Business Book Summaries

Of all the things that we can do to hold ourselves back in our professional and personal lives, there are two fundamental road-blocks that we need to move out of our way. The first is our attachment to outcome. Outcome is the object of our anticipation, otherwise, why would we do anything? However, when anticipation becomes fixation both before and after the result is known, attachment to outcome becomes a hindrance. The second road block is made up of the Seven Deadly Assumptions that we make. Often, the attachment that we have to an outcome is tied closely to our adherence to one or more of these assumptions. Let's take a look at the Seven Deadly Assumptions and see how they sabotage our success. 1. THE ASSUMPTION OF OUTCOME-The assumption of outcome is probably the most common assumption that we make. It may start something like this, "These things never work out for me?." or "She always says, no?". The assumption of outcome prevents us from taking action because we believe that we have the ability to foretell the result before it happens. It is predicated on the fundamental premise that history ALWAYS repeats itself. Thus, if something was attempted with a result that was unpleasant or unexpected before, the assumption of outcome insists that there is no other possible outcome should that same action be attempted again. What this assumption neglects to acknowledge is that history does not always repeat itself. One disappointing result does not doom you to the same result over and over again. As you let go of the assumption of outcome, you allow yourself to consider other possibilities. The creative process is encouraged by thinking in terms of what is possible. Look again to the disappointing result. What other outcomes could be possible? What could be changed to improve the likelihood of a different outcome? 2. THE ASSUMPTION OF IMPOSITION-The assumption of imposition is the assumption that wraps itself in politeness. "They are so, so busy I would not want to bother them?" or "They have much more important things to worry about than?". Typically this assumption has less to do with courtesy than either fear of rejection or the transfer of one's own opinion to another. In either case, the assumption of imposition is based on the notion that others will be bothered or annoyed by what we have to offer or ask for. In business, the assumption of imposition can be associated with a lack of confidence either in ourselves or the product/service that we offer. Neither provides a strong recipe for success. 3. THE ASSUMPTION OF INDIFFERENCE-Like the assumption of imposition, the assumption of indifference suggests that what we have to offer is unimportant to others. We say to ourselves, "He would never be interested in something like this?" Again, the assumption diminishes the value proposition of what is offered. If the offering is truly without merit to a particular individual, we should identify those for whom the value proposition is stronger. If it is without merit at all, why are we spending time on it? Take a moment to consider the things that are important to you others but that you believe others to be indifferent.. Think about the reasons that you believe these things are important. What is their value? What is their benefit? How could these same things be valuable or beneficial to someone else? Test your theory by letting go of the assumption of indifference and ask. Let others tell you what their level of interest is. 4. THE ASSUMPTION OF "NOT ENOUGH"-An assumption grounded in the world of scarcity, the assumption of not enough has many faces. Among them, "not good enough", "not enough time" or "not enough money". The assumption of "not enough" is very effective at stopping us in our tracks because it reminds us of the futility of our actions or desires. Whatever we desire, there is "not enough" of something to achieve it. Often, we don't even know what we have or what is required. But, whatever it is, we do know that we don't have enough of it. The problem with the assumption of not enough is that it is usually based on someone else's yardstick. Until we take action, we won't know what is truly required to accomplish something. Until we try, we don't really know how long something will take. Until we begin the action of research, we don't really know how much money is required. If we let the assumption of not enough stop us before we get started, we limit our possibilities once again by denying ourselves the chance to learn what can be accomplished with the resources we DO have available to us. 5. THE ASSUMPTION OF THE MOTIVES OF OTHERS-This may be one of the most dangerous assumptions to make. In it, we judge not only the outcome but the intentions of others as a justification for choosing an alternate action or inaction. The assumption of others' motives usually manifests itself in a couple of different ways. One possible explanation of how this assumption comes about is that we use the assumption to justify a disappointing outcome. For example, "She really has it in for me, that's why I didn't get that pay raise." Then, there is the related "guilt by association" clause. This variation of the assumption of the motives of others expands the assumptions that we make about a person's motivations to anyone that is associated with them. Thus, if Sam or Sally has a hidden agenda, Monique must have one as well because of her connection to Sam and Sally. Therefore, it is best to avoid all of them. This assumption sabotages us because we start to make our decisions and take our actions based on what we believe to be true of others. Instead of focusing on what we need to do to achieve what we want to achieve, we feel that we need to take 'countermeasures' in order to avoid or outsmart the hidden agendas of others. 6. THE ASSUMPTION OF ONE'S PLACE-The assumption of one's place prevents us from approaching those who can best help us or from taking the actions that will move us the farthest because of a perceived hierarchy of entitlement or caste system. In a corporate setting, the assumption of place prevents us from seeking a meeting with someone a few rungs up the ladder from us. In a sales setting, we avoid the Decision Maker because of our insecurities around our place relative to theirs. Like the other assumptions, the assumption of one's place, is based on the fundamental premise that we are 'inside' the head of others. If the idea is good or the concept is valuable, people will be interested regardless of their position in an organization. Of course there may be others involved in a decision process, but never let the assumption of one's place stop you from sharing what you have to offer. 7. THE ASSUMPTION OF FINALITY-The assumption of finality suggests that "this is it", the only shot we have. If we blow it, we are done. In the assumption of finality, there are no second chances or do-overs. More often than not, the sense of finality is there because we have placed it there. We have decided that there is no do-over. While it is true that we only have one chance to make a first impression, it is not true that the first impression is the only impression or the last one. Virtually everything can have a second or even third chance. We simply have to release the assumption of finality and choose to try again. Whenever you feel a sense of futility, find yourself holding back, or look at yourself against the backdrop of others take a moment to ask whether one of the Seven Deadly Assumptions is rattling around inside your head. Ask yourself, "Is it possible that my assumptions are distorting what I think I know to be true?" Then, ask yourself, "If I let go of the assumption, what else is possible?" Let the possibilities guide you not the assumptions.

