A brilliant concept...

This is part of Norm Brodsky's monthly "Street Smarts" article that appears in Inc. magazine (this was the April 2002 issue). Mr. Brodsky was talking about the steps you need to take to sell a business. And as he did he mentioned an entrepreneur who's business was 'rehabing' and then selling businesses. Here is a part of the article that I think you will find interesting:

"Building to sell is different from building to operate. You have a different goal, and you need a whole different thought process from the one you'd use if you were planning to hold on to the company indefinitely.

I know a guy, for example, who has been very successful at building restaurants to sell. He has a regular pattern. He'll buy a failed restaurant, including licenses, facility, kitchen equipment, and other restaurant paraphernalia that the previous owners bought new. So he gets almost everything he needs at a bargain. Then he changes the restaurant's name and concept, brings in new staff, and reopens as a place for fine dining, charging very reasonable prices.

That's his trademark: excellent food at low prices. The city newspaper rates restaurants. This guy's places are the only ones in their category that are rated excellent with two dollar signs (moderate pricing). The other excellent-rated restaurants all have four dollar signs (expensive). Not surprisingly, his places are packed.

So why doesn't he charge as much as his competitors? Because his goal is different from theirs. He's building to sell, and he has his own formula for doing it. He knows he'll find a buyer -- and get the price he wants -- if he can show high sales volume and great potential for increasing profits. After all, the new owners can raise the prices on the menu to the competitors' level.

Granted, the founder could do the same thing and probably make more money while he still owns the place. But he has figured out that he can earn a better return in the long run by keeping his prices low, building up sales volume, and selling the business at a premium price."

An absolutely brilliant concept...and it shows what a little 'outside the box' thinking can do for you.

Now you are probably thinking..."hey that guy has tons of money to do that and I don't."

This concept can work for any business...take flower shops for instance. I know many can be purchased for a song. Then you do the same thing. Make it efficient, low priced, crank up the sale's volume and then sell it.

I'm sure there are many non-traditional businesses you could do the same thing with. But anyway, the concept is solid.

Take care,

Mike Winicki

Thanks Mike. Good reading.

I've spent all weekend catching up on some reading, like reviewing my Fritz (CREATING impacted me the most)...and other methods, strategies and techniques as I'm putting the SQ1 (FINALLY)into a practical course.

But first, Exit Strategy. Bill Myers was the guy who taught me to think about the exit strategy during the PLANNING of a project. How do you get out of the project?

It is totally different than BUILDING a business or project.

This weekend I read several books on the subject, and here is a link to amazon.com to one of the books and you may want to check with your local library for them:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0761519971/qid=1018272352/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/104-6356072-3507900

In case the link doesn't work, the name of the book is WHAT'S YOUR EXIT STRATEGY by Peter Engle.

I've done a lot of reading and research on this and along with Michael Ross' LEVERAGE and Mike McGroarty's influence, it has created a paradigm shift for me...or some new TENSION in the Fritz model.

Creating for the EXIT is something new for me, and it appears like the next phase of my life...

so this is an interesting topic. It also changes the way you approach a project. Knowing there is an end to it is a power in itself. Open ended projects not only bore me, but I lose focus and can't immerse in them.

A closed end project or deadline somehow stimulates me to more activity and higher performance levels. Doing that going in to the creation of a business is totally different than what I was taught or learned along the way...and it may have been the missing piece of my education.

If you are finally getting around to ACTION on your ideas, and you want a fresh approach, think in terms of how you are going to LEAVE the project behind you...you'll be amazed at the RELIEF you will feel too, and that is empowering also.

I'm incorporating these new concepts in the SQ1, although they are already there, just not identified as such.

The top of the POA (Pyramid of Accomplishment) is a marker of activity, it isn't a destination.

So the selling off of the business or venture can be plugged into the POA at the beginning and it creates a totally different "goal" setting mechanism.

Thanks Mike and Bob for pointing out the Fritz work again...there are so many people with great discoveries out there, it is fun to find, refind and rediscover some of the OLD Masters...

as well as the new ones.

Gordon Alexander

PS to Bob Beckman, You did a great job with summarizing the SQ1, you should be the Executive Director of the SQ1...so you get to do all the work while I make all the money, OK? ....HA!

> Thanks Mike. Good reading.

> I've spent all weekend catching up on some
> reading, like reviewing my Fritz (CREATING
> impacted me the most)...and other methods,
> strategies and techniques as I'm putting the
> SQ1 (FINALLY)into a practical course.

> But first, Exit Strategy. Bill Myers was the
> guy who taught me to think about the exit
> strategy during the PLANNING of a project.
> How do you get out of the project?

> It is totally different than BUILDING a
> business or project.

> This weekend I read several books on the
> subject, and here is a link to amazon.com to
> one of the books and you may want to check
> with your local library for them:

>
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0761519971/qid=1018272352/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/104-6356072-3507900
> In case the link doesn't work, the name of
> the book is WHAT'S YOUR EXIT STRATEGY by
> Peter Engle.

> I've done a lot of reading and research on
> this and along with Michael Ross' LEVERAGE
> and Mike McGroarty's influence, it has
> created a paradigm shift for me...or some
> new TENSION in the Fritz model.

> Creating for the EXIT is something new for
> me, and it appears like the next phase of my
> life...

> so this is an interesting topic. It also
> changes the way you approach a project.
> Knowing there is an end to it is a power in
> itself. Open ended projects not only bore
> me, but I lose focus and can't immerse in
> them.

