Perhaps you’ve read the book “Small Giants: Companies That Choose to be Great Instead of Big,” by Bo Burlingham. If you did, then you know that Ann Arbor’s own Zingerman's is one of the companies that was profiled in the book as a company that has chosen to ignore pressures to grow in order to maintain its mojo. I’ve been really interested in the Small Giants community, since reading the book. The pressure to grow a company comes from many different sources. Companies that have a clear vision about what defines their growth strategy seem to be more stable than those that succumb to outside pressure.

At SRT, we’ve also chosen to resist outside pressures to grow. We’ve chosen to add staff slowly and carefully, only as business needs demand the growth. It’s enabled us to navigate the murky waters of the last two years without reductions. This focus has allowed us to continue to focus on the culture of the company, while being very selective about the people and projects we chose to accept. Next week, from April 19-21, our community has an opportunity to learn more about the Small Giants movement through a combination of free and for-fee events. • Zingerman's is hosting a Small Giants seminar from April 19-20. Ari Weinzweig and Bo Burlingham will walk attendees through defining success and determining their individual courses of action that will get them there. To register, go to ZingTrain. The cost is $975 for the 2-day training and includes breakfast and lunch. • The Whole Brain Group and MacDonald Group will host an open house and Small Giants mixer for companies interested in learning more about the Small Giants Community from Marisa Smith, who serves on the planning committee. The Small Giants Mixer is free, but registration is required. • The Michigan Next Great Companies Summit will feature a keynote by Bo Burlingham and a panel discussion on the Small Giants Community. Marisa Smith of The Whole Brain Group will moderate. The Summit will be held in East Lansing, and costs $75. You can register here. Regardless of the stage of your company, I suspect that you will learn something from any of these events. Don’t squander the opportunity. Hope to see you next week!

Dianne Marsh is co-founder of SRT Solutions in Ann Arbor and a software blogger. He shares this regular column with co-founder Bill Wagner.