About Author: Elaine Halliday is director of Six Sigma Living, a division of Kiwi Development Solutions, LLP. Six Sigma Living offers solo-professionals and micro-businesses with consulting, coaching and training to promote business prosperity and to build success from the inside out. For more information, please visit http://www.sixsigmaliving.com

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The Big Idea

Entrepreneurship surrounds us every day. New businesses and ventures are the pulse of wealth around the world. The fact of the matter is that just about every product or service we use nowadays is a symbol of bravery. Somebody had to have the courage and faith needed to create that product and build that business.

Entrepreneurship is the single biggest source of wealth in this country. However, the sad fact is that too many wealth building programs bypass this step. This book is all about building and sustaining a viable business – a Cash Machine – to help you create and support your wealth, and about giving oneself the confidence and courage to do so.

The Cash Machine: Create New Money as You Learn to Earn

Whether you build, fix or buy your Cash Machine, you are going to focus on a business that is immediately going to generate revenue. You can organize your Cash Machine in three ways:

· Build it. You can either use the skills you have or partner with someone who is also starting from scratch to leverage your skills with your ideas – or do both at the same time.

· Fix it. If you have your own business already, but it’s not making enough money or is too difficult to run, then you need to make your Cash Machine more effective.

· Buy it. You may have lazy assets – those that are just lying around doing nothing, like CDs or money market accounts for instance – that can be sold to generate cash for your Cash machine.

Skill Set: Digging Into Your Toolbox

It’s absolutely necessary to begin with your skill set, not just with your business idea. Starting a business is tough enough without handicapping yourself and expanding into an area that is not supported by your skill set. Most entrepreneurs fail because they choose to pursue entrepreneurship with new skills instead of skills they already have.

Idea Generation: Brainstorming the Business

Whether you are building, fixing or buying a Cash Machine, you will need to generate or solidify the idea of the business. This idea will come from your Skill Set.

Some points:

• If you want to buy a Cash Machine, be selective. Go for ongoing business ventures that are already making money or at least breaking even. You want a good solid business that is doing fine. (The point of buying one in the first place is to leapfrog the get-on-your-feet stage.)
• At every point in the brainstorming process you want to make sure you stick to your personal values.
• You need to have a vision for your future to stay on track to reach your goals – something to help you overcome the tedium of the day-to-day running of the company.

Modeling: Finding a Form to Follow

Once you have your business idea, you should model a similar business. A look around should help you find such similar ventures. It would even be best for you to meet the owners in person and see how they work, or even shadow them for a day. (If you cannot find a good model for your idea, you can divide your idea into different segments and model each after an easy-to-find business.)

The Plan: Mapping the Best Route

A business plan is a document that maps out the business concept and its strategies. The exercise helps get the entrepreneur going: writing the plan down helps him or her organize his or her thoughts and clarifies strategies and tactics.

