Nadine Barrow, director of Entrepreneurship, a successful international business coaching company, has satisfied many clients by helping their businesses expand. For the past decade, the driving philosophy behind Barrow’s consultancy has been to strive for expanding markets, growing sales, and greater productivity.

Recently, however, Barrow has started to realize that increasing revenues and profit are not central ambitions for everyone. Her clientele has been shifting towards a different goal of "lifestyle augmentation". These clients have a different agenda, one that doesn't involve inexorable expansion, but instead seeks to maintain equilibrium. "People want to be committed entrepreneurs, but they have different expectations,” Barrow says. “Maximizing profits isn’t their primary goal. They want to be able to pay the bills, but also have the time to pursue other passions."

Jeff Larkin, a consultant working with Barrow at Entrepreneurship, is skeptical of Barrow’s new strategy. "Firms generally flourish through gaining access to broader markets and greater market share, so I would be hesitant to advise against taking a more expansionist approach," Larkin asserts. "In the volatile economy we’re in, businesses need to stay on top of profits in case of economic setbacks. When fluctuations happen, small businesses are often the first to go under."

Barrow agrees that this is true, but is nevertheless planning to support clients whose focus is stability. "I respect Jeff’s point of view. At the same time, growth comes with a lot of obligations and added responsibilities," Barrow explains. "For example, taking on more full-time employees means you're forced to expand to cover benefits or more equipment. Usually it also means renting more office space, which is another financial stress. Some people just don't want the additional hassle. Larkin is right that it's a competitive world, but that doesn't mean that businesses have to engage in inexorable expansion just to stay afloat. In fact, I think it might be the contrary. People need more flexibility in their lives; they want to be able to prosper but also be able to shift interests and directions when necessary. Being an entrepreneur needn’t consume your entire life."