I own multiple companies and have used the Ready Fire Aim method way before this book came out. Now that it has I have validation that my methods are very good. Not only did I get the validation but I also learned many new things. I'll be handing this book to my COO so that he can have a better understanding of my putting new ideas into production before they have been fully polished. It really goes against what he believes in when I do this. But with this book I think he will now understand why this is a really good method.

Marcus
http://www.markeedragoninc.com

I enjoy the occasional book on marketing and how to acheive success. The cover blurbs for "Ready, Aim, Fire" seemed promising as did some of the Amazon reviews. So I figured why not.

I can now answer the question "why not" in detail and at length.

First, the good news. Michael Masterson does a reasonably good job of distilling the advice offered in dozens of other books on advertising and marketing, from Napoleon Hill to Rosse Reeve's "Reality In Advertising". However, the solid advice gleaned from those classics is diluted with Masterson's endless preening and outright bragging.

The overall experience is not necessarily enjoyable or instructive, unless you are inspired by someone telling you, over and over and over again, of how successful and great he is.

A careful reading led me to become very suspicious of Michael Masterson and to do some quick research. Masterson claims to have had titles on the New York Times, Wall St. Journal and Amazon best seller lists. Indeed, on two occasions - and that means two distinct dates - Masterson was on the Wall St. Journal best seller list. This is not like being on that list week after week: it was twice for one time each. As for the New York Times, a Nexis search shows Michael Masterson appearing in the Times just once, with a comment in an article. No appearances on their best seller list. Amazon's best seller lists are very different and appearing on them is on meaningless. It is said that having 30 friends order a book at the same time will put you on their best sellers list for a little while at least.

More disturbing are Masterson's associations, one of which is Agora International, which publishes a number of investment newsletters which seem to be of the "we have a tip for you" variety. Agora was sued for fraud by the SEC at one point. This does not reflect directly on Masterson since he claims a nebulous role of "consultant" with them. It does, however, reflect on the company he keeps.

The company he keeps also includes AWAI, American Artists & Writers, Inc. Masterson doesn't say that he authored a product for them, a course on copywriting. Both AWAI and Masterson are the subject of literally hundreds of online complaints.

As I said, much of this book is borrowed and adapted. I don't have a problem with that since solid knowledge is intended to be passed on, as long as it is not plagarized in violation of copyright laws. But even here, Masterson leaves himself open to question. He attributes the concept of the "unique selling proposition" to a 1980 book called "Positioning". In fact, Rosser Reeves first put forth the expression and the concept in his 1961 "Reality In Advertising".

Would I recommend that someone read this book? Sort of. It is an adequate distillation of marketing advice from many reputable sources. To his credit, Masterson doesn't claim to be the original thinking here. On the other hand, Masterson's personal credibility is questionable and you really have to take what he says of his own success with a very large grain of salt. Personally I think there are better books in this area to be found.

Jerry

The main point I get from Masterson's book is marking your product. I know it simple but how many small business owners do all the other THINGS but market their products. Masterson beats the marking concept home! If you market and sale your products you will be successful. A must read before you start your business----If you have started; read the book fast. This book is about working smarter and making money and not losing your butt and working harder.

Hi, my name is C. Maria Gudelis and this book is a must read to help any entrepreneur or future entrepreneur make money with less effort, capital investment and then grow your business. It changed my whole outlook on how I launch products, create companies and then grow them...

The book deals with some solid fundamentals necessary to start
and grow a viable business. The job is defined as the what, the
where and the whom? Some important business development stages
are to sell, improve as a result of sales, organize and push.

I recognize the "improve" part of the process because initial
sales usually generate product critiques by customers which
should lead to product customizations/enhancements for increased
sales. Front-end selling refers to new customers; whereas,
back end sales refer to repeat selling of existing customers.

Both types of selling are needed for building a business.
The old customers support the basic cash flow; whereas, the
new customers help to grow the business so that new employees
can be hired and new facilities built.