Building a Team: Finding Players for Each Position

The best entrepreneurs are great leaders, and great leaders know how to come up with great teams. Leaders know enough to understand that they do not need to do everything themselves. In order to determine the kind of team you need for your Cash Machine, you can have a look at the team of the model business you selected. The organizational and personnel structures of most businesses are very similar and work on the same group of best practices and benchmarks.

Marketing and Sales: Engaging and Enrolling the Customer

In order to develop the marketing plan, your team needs to know how to define the business: what you do, how you do it, and for whom and why. This will help you discover your message and relate to your target market. To quickly get your customers in the door, you can try putting up ads in the newspapers (nice quality ads or classified ads), on the net, on the radio; by distributing notifications via email or posters; by holding parties, get-togethers, seminars or other events; or having third parties endorse you.

Operations and Finance: Systems and Structure

Operations is the machinery that makes everything go. It refers to the inner workings, the actual infrastructure, the systems, and the structure of the business, and covers everything you need to happen to execute your concept. The flow of operations can make or break a business.

Accelerating the Machine: Expansion and Exit Strategies

As growth occurs, you will be adding more money to your company, spend less time on the details of the business, and begin to evaluate the future of the company.

The Kids’ Cash Machine: The Next Generation of Millionaires

Teach your children true entrepreneurship by teaching them how to build their own Cash Machines. A Cash Machine, to recap, is simple to start and sustain; based on skills that get you to an idea modeled after an established, successful business, with revenue models to hit specific projections, built on a plan, with a team, and well-marketed as well. Any kid can and should do this. But you should stress that they shouldn’t do this solely to make money – they should to try to help people as well.

Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, personal finance, management The Millionaire Maker’s Guide to Creating a Cash Machine for Life , Loral Langemeier

When business people meet all over the world the most common and recognised gesture is to shake hands. In my travels I have found that even this simple routine is done differently in many parts of the world.

In the UK it is usually a single right hand that does the shaking. Very few people shake with their left hand and it is deemed rude to offer your hand without taking your glove off first.

There are power hand shakes when one party decides that either they are superior or wants to win the battle of the hand shake. In this case the right hand is offered with palm facing downwards. The hand on top seems to signify power.

Often people in sales will offer their hand with palm facing up. This signifies that they are going to submissive in the conversation that follows.

In India it is common to offer your right hand and once the hand shake has been initiated you put your left hand over the other parties' left hand. This means that the initiator has now given a two handed hands shake. The receiver does not need to respond but can also reply by using his left hand as well.

In the Far East and some parts of Asia it is deemed impolite for a woman to shake a mans hand. A woman should only shake a mans hand if she has sexual interest and feels that it might be reciprocated!

Even the length of the hand shake differs. In the UK people might shake hands for three or four shakes whilst it is common in the Middle East to keep the hands held limply together for an extended period even after the initial semi firm four shakes.

In America people are taught to shake the hands firmly. A few Americans I have met use a bone crunching hand shake which is way too hard. This might be acceptable in America but will definitely be frowned upon in China and even some parts of Europe.

Some French people might give you a kiss on the cheek as they shake your hand. Very rarely do the lips touch the cheek though as usually it is a "pretend kiss" and only the side of the face will touch yours.

Finally in some cultures a person higher up will refuse to shake the hand of someone felt to be beneath them. In this case if you offer your hand for a shake and it is declined just pretend it did not happen and carry on talking!

About Author: Naz Daud is the founder of CityLocal. This Business Franchise Opportunity is for people who would like to work from home and be their own boss. Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, management, human resource

Ahh, business casual dress. Don’t you love dressing more comfortably at work? Well, be careful. Business casual dress may diminish your chances for success. As Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams, quipped, I love the business casual look for the way it combines unattractive with unprofessional while diminishing neither.

Have you noticed that in some offices, business casual leads to mass confusion? You may be overjoyed when your office institutes casual Fridays, or perhaps you wear casual clothes every day. But you, or others in your office, may not be sure what this means. Some staff members look as if they should be somewhere else – perhaps out jogging or curled up on the couch. Some clothes are just a bit too casual for work.

Remember that at work you want people to focus on your professional skills, not your body. If you wear anything extreme – very short, tight, low-cut or revealing, or that looks like sportswear or beachwear, people may notice your clothes rather than your work. A good business casual rule to remember is that business casual is a notch or two below what you would wear to work on days without business casual.

