Unbank

1. Even though Carl founded UNBANK on the premise that small size, slow growth, and a focused market could be profitable in the face of the large-scale commercialized banking industry, the expansion under consideration does not necessarily mean that that bank's original principals are doomed. Specifically, Carl promoted UNBANK as an organization that understood that bigger is not always better, that service and relationship building would be a priority, and that the human aspect of banking also meant hiring and retaining exceptional employees. Carl initially believed that the only way to achieve these values was to develop a branchless community bank, one that promised its customers that it would "stay small" and therefore avoid falling victim to the commercialization and "productization" that consumed the industry. While staying small is only one strategy that Carl could implement in order to keep control of his bank's philosophy, using such a tactic would deny him the opportunity to grow his organization.

I feel that Carl maintained a one-branch bank not because it was his goal to never expand, but because it was his solution to the problems consumers were experiencing in the large banks. Staying small was his way of implementing his vision, values and mission of the organization; he even based his early advertising on this notion because he felt consumers would also equate his solution to the problems they were experiencing in the large banks. Carl should realize that through expansion he can still appeal to consumers through commitment to service and customer satisfaction. However, he must develop a system that is less dependent on his personal involvement and control and is one that can also be duplicated.

The only way the expansion would conflict with Carl's vision, values and mission of UNBANK is if the bank compromised its current commitment to service and customer satisfaction. Current practices such as informal hiring, lack of training programs and minimal concrete standards for employees to follow must be addressed before an expansion can take place. Carl currently relies on his involvement in day-to-day practices as the means to keep the organization in line with his philosophy; Carl must set a clear "turn-key" foundation for the bank's operations, policies and practices if "Carl's Bank" is to be successfully mimicked in new locations. Customers will