Introduction: Painting the Picture of the Ideal Business

Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.

—Warren Buffett

Ah, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.

—Bob Dylan

They’re Gr-r-reat!

—Tony the Tiger, mascot of a consumer monopoly company that Warren Buffett loves

A consistent truth exists across all small businesses: Each one is different. A hamburger stand drives down operational costs through inexpensive, rapid-fire delivery; a service business builds sustainability through solid, enduring relationships; a technology firm evolves through bleeding-edge innovation and development. It would be catastrophic for a tax service provider to ram his clients through in 60 seconds just as it would be suicide for a hamburger stand cashier to play a round of golf with customers as the drive-thru line backs up. No matter how disparate the business model universe may be, another consistent truth exists: Every great business is built upon the same core fundamentals.

There Is a Template

The core of a strong business is not a mystery, nor is it a complicated mess. It is found in the wisdom of Warren Buffett, which is a virtual blueprint to create superior business results and build a powerful small business engine. If you follow this blueprint, digest its meaning, and learn its intricacies, you can build an economically superior small business, one that Warren Buffett would love.

You Hold in Your Hands the Blueprint

If you asked ...

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