Next, the operator needs to identify people who sell best or
manage best. There are several types of buying. These are
impulse buyers, the "feel good" buyer and customers who have
surplus money in their hands. i.e. people with large year end
raises or bonuses

This book would be a worthy purchase for anyone contemplating
the purchase or commencement of a new business venture. I
recognize some of the methods described by the author from
my own personal experience.

This could have easily been just a 10 to 20 page report. If that long.

I never understand why supposedly successful people have to write books that spend so much time plugging themselves, their businesses and friends.
If the information was that great people would gladly contact people or businesses on a resource page.

Well, the Great Simplifier has done it again. Michael Masterson has crammed into a single volume just about every rule and procedure anyone going into business -- or hoping to expand his or her business -- could expect to find in an entire library. What is especially useful is that the principles are laid out so clearly and so logically. Here is a book that not only gets the juices flowing; it's a book that leads the reader, fearlessly and confidently, through the maze of problems and uncertainties that otherwise would have a would-be business owner wondering, "What should I do next?" Masterson says, "This is what you should do next" ... and invariably, he's right on-target.

I believe some of the advice is fairly good. However is you own a very very small business like I do it doesn't help me. If you check out the 5 star reviews they are from people that help promote his company. You scrath my back I'll scratch yours. Unfortunately, I should have checked them out before I bought the book. Not After! Don't buy it.

I have bought hundreds of business books over the past 25 years and this one is the best. It is amazing to me that so many other books fail to deliver on its promise but this one does. While a lot of the material was a review for me since I have built and sold several business over the years, the advise is "spot on" for anyone just starting out. The focus on sales in chapter 4 should be required reading for anyone in business school.

If you want to run a business, work hard and be successful that is the book for you.

How often have we got bogged down in the detail of a new business instead of just getting out there and selling your new product, idea or service. The biggest market test is simply to get out of the office and to sell.

Thank you Michael Masterson for bringing us back to reality in your new book "Ready Fire Aim zero to $100 Million in no time flat". This book is superb reading and is a must read book for entrepeneurs and any budding entrepeneur. The simple advice in an easy to read style and format will save you thousands of dollars and lots of pain.

In time this book will be seen as a business classic. Highly Recommended

I purcased the book Ready Fire Aim. It was recommended by a stock report I subscribe to. It is an excellent book to read and learn from if you want to start a business, have a business and want to troubleshoot some problems you are having in it, or you want to increase your business to the next level. The author has a no nonsense get right to the point attitude with his experience and how he achieve his outstanding success in several businesses he has started, built up to the next level, and has helped others succeed in theirs. After one reads the book, one asks the question how did I miss it? The logical simple steps one should do in starting a business and succeeding.

Ready Fire Aim is a solid Business Book for anyone who owns their own business but really more helpful for those who own internet businesses.
Many helpful ways to market yourself and your business. i own a service business and use many of the marketing strategies in the book. I especially enjoy the authors website.

I love the book. I have been trying to get a business up and running but I have not been very successful so far. Now after reading your book I think I know exactly what I need to do. I liked very much the points on sales and marketing and how it helps grow your business.

read this book!!! It's a must read - and it will save you a lot of money which otherwise you will probably loose! I believe that the advice of Michael Masterson will be valuable to all entrepreneurs.

About fourth (or so) of this book describes how taking action is crucial to get the firm to the first million level. After that the books goes in to descriping what you need to get a company to $10M or $100M etc. levels.

I got the feeling that since there's "different levels", you can use only 4th of this book (depending where you are right now). I think it was a great read (and I'm going to read it again soon), but lacks bit of focus. Now this book is aimed to "many business" levels, when it could have been focused only to the first level (and then other levels could be described in different books). However, the book is a very good investment (and costs very little compared to all the good tips you can get from it) so I recommend.

If your business IS below the magic million mark, then I think getting this book is a great choice, but if you are already beyond the first million, it's probably not as good but still worth buying.

