts;

• Are more likely to hire part-timers, as well as younger and older workers;

• Donate more money per employee than large companies;

• Comprise more than 90% of all businesses in the United States; and

• Make up one of the fastest growing markets, and spend an average of $103 billion each year on products and services?

And that’s not all. Small schools are gaining support because of what’s possible only in a small organization. Far from being quaint or unsophisticated, small schools have been found to result in:

• better grades,
• less bureaucracy,
• higher scores on standardized tests,
• greater sense of community,
• more involvement in extracurricular activities,
• lower dropout rates,
• higher attendance rates,
• higher rates of involvement by parents,
• more creative, innovative teaching approaches,
• better rates of employment and college
• decreased violence and crime,
• attendance upon graduation,
• increased civility, and
• a greater sense of satisfaction for students, teachers, and parents.

Despite a trend toward consolidation into large schools, performance problems in education have put the spotlight on how many of those problems can be eliminated or significantly reduced by creating smaller schools or small units within large schools. As is the case with other small enterprises, there are great benefits in the agile, non-bureaucratic, highly personal culture of a small school.

While small organizations — be they businesses, schools, non-profits or teams within larger corporations — are not a panacea, they clearly make a very large contribution to their communities, nation and world at large. They just do it without the perception of success that outsiders automatically confer upon large-sized things.

Do you still doubt that big results often stem from small things? All of the places, ideas and things in our world are the product of smaller elements that helped to create it. For instance, consider:

After all, remember the great impact that George Bailey had on so many people in the movie, It's a Wonderful Life? George thought his life was a failure, that he'd had little impact on those around him, until his guardian angel showed him the difference that all of his small efforts had made.

So now that you have a better idea about the power of small things, what small things do you have a greater appreciation for? What "small" actions will you take today that just might elicit a big result for you and others tomorrow? How might you apply these concepts to help improve your workplace and your relationships with coworkers and customers?

Learn more about the power of small — and how you can put it to work within your enterprise — by reading Jamie Walters’ inspiring new book, Big Vision, Small Business, which inspired this article! Or, if you appreciate the free resources available to you on Ivy Sea Online, consider leaving a tip or making a donation to help keep the generosity flowing!

This information provides food for thought rather than counsel specifically designed to meet the unique needs of your organization. The most effective approaches are those that have been tailored to your unique needs and organizational culture, so don't hesitate to engage the assistance of an adviser whose perspective you trust and value. Have questions? Send us an email.