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Launching and maintaining a successful business is hard work, and as the author points out early on, approximately the same number of businesses die every year as are born. However, there are some solid principles and practices that, when applied to either a new or existing enterprise, can offer it the increased ability to not only survive but thrive. In a book that can be used as either a reference guide or a source of daily encouragement, Baynton provides a set of valuable tools for both the would-be and veteran entrepreneur.
Unlike many business books, Baynton doesn’t rely on case studies or personal vignettes to get his points across. Instead, he has gathered the time-tested theories and ideas of those who have weathered the corporate seas as well as collected data from educational sources and his own vast experience in the field to create a distillation of knowledge. He then organizes this information into 90 brief, easy-to-read chapters that each focus on a specific topic such as capital investment, attitude, or marketing. Within all of this teaching reside core concepts such as integrity, diligence, attention to detail, and doing for others what you would want them to do for you. For example, in Chapter 50 he writes about the need to reward valuable employees with something “a little extra” in their paycheck. He goes on to say that this principle applies to dealing with customers, as well. An added perk from a salesman to a client at the close of a deal can create both good will and repeat business.
Baynton’s decades of professional experience in a variety of business roles and settings has given him an inside track on what works and what doesn’t. Happily, he has chosen to share his insights with us.