I have never reviewed a business book before, as I am a Surgeon and don't really have the time. I am moved - no, compelled - to write a review for this particular book because of the fantastic value I have received. I am fascinated by management literature and have read multiple books by all the most famous Guru's: from Peter Drucker to Charles Handy and from Tom Peters and Tom Kelley to Ram Charan. These are all great authors and give a great deal of insight into the business world. BUT they are all aimed at people who run companies already worth hundreds of millions of dollars. They all have insights that apply to smaller enterprises, but I have never felt inspired to start something new based on these works.

I have an idea that I feel will be a mega-hit. I had always assumed that I would have to write a business plan, get angel funding, start the enterprise, after a certain stage get VC funding, and the world would be my oyster. Not any more!

I have been reading the EarlyToRise newsletter since some time. I always liked what Michael Masterson wrote, and read all his pieces, and felt that he had the Doing-Knowledge, as opposed to the Talking-Knowledge of most Guru's. I have always looked with interest at the books that he has written, but till now did not buy any of the other as the target market was different to me. However, when I saw this book, I could not resist pre-ordering it, and devoured it as soon as it arrived.

WOW! It is really packed with the most invaluable insights that you could EVER have about starting a SMALL Business and Turbocharging its growth. I have thrown out most of my previous learning and have totally revamped my plans. I now know that I am hit with the twin curse of Perfectionism (which is inevitable given my profession) and Procrastination (as I never had the energy or the time to AIM the whole Plan). Just this one insight - and how to break away from it - has been worth more than ten times the price I paid for it. And the lesson on the most ethical negotiation tactic has been worth even more. On going through this book a second time, I feel that even on reading it the tenth time, I am going to get further insights.

On reading this book, I now realise that it has been written in true READY FIRE AIM fashion. It is not nearly as polished as some of the Guru-authored books and some sections are repeated, and I expect that the second edition will be more AIMed. BUT, Mr Masterson has poured in the ideas that could easily have filled 3-4 books if they were expanded. And it is really inspirational. Thank you Mr Masterson.

If you have EVER Dreamed of setting up your own business, Go for this book. It is Really Great.

MJ Reddy

After reading all the positive reviews I begin to wonder if I was being setup. Nothing new in this book. The author brags endlessly about his career and how rich he is, but rich people don't have to brag. I suspect this book is being hyped by it's own publisher. It is way overrated and is written like a sales book for dummies. That said, it did reinforce some good ideas and it was not a complete waste of time.

This is a very useful book no matter what stage your business is in it's "life cycle." Commonsense and effective common practice suggestions that you can utilize in each chapter...the next day you return to your business.

Ready Fire Aim is all about the reality of building businesses. Masterson gives road tested advice that often goes against the academic approach of business schools. Starting a business is about quickly getting those first customers, rather than building elaborate and detailed business plans. Expanding a business is about taking it to the next level in products and geographical distribution.

The three major stages in the growth of a business are clearly identified in this book and their particular opportunities and challenges are addressed with practical hints and real life examples.

If there is one criticism to be levied it is the book's heavy slant towards examples and practices in the information products industry. Businesses that require local physical presence need to address geographical expansion in stage two. Franchising is an example of this.

The creative practitioner can make any necessary extrapolations based on Masterson's framework. I recommend this book highly both to entrepreneurs and investors in growing businesses. I am buying copies of the book to give to the young entrepreneurs that I invest in. Best reinforcement possible for what I am teaching them. Saves me writhing a book.

fabulous book to read and everyone above the age of 35, its a must read for them.

The book starts really well with reference to future chapters made for given business situations that are met along the expansion route. The structure of the book is good, following the growth of entrepreneurial businesses. However, as I read through it, besides the usual business sound bites, you never get the complete explanation you are waiting for. I have no doubt the author is an accomplished businessman but there are lots of books written in the same general terms as this one. Its is an enjoyable read and will leave you with more ideas then when you start but that is about allReady, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat (Agora Series)

Wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for delay - I've been sick.