7 Tips to project a professional image with business casual dress

1. Neatness counts. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to look good. You can look sharp by always wearing clean, pressed, tailored clothing.

2. Quality counts. Instead of buying several trendy outfits, invest in one good quality jacket or suit. Update your accessories, and change your blouse, shirt or tie. You’ll save money in the long run because it will cost less per wear.

3. Accessories make or break the outfit. Choose good quality accessories, such as a briefcase or purse. Shabby accessories can ruin an outfit.

4. Grooming takes on a new dimension when wearing casual clothing. Business casual doesn’t mean you can forget to shave or bathe. Sloppy or grungy are not business casual looks.

5. Have an emergency outfit in your office. Keep a jacket (and tie, for men) available for an unexpected meeting with your boss or a client.

6. Dress for your clients. Remember that you represent your company. You are not dressing for yourself. That’s for the weekend. You are dressing to inspire confidence in your clients and in your company.

7. When in doubt, dress up. It shows respect to wear a suit to a meeting with a new client, or for a job interview.

About Author: Lynda Goldman is the author of 30 books including “How to Make a Million Dollar First Impression.” Subscribe to “Communication Capsules” and get a free report: “Breakthrough Communication Skills” packed with powerful tips for success, at http://www.ImpressforSuccess.com

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It's the competition, stupid. P.S., the person three cubicles over is not the competition.

Shareholders would certainly prefer that employees focus on their clients and continually strive to gain a competitive advantage. However, the principle focus is, all too often, on getting an edge over fellow employees.

There are two principles reason for this misplaced focus: human nature and the reward system.

There are some actions organizations can take to temporarily bend human nature in the right direction and we'll discuss a few ideas near the end. Clearly the company has a great deal of control over the rewards system and this needs to be designed to promote internal cooperation and external competition.

First, eliminate zero sum reward pools. Zero sum reward pools are used by most corporations to dole out performance-based compensation; primarily bonuses, raises, and options. Zero sum reward pools allocate a fixed dollar amount for these rewards during the prior year's budgeting process. Everyone knows that there is $500,000, for example, that will be spread across 50 employees. Everyone also knows that 10% of the employees will receive 90% of that $500,000 and the rest will spend their year carrying these exalted few around on their backs. Instead, the reward pool should be indefinitely expandable as long-term revenue expands (warning: this can be hazardous to your company's audit standing if it is only tied to quarterly or annual returns-think three year horizons).

Second, eliminate zero sum performance appraisals. Zero sum performance appraisals harken back to the olden days where the schoolmarm graded on a strict curve. Every student essay was rank ordered relative to all the other essays and the best 5% earned A's, the bottom 5% were saddled with F's. This works well where there is a broad population with a random sprinkling of teacher's pets and dopes, but is a terrible schema for a high-performance corporation that has already screened out 90% of the poor performers.

Yet, many corporations grade merit reviews on a 5-point scale and enforce assignments of employees to each point. 10% of employees are allowed the highest ranking, 20% of employees get the boot. There may not be 5% points difference in their actual performance but the system requires some to be labeled failures, some incipient failures, some failures in training and, a select few, successful or very successful.

All manner of gyrations ensue amongst the employee population to avoid being in that bottom tier, up to and including, sabotaging their compatriots' efforts in the race for the differential rewards.

Unfortunately, this system of assigning random beatings was popularizing by General Electric with their infamous call for business units to saw off the bottom of their barrels and eliminate everyone not deemed an "A" player. This is an easy concept to grasp and has become way too popular given the lack of evidence that the ferocious internal competition for "A's" is good for the shareholders.

Employees should be provided with actionable feedback and agree to a development plan that ties their success to the success of their team and the success of their unit and the success of the company. Applying a "1" or a "5" to this development plan only gives the bottom 80% of the employees a reason to hate their boss, their team, their unit and their company. I know, everyone does this. Everyone is wrong.

Third, eliminate up or out development programs that are provided only to those privileged few who have won the race in the first and second categories noted above. Every employee should be responsible for their own development and be provided with opportunities to improve. Development for some may mean becoming President of the company, development for others may mean listening more carefully to customers. At either extreme an employee who does not feel that the company wants them to excel is an employee looking for excuses to fail. There is no neutral switch in employee development.

