Challenging–the word that defines running a business. If you are an owner, manager, or up-and-comer in one of the 30 million small businesses in North America, then this book is for you. I deliver practical approaches to reduce fixed overhead, control escalating expenses, and make your business more profitable in record time. Every small business can benefit from a more solid operating platform. Early-stage entrepreneurs will appreciate clear directions using my chapter checklists. Business veterans will find fresh approaches to what they may have done for years. The checklists walk listeners through what to gather, consider, and organize in order to launch projects and initiatives. Sometimes, getting started is the hardest part of all, and checklists can serve to get projects off the ground in short order.

Randomization is the enemy. Focus is the key. I define concrete steps for organizing, planning, and finding time and energy to do your most valuable work. I'll show you how to focus on what needs to get done every day and how to best use your finite resources of time, money, and energy. I'll make it clear what must not be allowed to consume your precious resources, no matter how squeaky the wheel or how tempting the distractions may be. You'll learn to keep your energy on a short list of high-value objectives and move your company into a new dimension of lower overhead and higher margins.

Together, we'll explore counterintuitive ideas and improve your bottom line by learning to ask for more, make the "pie" bigger, and create win/win situations for your company and your business partners. Awakening your "inner negotiator" will be a step toward shifting the culture of your entire company. Sometimes it is difficult to find the right words to ask for a discount, to open the dialog to renegotiate a lease, or to secure more favorable payment terms from a long-standing vendor. I include scripts for common interactions to make it easier to find the words.

You'll learn how to avoid cutting marketing budgets to such an extreme that your visibility and market share are diminished. You'll discover how to get cash flow management under control and refine A/R practices. My message is not about saving money by choosing to settle for the cheap seats. The message is about affording the best, and more of it, by paying less for goods, services, partnerships, speed, creativity, and competency.

Use my initiatives to find and develop your "dream team" and imagine what you can accomplish. The people who bring their energy, creativity, and time to your company are the foundation of your profitability. You will find many ideas to polish your hiring and retention practices, to develop and execute compensation strategies, and to turn your team into powerful contributors.

I show you how to implement a "quick win" and how to develop a broad and deep platform to launch overhead reduction initiatives using my strategic planning tools. Don't wait—start today to use my book to strengthen your bottom line and improve your company’s profitability in record time.