The Magic of Tiny Business: You Don't Have to Go Big to Make a Great Living Paperback – Illustrated, May 8, 2018

I appreciated Sharon Rowe’s story of how and why she created Eco-Bags and grew the business from there. Guided by a passion to create a sustainable eco-friendly business while also having time for her family, was not an easy task and I had to smile over a point she made: “A tiny business is about building something agile and profitable, on your own terms, so that you (and your team) can be home for dinner.” The thing is, this entrepreneur did it and she takes readers step-by-step through the process.What I really liked was her down-to-earth approach in telling the story, especially details such as deciding on the name and the evolution of a brand logo. I also found this book delightful to read. She includes a series of cartoons, cleverly designed to fit the chapters, and, I discovered at the end of the book, were created by her son, Julian. At the end of the book, I was pleased to see how how a woman with a passion for “cleaning up the planet” was able to get her message across to a wide audience, both nationally and internationally, and even including her ECOBAGS being featured on The Oprah Winfrey Shows’ first Earth Day episode in 2007.

The Magic of Tiny Business is informative, engaging, and filled with tips for how to start a small business.Sharon Rowe talks about her business, and the mistakes she made throughout growing said business.She also talks about what she did right and offers tips.I’m only giving this 4 stars. While I found the tips and information valuable, I think Rowe kept circling back to own business too much. I wasn’t personally interested that she swims almost every day or that she was an actress before ECOBAGS became a business.I know everyone has a “how I got here” story, but some of the details were repetitive and could have been left out.Other than that, it’s a great book; easy to read and full of useful info.

Forget all the hyped books and models around startup mentality - this might just be the most important business book that you ever read. It brings to life all the things that make businesses successful - a purpose, a mindset to create value, perseverance, and of course excellence in execution. However, what made this book stand out among business books for me was that the author doesn’t talk down at you. Reading it was like listening to a wise person at a campfire. And for that same reason the lessons stick with you. I found myself taking notes on things I could do better in my own business.Do yourself a favor - don’t miss this short but mighty book!

I wish this book has been required reading in business school for my 3 millennial children! The Magic of Tiny Business was a breath of fresh air compared to the dry books on entrepreneurship that are a struggle to get through. Using a real-world example to explore the journey of building your own business from scratch is so much more applicable and engaging. I also love how short the book was compared to so many entrepreneurship tomes that basically scare you out of wanting to do anything risky.While The Magic of Tiny Business acknowledges the risks of starting your own business, I think its “magic” is in how the author set out to mitigate these risks from the start by keeping her business focus “tiny” and ensuring that her values stay front and center, whether that was in who she partnered with or in her commitment to being home (almost) every night for dinner with her family. This balanced approach to entrepreneurship is sorely needed. I'm glad my children can start their businesses knowing that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

This book has some good advice but over all it's repetitive and not as informative as I had hoped it would be. Comes across as more of a personal day to day diary for Rowe instead of the ins and outs of what it takes to start and maintain a small independently run business. I got the sense she wasn't struggling as much as she would like you to believe in the beginning and I think she had a lot more help getting started and marketing herself than she lets on. Like i mentioned there are few bits and bobs that are good to know, otherwise the book doesn't live up to its hype.

"The Magic of Tiny Business" by Sharon Rowe is a great, instructive, thoroughly enjoyable read. Ms. Rowe shares valuable insights gained while growing her business, from its inception as an idea and with a small investment, into a multi-million dollar company - Eco-Bags Products, Inc.Eco-bags are ecologically friendly bags that are now sold worldwide. Ms. Rowe was ahead of the curve, creating the supply just as the demand for environmentally sound products was emerging.She writes of the planning, execution, problem solving, and customer care that enabled her to become a successful entrepreneur and still be home for family dinners, noting in her introduction, "A tiny business is about making a good living and a great life. You need to be able to stop and smell the flowers.... you need to enjoy the journey."Contributing to the book's allure are numerous cartoons by the author's son, Julian Rowe, whose cartoons have appeared in the New Yorker magazine."The Magic of Tiny Business" belongs on the list of must reads for anyone contemplating embarking on such an adventure.

The writer is easy-to-read and knowledgeable. The first part of the book was especially helpful, regarding mentality, prioritization, focus, etc. The second felt less applicable to small business owners, but it was still helpful.