Each year Americans start one million new businesses, nearly 80 percent
of which fail within the first five years. Under such pressure to stay
alive--let alone grow--it's easy for entrepreneurs to get caught up in a
never-ending cycle of "sell it--do it, sell it--do it" that leaves them
exhausted, frustrated, and unable to get ahead no matter how hard they
try.
This is the exact situation Mike Michalowicz found himself in when he
was trying to grow his first company. Although it was making steady
money, there was never very much left over and he was chasing customers
left and right, putting in twenty-eight-hour days, eight days a week.
The punishing grind never let up. His company was alive but stunted, and
he was barely breathing. That's when he discovered an unlikely source of
inspiration--pumpkin farmers.
After reading an article about a local farmer who had dedicated his life
to growing giant pumpkins, Michalowicz realized the same process could
apply to growing a business. He tested the Pumpkin Plan on his own
company and transformed it into a remarkable, multimillion-dollar
industry leader. First he did it for himself. Then for others. And now
you. So what is the Pumpkin Plan?
- Plant the right seeds: Don't waste time doing a bunch of different
things just to please your customers. Instead, identify the thing you
do better than anyone else and focus all of your attention, money, and
time on figuring out how to grow your company doing it.
- Weed out the losers: In a pumpkin patch small, rotten pumpkins stunt
the growth of the robust, healthy ones. The same is true of customers.
Figure out which customers add the most value and provide the best
opportunities for sustained growth. Then ditch the worst of the worst.
- Nurture the winners: Once you figure out who your best customers are,
blow their minds with care. Discover their unfulfilled needs, innovate
to make their wishes come true, and overdeliver on every single
promise.
Full of stories of other successful entrepreneurs, The Pumpkin Plan
guides you through unconventional strategies to help you build a truly
profitable blue-ribbon company that is the best in its field.