But transaction was wonderful !!!!

Wow, Michael Masterson really gets it! I couldn't believe all the answers that were in this book. It is apparent that Michael has actually lived being a successful entrepreneur, compared to all the ivory tower educators that have no real reality on what it takes to run a successful business. I only wish he would have written this book about 10 years ago. It would have saved me a bunch of doubt, uncertainty and worry. With my company now in Stage Two, I know what I need to do to get through Stages Two through Four and over the $100 Million sales mark. I am excited to make it happen. All I can say is thanks to Michael, your book has really helped me.

Although I am not finished with the book, I can already say that the book READY, FIRE, AIM is really a treasure for people that wants to start up, or successfully make any existing business expand. It`s a "to the point-" book packed with really good advises from the experienced author Michael Masterson. He did a great work in this book. Thank you.

This is one of the best books I have read on how to grow a business from zero to $$$$. It is different from other books. It is not filled with theoretical and impossible to implement ideas. Instead it give you real world, well tested solutions to starting and growing a business.

This is a must read for any entrepreneur regardless of the stage the company is in.

This is a fantastic book that will take you on a mental journey and, if you are mentally prepared, change your life forever.

The first section gives good but unsurprising advice on starting a business. Most of the book pp129-356 is devoted to the problems of growing businesses of value beyond $1,000,000 to $10,000,000. If you are in that category it may be worth buying, but my guess is that you would know it already. My advice: If interested, borrow, do not buy.

A must read for anyone thinking of starting a business. Michael Masterton lists very practical ways in which new ventures would have the best chance of succeeding. An enjoyable reading style with a central message that is easily understood and implemented.

This book gives a framework for building a successful business. I agree with every that has been written in the previous reviews.

I have one criticism however and that is due to the author's aggressive nature towards a book that Seth Godin wrote about ten years ago called "If You're Clueless About Starting Your Own Business." It read more like a direct marketer attacking his competition (which isn't even a maintstream book), rather than an author who is trying to provide a framework for building and growing a successful business.

Besides that little section, I thought it was a fantastic book and I'm sure everyone who reads it will find something valuable.

Excellent book for wherever you might be in your business. Masterson sees a proper business operation in the same light as we always have, especially a beginning business. Forget anything you have ever learned in business school about hiring high cost talent, buying expensive furnishings, etc until you have a full on operation. Otherwise operate on a shoestring until you have it well established. And no matter what level your business is at, you will always be its primary sales person so get out there and sell, sell, sell.

I have to admit I only read part one: $0-$1,000,000, but so far I love this book. I would have bought the book for the content in part 1 alone. Unlike other books, this book doesn't just give you the theory, but a hands on approach you can start using today. Highly recommended!

This is an excellent book for the entrepreneur and would be entrepreneur. Great insight on steps to take to be successful in both starting a new business and taking a business to the next level. This book is also good for any sales person that wants to be successful in their territory. Well written in a first person style that makes you want to turn the next page. Good examples of actual stories of people doing things the right way.

A well written, easy to understand analysis of the various stages from a business start up through growth to a medium size business. Detailed review of the problems and solutions you will encounter during the growth of the business encompassing sales, marketing, personnel, products and financial challenges. If you ever think you want to start a business, read this book first and come to grips with the challenges you will encounter.

This book contains valuable and practical information. It was recommended to me by Bill Harris. Thanks Bill. And thanks Michael.

I purchased Ready, Fire, Aim as soon as I received news that it came out and was itching to get stuck into it. With a pretty extensive business background I was amazed at how succinct and precise the style of writing was yet at the same time I felt the language spoke to me on a simplistic, yet personal way. Put it simply it made me feel as important as the writer and it hit home a great deal of the theories I had learned both at university and in the workplace. I would recommend this book to any up and coming entrepreneur/manager/director, in fact anybody who wants to develop their personal skills both in life and at work. An absolute MUST-BUY for one and all...

