The Predictable Profits Playbook

Book excerpt: Why does an entrepreneur struggling through 80 hours a week only make half as much as another working no more than 40? What actions determine whether you end up with a small business pulling in five figures a year or a billion-dollar behemoth blazing a path to market dominance? As an entrepreneur, you're told the secret to success is working hard and fighting your way to the top. But what if this advice came from all the wrong people and places? What if there was more to the success stories you read in magazines, watch on TV or hear on the radio? Uncovering the true secret to success is marketing expert Charles E. Gaudet II's obsession. Gaudet discovered nearly every great organization - whether Apple, Nordstrom, Zappos, FedEx or Disney - follows a stunningly similar formula. And surprisingly, this approach defies the principles followed by most entrepreneurs running businesses today. Gaudet finally reveals why some businesses find growth opportunities in any economic situation and others balance on the edge of failure. His research shows many small business owners seek out success strategies from other small business owners and, for this reason, most remain small. Fortunately, today's advances in technology and media level the playing field, allowing small businesses to compete using a "big-business playbook," even when they don't have a big-business marketing budget. Inside The Predictable Profits Playbook, you'll learn time-tested lessons from leading small business owners and discover how to: Succeed in a down economy Become the preferred provider sought by only the best customers Swipe market share from your competitors Increase margins while growing demand Multiply your prospect-to-sales ratio Boost customer loyalty and build a raving fan base Create predictable and rising profits from one month to the next Become known as a business of excellence The Predictable Profits methodology avoids gimmicks, schemes or stunts - and you won't need to outspend your competitors. Instead, you'll focus on optimizing your existing marketing dollars and delivering the greatest advantages to your customers. Some entrepreneurs want to experience growth and others just wish for it. This book is for the motivated entrepreneur committed to making growth happen."