> A closed end project or deadline somehow
> stimulates me to more activity and higher
> performance levels. Doing that going in to
> the creation of a business is totally
> different than what I was taught or learned
> along the way...and it may have been the
> missing piece of my education.

> If you are finally getting around to ACTION
> on your ideas, and you want a fresh
> approach, think in terms of how you are
> going to LEAVE the project behind
> you...you'll be amazed at the RELIEF you
> will feel too, and that is empowering also.

> I'm incorporating these new concepts in the
> SQ1, although they are already there, just
> not identified as such.

> The top of the POA (Pyramid of
> Accomplishment) is a marker of activity, it
> isn't a destination.

> So the selling off of the business or
> venture can be plugged into the POA at the
> beginning and it creates a totally different
> "goal" setting mechanism.

> Thanks Mike and Bob for pointing out the
> Fritz work again...there are so many people
> with great discoveries out there, it is fun
> to find, refind and rediscover some of the
> OLD Masters...

> as well as the new ones.

> Gordon Alexander

> PS to Bob Beckman, You did a great job with
> summarizing the SQ1, you should be the
> Executive Director of the SQ1...so you get
> to do all the work while I make all the
> money, OK? ....HA!

Gordon,
Hi. I am new to this forum. I have an idea for a new business which I am just getting started now in the planning stages and I have many questions. I have seen mentioned on this site numerous times SQ1 and POA. How can I get more information? Also you make a good point about exiting a project. Should I be considering selling the business even though I am still in the planning stages and it's not even developed yet?
Thanks in advance for any input and advice.

Ken Weyer

> Gordon,
> Hi. I am new to this forum. I have an idea
> for a new business which I am just getting
> started now in the planning stages and I
> have many questions. I have seen mentioned
> on this site numerous times SQ1 and POA. How
> can I get more information?

Welcome Ken,

One of my biggest mistakes is not giving more information, that is assuming that NO new people are ever going to find this little corner of the Internet, for that I apologize.

Dien tells me we are getting more popular as time goes by...

SQUARE ONE WORKSHOPS (SQ1) are a series of child like PICTURES or drawings that I call Pictogrigms.

Most of the series is here at sowpub in the archives.

Here is a sample of the Pictogrigms.



Master Pictogrim in Color

And the POA



And the Master Pictogrigm in Words:



The series starts around 18 Sept. 2000 in the archives.

For those of you that are new, you might want to go all the way back in the archives. Set the search parameters.

Also you make a
> good point about exiting a project. Should I
> be considering selling the business even
> though I am still in the planning stages and
> it's not even developed yet?

Ken this is a personal choice.

In the past I've always thought about BUILDING a business, but now I'm interested in CREATING and selling...be it products, processes or businesses.

Ask yourself if you can see you still doing the business five years from now. If so, then maybe you want to set up some long range goals and plan on BUILDING a business.

This is especially true for those people that have found their passion or mission in life and know exactly what they want to do.

If it is more about making money vs. a lifestyle thing, then I'd be inclined to THINK exit right from the start.

Thanks Ken for brining up an important issue about the SQ1 and feel free to ask questions.

Also in the archives you'll find plenty of successful people offering some of their best advice too, it isn't only Dien and myself here, in fact, the forum works much better when you all pitch in.

Gordon Alexander

now, this works much better in groups.

But, this is a good starting point IF you do the pictogrigms.

Just reading doesn't work.

But this explains a little of it, and it also shows why DRAWING your past works similar to the Fritz Tension Model...that is knowing what your patterns are and working with yourself, NOT against yourself.

http://www.sowpub.com/cgi-bin/forum/webbbs_config.pl?read=1064

Maybe, this is the year I get the SQ1 out to the people. Maybe.

Gordon Alexander

http://www.sowpub.com/cgi-bin/forum/webbbs_config.pl?read=1074

You can BEGIN here if you are starting a business or looking for a money making opportunity.

IF there are any questions, I'll be glad to answer them.

The SQ1 are POWERFUL tools for transformation, IF you do them.

G.

> Welcome Ken,

> One of my biggest mistakes is not giving
> more information, that is assuming that NO
> new people are ever going to find this
> little corner of the Internet, for that I
> apologize.

> Dien tells me we are getting more popular as
> time goes by...

> SQUARE ONE WORKSHOPS (SQ1) are a series of
> child like PICTURES or drawings that I call
> Pictogrigms.

> Most of the series is here at sowpub in the
> archives.

> Here is a sample of the Pictogrigms.

> Master Pictogrim in Color

> And the POA

> And the Master Pictogrigm in Words:

> The series starts around 18 Sept. 2000 in
> the archives.

> For those of you that are new, you might
> want to go all the way back in the archives.
> Set the search parameters.

> Also you make a

> Ken this is a personal choice.

> In the past I've always thought about
> BUILDING a business, but now I'm interested
> in CREATING and selling...be it products,
> processes or businesses.

> Ask yourself if you can see you still doing
> the business five years from now. If so,
> then maybe you want to set up some long
> range goals and plan on BUILDING a business.

> This is especially true for those people
> that have found their passion or mission in
> life and know exactly what they want to do.

> If it is more about making money vs. a
> lifestyle thing, then I'd be inclined to
> THINK exit right from the start.

> Thanks Ken for brining up an important issue
> about the SQ1 and feel free to ask
> questions.

> Also in the archives you'll find plenty of
> successful people offering some of their
> best advice too, it isn't only Dien and
> myself here, in fact, the forum works much
> better when you all pitch in.

> Gordon Alexander

Thanks Gordon,

I see I have my work cut out for me even before I get started! I really do appreciate all the information. There is a wealth of knowledge here.

Ken