Page 107 - The Magic of Tiny Business

Part III  Practice Your “How”

both too. Let me just say that having too much cash isn’t a
real problem until you run out and don’t have a reserve.
But having too little cash will exhaust and stress you out.

Mac McCabe has consulted and held senior manage-
ment positions with national brands such as L.L.Bean and
Greyston Bakery. For the last few years, he has been my
go-to financial guy and forecaster.

We met at a Social Venture Institute1 event in the
Hudson Valley where I was invited to talk. And since that
fateful meeting over cauliflower casserole we’ve been con-
nected at the hip. (Truth be told, Mac could’ve been a key
resource when we were spiraling down in the recession,
but moving forward . . .)

What’s happened since working with Mac is that Eco-
Bag Products’ business decisions are made based on forecasts
and margins. Cash-based, informed responses have 99 per-
cent replaced reactions and we’re so much better off for it.
That’s why I asked Mac to bring his expertise to this chapter.

From Mac’s accounting and numbers perspective,
Tiny Business means taking a lean, minimalist approach
to getting maximum results. Surviving and thriving is all
about the numbers. If you are only passionate about your
“why” and you don’t care about the numbers, then there is
a genuine risk that your venture will not survive.

In his words:

“ Tiny businesses are still businesses. They all exist
on a competitive playing field where some will
succeed and many will fail. Who succeeds? I don’t

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