Ian Orr,
Professional Hypnotherapist,
Norwich,
Norfolk,
England

Hello,

Michael's book did for me what no consultant could...

It showed me how to get beyond a plateau my business had reached.
I tried hiring consultants.

But it's very difficult to find people who have grown more than one
business to the 100 million+ level and can tell you HOW they did it.

In one chapter Michael explained to me clearly and simply what I
needed to do. He has this uncanny ability to take what can be very
complex and make it simple.

What's more, I believe I've purchased every book on Amazon about business
growth and growing a business. None of them had anything remotely resembling
the clarity in Ready, Fire, Aim.

Give me a moment of freakin' clarity. That's all I ask for.

Buy Michael's book and you'll have it. Oh, I don't know Michael personally and don't
work for him. But as someone who has read thousands of books about business and marketing,
I feel a rare gem deserves a glowing review.

I've created and written numerous marketing products and spoken around
the world on the topic. So I'm not an uninformed person on the topic.

But this book. Read it. Mark it up. Enjoy it. Live it. And you will
go to the next level or at least know how to.

Marlon Sanders

This little gem of a book is chalk full of wonderful advice. The author takes you on the journey of how to start and grow a business. The epic involves focusing on a singular idea at each stage of the company. There is little left to ask. Basically, he takes the information and tells you the right questions to ask, relates experiences, and lets you do the rest. I would highly recommend reading The Four Hour Work Week in conjunction with this book. TFHWW is new school thinking, and this book answers the questions the reader has from an old school way of doing things.

I am in the process of expending our little family business and this book is very inspiring, not everything here i can put to work )at least not yet) but i found many tips and strategies I like ( and I am still in section one). In fact, I just ordered a 2nd copy to send to my good friend who is about to open his first business in Israel. Of course the book alone is not enough, however it provides a great tool and a great start.

I don't write a lot of reviews but I read this book in its entirety and noticed that it receieved a negative review. I will keep it brief and just tell you that the negative review is compeltely off-base. I can't imagine that the reviewer read the book and if he/she did then that person would have to have a personal/competitive reason for bashing it. Is it all completely new information? Of course not. However, it has enough new thinking to easily justify the time and cost of reading it and if you are relatively new to operating a business or doing a startup and could only read one book I would say that this should be a serious contender fro being the one. I have read hundreds and have been invloved in many different businesses and this book gets it right. It is not a "get rich quick" book but it will give you a lot better chance of being successfull than spending 2 years getting an MBA and taking a stricly academic approach to starting your business. By the way I have never met the author and most likely never will so I have no personal motiviation to endorse it other than having derived significant benefit from reading it. The negative reviewer should probably have just returned the book and bought one about something more aligned with his/her interests.

The phrase "Ready, Fire Aim" is one I have personally heard from Michael Masterson many times. When I saw it was the title his new book. I read the entire book the first day I got my hands on it.

You see I was lucky enough to meet Michael Masterson in person about 10 years ago. He started helping me improve my bussiness shortly after that. We created 2 new bussiness that were each successful, doing good work, and making over a million dollars annually one year after launch.

I can't overstate how much I value and use the advice in this book. I give the book my highest recommendation. Don't start your own bussiness without reading this book first. If I had not had advice from Michael Masterson, I might still be at "Aim".

AL

As a mentor and now consultant to my company, I have seen first hand how Michael Masterson can grow a business.

Reading Ready, Fire, Aim was like a flashback to all the advice Michael has given me over the years. I know that advice is the only reason my company survived the initial startup and now has annual sales over $10 million. Now all that knowledge, experience and advice is put together in Michael's latest book. I highly recommend this book to anyone starting their own business, or for that matter, anyone who owns a business of any size.

Fantastic!

I recently read, "Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat." I have to say that it actually surpassed my high expectations. To me, the thing that separates this book from other similar publications is that it's written by someone that has used these principles over and over to make a fortune. The book explains in crystal clear terms how to take specific actions to become rich. And I know that Michael Masterson knows what he's talking about. He's been a consultant for my business for only a month and sales have already doubled following his strategies. This book is a "must buy" for any serious entrepreneur.

