Small changes, big impact. All thanks to a pumpkin.

80% of new businesses fail every year. 

While that number seems staggering, it’s not all that surprising. Owners get on the hamster wheel of being a technician and working in the business 24/7 instead of on the business and before long they are burnt out and have no money to show for it.

I have been there; I get it. Thankfully there is a better way.

Today’s book recommendation is a good one for this topic. The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz walks you through a different way to look at and run your business by comparing it to the process pumpkin farmers use to grow the biggest pumpkins year after year.

While there is a tonne of incredible information, there are 3 things that really stood out to me:

1. The way he recommends asking for referrals. Instead of asking clients for referrals, Mike recommends that you ask them for the name of contractors that they are working with and that you build relationships with those people because they probably have a hundred clients they can recommend you to. By doing this you are building a strong root system.
2. It’s not about the number of clients, it's about the quality of clients you have. Focus on your best client, knock their socks off, and forget about the rest.
3. He encourages staff to ask themselves three questions with every decision:
1. Does this decision better serve our top clients?
2. Does this decision improve or maintain our Area of Innovation?
3. Does this decision grow or maintain our profitability?

“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. “

You can buy a copy of the book HERE.