Jumbo Shrimp Marketing

John Moore, who was formerly in marketing at Starbucks Coffee and Whole Foods Market, makes a great point in his blog post, Get Bigger by Acting Smaller on MarketProfs.com.

"When small businesses dream, they usually dream of becoming a bigger business. When you think about it, nearly every big business began as a small business. Nike's first sale came from the trunk of a car. Dell shipped its first custom-built computer from a college dorm room. And Starbucks began as a mom and pop coffee shop.

However, a bigger business doesn't always equate to being a better business. At some point, big becomes bad. Big becomes a matter of being convenient rather than unique (McDonald's). Big becomes a game of market share rather than customer care (Wal-Mart). Big becomes ubiquitous (Microsoft).

It seems that by the time a small business gets big, it's time for it to act small again."  He offers five "Jumbo Shrimp Marketing Rules:"

Rule #1. Be the Best, Not the Biggest

Rule #2. Love Your Business

Rule #3. Passion Attracts Passion

Rule #4. Treat your employees as family

Rule #5. Redefine Success (define success by the impact you are having on the lives of customers).

Words to live by.