Scale

June 16, 2014
Aimed at small business owners, this book by Priceline founding team member Hoffman and Maui Mastermind CEO Finkel (Build a Business, Not a Job) provides “guiding principles and the concrete formulas” that will take companies to the next level, either by selling it or owning it “passively.” The energetic authors first address some of the common mistakes that business owners make, such as centralizing control. They include brief examples taken from companies they’ve advised in the past and list a wide range of practical steps to success. They suggest helpful team exercises, pose key questions to stimulate discussion, and review sales/marketing, operations, and financial “pillars.” This is followed by tips on how to streamline systems and procedures that will get company owners out of the muck of minutiae while still allowing them to respond to standard excuses from employees (“You do have the time”). This well-written, well-organized book will help business owners who want to enjoy a life beyond business. Agent: Jim Levine, Levine, Greenberg, and Rostan.