Lastly, there are some core issues with human nature. Snarky competitiveness is an easy mantle to assume and people quickly get comfortable with distrust and isolation if the corporation doesn't actively provide a counterweight.

Leadership training programs and visible executive support of cross-functional teamwork initiatives, coupled with a reward system that really floats all boats, are essential elements for turning intense competitive energy toward shareholder interests and away from the zero-sum games.

Copyright © 2007, Lotus Pond Media

About Author: Steven Grant is a former customer service executive from American Express with over 25 years devoted in Fortune 500 companies analyzing, improving and delivering on enhanced customer experiences. Share your experiences and suggestions on improving the customer experience at http://www.customerresearchcenter.com or email Mr. Grant at scgrant@customerresearchcenter.com Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, management, leadership

Becoming number one in your market niche depends upon your building a strong brand, and branding starts from within. Only through your employees having a consistent and widespread understanding of the unique value of your company can they represent that brand to the marketplace.

Branding is not just a great logo or a tagline. You build and reinforce your brand image at every point of customer contact, including with every telephone call, e-mail chat, IM message, Web page read, sales transaction, handling of a customer question, and fielding of complaints and feedback – not to mention your ad copy and conversations with the media. By creating among your employees and key business partners a common understanding about your brand and what it stands for, you will be investing in the long-term success of your brand.

Here are 4 keys to building a successful foundation for your brand through executing an internal branding strategy.

Key #1: Create a mantra: Guy Kawasaki, former key person at Apple-turned-venture capitalist, advises in his book "The Art of the Start" that companies create a mantra. A mantra is a short, 3 or 4 word phrase intended for regular, internal use by company employees. A mantra is not the same thing as a tagline and does not ever need to be heard by your customers. Rather, it is used to keep everyone in your organization on task concerning the real, unique value you offer your customers. Your mantra might be "We refresh you faster" or "Making the best plastics available anywhere." Just put together a phrase that seems to express who you are and be sure every one of your employees knows it by heart.

Key #2: Link internal and external branding efforts: Ultimately, the value of your brand is a function of three main factors: the number of target customers who have heard of you, how your brand ranks in their minds, and the nature and depth of the value they associate with your brand name. In order to develop strong mindshare and contribute to your brand equity, however, your internal understanding of your brand must match your external advertising and PR efforts. Without such alignment, you will just be wasting your branding resources or worse, creating a gap between your daily actions (i.e., internal processes) and what you tell people you are really about (i.e., external messaging).

Key # 3: Make sure employees can articulate your unique value: Make sure your employees know not only your mantra, but also the specific ways that your company delivers value to your customers. A convenient way to help them conceptualize this value is to compare it specifically to that of your competitors. What do you do that your competitors do not? How can customers expect to benefit every time they do business with you? Find at least 2 or 3 specific value points that you offer and be sure your employees can articulate them.

Key #4: Reward employees for reinforcing your brand with daily actions: Knowledge and awareness are important, but action is golden. At least once per week or once per month, ask your employees to find at least one way to better reflect the value of your brand in your daily customer interactions. Ask yourself: how can you tweak or fundamentally change your internal and customer-facing processes so that they better communicate the value that your brand represents? Be sure to reward employees (and yourself!) when you come up with and implement these ideas. This is really where the rubber meets the road between your internal brand image and how your customers perceive your value.

Developing an internal branding strategy is the first step towards building a powerful brand. Be sure that your employees can articulate your company's unique value – and then make sure that value is reflected at each point of customer contact. By doing so, you will be creating the kind of consistency between messaging and execution that will build unbelievably powerful brand equity with your customers. Fierce loyalty and better sales are soon to follow.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Everett_Maclachlan

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When most new businesses go about setting their pricing model, they generally:

1. Look at what competitors are charging and set their price somewhere near that price point (usually below, which is most often a mistake)

2. Determine how much money they'd like to make over a particular time period, determine how many projects they can handle during this time period and calculate how much they need to charge to reach their desired income level

3. Undercut every company in America to get the "pipeline" flowing

What I'm about to tell you, because you've most likely never heard it before, may strike you as odd and it may even anger some of you.

All 3 of these methods are a waste of time!

There is really only one smart way to come up with a pricing model, and that is by asking this one simple question:

What are my target customers willing to pay?

