What any entrepreneur can learn from restaurant owners

Yesterday my mom called me and said she had just started reading Restaurant Owners Uncorked. The first comment she made was, “William, this book is not just for restaurant people. It’s for any entrepreneur.” She’s right. This book is full of excellent general business wisdom that anybody starting a business could learn from. Here are a few of the quotes…

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“You have to think long term when you choose your investors. It’s like marrying into a family. They have to trust you explicitly. And vice versa.”

“If you are going to raise money, start your pitches with your worst prospects. By the time you get to your best prospects, you are going to have a much better presentation, and a much better deal.”

“You have to have that attitude of saying that failure is not even close to being an option. It’s amazing how your body and your mind will respond if you think that way.”

“Try to avoid starting out leveraged. It puts a financial stress on you when you dip through a slow period, and that takes its toll on you.”

“Be great at a few things, not average at a lot of things.”

“Keep your business simple if you want to expand.”

“The biggest competition is not for customers. It’s for staff. If you compete in the labor market and get the best staff, the customers will follow.”

“If you’ve worked in corporate America, unlearn your corporate mindset. Most of what works there won’t work in your small business.”

“Take your ego out of the equation. At the end of the day, it’s a business. If you approach it through your ego, you’ll fail.”

“Don’t expand too quickly or you could destroy your entire business.”

“Learning to delegate is critical to growth.”

“No matter how well you know your potential business partner personally, make sure you know what he/she is like on the heat of battle.”

“Be transparent with your staff and you’ll earn their loyalty and trust.”

These quotes are just the tip of the iceberg. Learn more from the folks that provided these quotes in the book. It’s an easy, quick read and it’s a click away from your doorstep on Amazon.

Wil