Build Your Wedding Business Most businesses fail because the business owners did not realize that operating a successful business usually requires more time and more financial resources than was originally projected. The books and seminars that you find listed in this section will help you to sustain a powerful and productive business bearing. Like a wedding buffet of fine foods, here you can indulge yourself in positive and nurturing business ideas that will provide a tremendous amount of motivation and lead you to fulfillment as your company unfolds before you into a thriving business. THE BREAKTHROUGH COMPANY, by Keith R. McFarland Book Description The vast majority of small businesses stay small—and not by choice. Only the most savvy and persistent—a tiny one tenth of one percent—break through to annual sales above $250 million. In The Breakthrough Company, Keith McFarland pinpoints how everyday companies become extraordinary, showing that luck is a negligible factor. Rather, breakthrough success turns out to be associated with a clearly identifiable set of strategies and skills that anyone in any business can emulate—from small startup to industry leader. Book Reviews: "Keith McFarland is about to be added to the list of the top business thinkers--Tom Peters, Jim Collins, Ken Blanchard and Stephen Covey. If you buy only one business book in 2008, this one should be it." —Harvey Mackay, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive. "Greatly needed! Features marvelous analysis of the principles that enable entrepreneurial enterprises to survive and thrive. It will inspire those in charge to become true leaders by rejecting 'small' goals rooted in ego and embracing visionary values that impart moral authority up and down the organizational ladder. I urge you to read this book: it's impressively researched, beautifully illustrated, and clearly written." —Stephen R. Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People “McFarland successfully tackles the ever-present question for ambitious entrepreneurs: just how do you go from small to big–and prosper? This book has the makings of a classic.” —Steve Forbes, President & CEO, Editor-in-Chief, Forbes Buy Now DARE TO PREPARE, by Ronald M. Shapiro with Gregory Jordan Book Description Over the course of a forty-year career in the worlds of law, sports, business, and politics, Ron Shapiro has worked with and advised an incredible variety of people. What he’s found is that the secret ingredient for getting into the winner’s circle is simply the discipline of methodical preparation: that old-school, step-by-step way of having all your ducks in a row, whether you are an executive getting ready to do a deal or make a speech; a pitcher studying the traits of opposing hitters and keeping a meticulous notebook of their strengths and weaknesses; an international trade negotiator who knows all about the issues and the people on the other side before sitting down at the table; or a surgeon who rehearses like a classical musician. Book Reviews: "Dare to Prepare, draws on Ronald Shapiro's extraordinary career as one of American's top negotiators and lawyers. Full of real-life examples, Shapiro shows how meticulous planning can raise the odds of success in business and in life." —Norman Pearlstine, former managing editor of The Wall Street Journal and editor in chief of Time Inc. “Once again Ron Shapiro puts into focus the concepts we all think about, but often do not practice. Dare to Prepare is the blueprint for obtaining results. Ron is the master at assembling the tools for success, organizing them in plain speak and delivering them to us so we can score. This is a must read.” —Randy Levine, President, New York Yankees “This book reflects years of experience, and of wisdom gained, through the careful preparation and resulting success of professionals in a variety of fields — from athletics to the arts… Anyone who wants to be a successful negotiator, speaker, fundraiser, or leader will find these stories both enlightening and entertaining.” —Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, President, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Current New York Times Bestseller