You see, by answering this one simple question, you are shifting your mind out of its "Me, I, Mine" mode into the mode that every forward-thinking business person should be in, "What do they want and how much are they willing to pay for it?"

To take a step back for a second, to realize how often we are in "I, Me, Mine" mode, lets take a look at the very nucleus of most businesses: deciding what products or services to offer. All too often, I see clients who have gone into business to provide a product or service that, for whatever reason, they really wanted to provide. Had these clients gone through the process of figuring out the demand for a particular product or service BEFORE they set out to provide it, some of them would be in much better (i.e. profitable) positions than they are now.

So, back to pricing, if you can determine what people are willing to pay for your product or service, you will be much further ahead than everyone else in your field. When you price yourself near your competition, or heaven forbid at a price point LOWER than your competition, you're assuming that your competition was smart enough to research their price points. Well, I can assure you, in most cases you are giving your competition way too much credit.

Try testing alternative pricing methods on potential clients and keep raising prices until you hit severe resistance. However, do not forget to keep a running tally of overall revenue. Why? Because, as you raise your prices, at some point you will begin to see some drop off in clients who aren't willing to pay, which may start to give you cold feet, but, what you must remember is that even if you lose some of those potential clients, the higher your price, the less clients you actually need to hire you to make the same amount of money.

Lets look at a quick example:

- If I provide auto-detailing services for $50.00 per car, and I get 100 new clients a month, I gross $5000.00 per month.

- If instead of charging $50.00 per car, I charge $75.00 per car, I can gross the same $5000.00 per month by detailing only 67 cars.

- Now, if I can get 50 people to pay $100.00 per car, then I now have to service only half of the clients that I had to at $50.00 per car, who I can undoubtedly give more attention to, and I can still make the same $5000.00 per month.

I don't know about you, but the third option makes me smile a lot more than the first or even the second option.

So, before you make an arbitrary pricing decision, be sure to think it through. I'd be willing to bet that most of you aren't charging nearly what the market will bare … trust me, or start raising your rates and see for yourself.

About Author: The Dicks + Nanton Agency LLC publishes the "Celebrity Branding You" ezine covering topics that every business professional needs to maximize their income potential. Get more free tips that will allow you to make more and work less NOW at DicksNantonAgency.com

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A common frustration for women in business – and men, too – is being pushed around by the people and companies we need in order to succeed. Sometimes they send you around in circles to locate resources, other times they just aren’t as helpful as you know they can be, and often, you’re just left waiting… and waiting for a response.

Learning how to be bold and direct, and demanding respect, fairness and attention is part of being a successful business person. This isn’t to say that there’s no place in the business world for being friendly and nice but being "too soft" can delay your progress. As someone once put it, "If you leave room for people to take advantage of you, they will." Here are 10 tips to help get what you want, when you want, from the people you need most:

1. Keep a record of your goals and objectives. Refer to it often to ensure that you stay on track. Share this with someone you trust and have them help keep you in line.

2. Figure out what you want before you meet with people. You're then more likely to remember your goal, form your discussion around it, and ultimately achieve it.

3. Let people know when you need help with something. Even if they can't help you themselves, they're more likely to find you someone else who can.

4. Don't leave questions unanswered. If you have them, ask!

5. Don't be afraid to walk away. If you feel you may be wasting your time, or could be taken advantage of, your willingness to go elsewhere may be what prompts someone else to take action in your favor.

6. If you want to solidify a deal or an agreement, or just protect yourself, write it down. A lot of people will try to backtrack from promises they make if there is no way of holding them accountable.

7. Tell people what you want from them. Do use some tact, but be direct. Most business people will respect you more for it.

8. Give people the best reason to want to help you. Being a good person is the first step. If people like you, they're more likely to go out of their way for you.

9. Always think in terms of creating win-win situations. How can helping you help them? Figure this out first and you're one step closer to getting what you want.

10. Believe in yourself and your business. If you truly think you have what it takes to succeed, make it happen.

About Author: For more than a decade Jennifer Kushell has led a movement inspiring young people to achieve everything they have always dreamed about. As the NY Times best-selling author of Secrets of the Young & Successful and president of YS Interactive Corp., and as a relentless advocate for her generation, Jennifer has impacted the lives and futures of millions around the world. In 2006, she led her company in launching http://www.YSN.com – Your Success Network – an online universe for emerging adults to explore their passions, build a professional identity and pursue their dreams.

Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, management, business strategy