Today's economy is characterized by the pursuit of growth. More customers, more sales, more employees - that is the goal. However, there is also another way. This path is particularly relevant in the current climate, as rapid company growth has a negative impact on the environment and sustainable action can make companies more profitable.
The basic idea behind the alternative economic model "post-growth economy" is that the economy should also function without growth. The current competition in the economy, which is all about faster, higher and further, is depleting natural resources. As early as 1972, the Club of Rome warned of the consequences of unchecked economic growth. The path to post-growth can begin with small steps. For example, reducing output can lead to an improvement in quality. Certain products and services should be offered less, but in higher quality.
The advantage is that higher prices can then be charged. In addition, fossil mobility should be limited and the radius of action restricted. Supply chains can be adapted so that as little CO2 as possible is emitted during the transportation of goods. In general, business activities should be restricted regionally. This strengthens identification with the home region and the economic power of the local area. An important point for post-growth is materials management. Above all, durable materials should be used in the company. High-quality materials do not wear out so quickly and less is thrown away. In addition, repairs should be made rather than produced. This is because enormous amounts of raw materials can be saved if goods are not only produced but also repaired.
b.r.m. also acts in the spirit of the post-growth economy. When Harald Rossol founded his IT company in Bremen in 1994, he actually had the same plans as any other entrepreneur. Winning customers, increasing turnover, hiring new employees, who in turn would win new customers - that was the goal. Harald Rossol also had to fight greed, as he could have quadrupled his company in recent years. But instead, the number of customers and the team size of five employees have remained constant for ten years. The company's growth would not only have harmed the environment, but also the employees. Harald Rossol came to this realization during the bursting of the dotcom bubble. Although b.r.m. was not affected, he realized how quickly an unbridled boom can be over. That's why he didn't want another data center, another office, only to end up laying people off again. Despite the alternative route and the many competitors, business is stable and turnover is in the low seven-figure range. Although the company is small, it is incredibly fast. No annoying forms have to be filled out until the customer gets help, at b.r.m. everything is done through direct customer contact. In addition, Harald Rossol is always planning for the long term, because quality is his growth. This would not work if Harald Rossol was not constantly looking for potential savings and optimizing processes. For example, his company was the first in the world to be awarded the "Blue Angel" seal of approval for its energy-saving servers. In addition, b.r.m. has programmed an algorithm that sounds an alarm if something threatens to break, for example if a computer runs hot, a hard disk is full or certain data no longer flows. As a rule, IT companies spend 80 to 90 percent of their time trying to find a fault, but the early warning system means that time-consuming troubleshooting is now a thing of the past. A system that enables employees to get off work on time.