Paul Lawrence
Owner/Paul Lawrence Productions, Inc.

Masterson, strong ego and all comes right out let's you know that you need help in the form of other people in this journey. He gives you a ballpark formula for estimating the numbers of employees you'll want to have at various levels of business growth. Most entrepreneur's ever think of such a thing.

Section two of the book begins with one of the most important factors business people should know and don't. The question is, what % of time and money needs to be spent on selling vs. everything else. Masterson has the right answer. If people stop reading the book right here, they will have gotten their money's worth. Most people start a business thinking that the products and services are the focal point. There's no doubt they are crucial, but the focal point is elsewhere....

Page 57 has the most important piece of wisdom in the book...it's one of the hardest things for entrepreneur's to do, but one thing is certain, it will make or break you in business. Masterson is clear cut in his description.

The remainder of Chapter Four contains basic advice...that almost no one will follow and it will cost them their business if they don't.

Chapter Five, Masterson gives the reader his Optimum Selling Strategy. A very frank and transparent look at his personal marketing strategy and philosophy which I found thorough and easy enough to model for most of the startups I've helped with.

Next up is a discussion of writing copy. Not much is more important in business and Masterson does a nice job of laying out a solid strategy here.

As the book evolves, Masterson reveals what all those who are successful and respected in the information business know. You have to give a far more than you expect in return to succeed. There may be no greater truth.

It's hard in the short run to do this because people see themselves as working for "free." But the fact is that you are a farmer planting seeds. Masterson calls "The Hoarder" the person who wants to give others little so he has much for himself...and he dismisses the notion as insane (my word, not his).

The rest of the book is filled with useful tactics and strategies.

The book is worth far more than the price asked. One of the great things about reading a book written by someone with a...significantly large ego is that they tend to impress or try and impress you with what they know.

Fortunately Masterson does just that.

I don't know Michael personally though we've been in similar businesses for years. After reading this book a solid respect for his wisdom, intelligence and foresight has been solidified within.

I will recommend this book to all readers of Coffee with Kevin Hogan and particularly those who are thinking about going into biz for themselves.

Really well done, easy to read, perhaps life changing.

Kevin Hogan
Author of The Psychology of Persuasion
and
The Science of Influence

The book starts with the implication you can do $100,000,000 in your business. You probably won't. Very few do. More importantly, I'm not sure it's a desirable goal for most people.

Now let's move to what matters.

Masterson, strong ego and all comes right out let's you know that you need help. He gives you a ballpark formula for estimating the numbers of employees you'll want to have at various levels of business growth. Most entrepreneur's ever think of such a thing.

Section two of the book begins with one of the most important factors business people should know and don't. The question is, what % of time and money needs to be spent on selling vs. everything else. Masterson has the right answer. If people stop reading the book right here, they will have gotten their money's worth. Most people start a business thinking that the products and services are the focal point. There's no doubt they are crucial, but the focal point is elsewhere....

Page 57 has the most important piece of wisdom in the book...it's one of the hardest things for entrepreneur's to do, but one thing is certain, it will make or break you in business. Masterson is clear cut in his description.

The remainder of Chapter Four contains basic advice...that almost no one will follow and it will cost them their business if they don't.

Chapter Five, Masterson gives the reader his Optimum Selling Strategy. A very frank and transparent look at his personal marketing strategy and philosophy which I found thorough and easy enough to model for most of the startups I've helped with.

Next up is a discussion of writing copy. Not much is more important in business and Masterson does a nice job of laying out a solid strategy here.

As the book evolves, Masterson reveals what all those who are successful and respected in the information business know. You have to give a far more than you expect in return to succeed. There may be no greater truth.

It's hard in the short run to do this because people see themselves as working for "free." But the fact is that you are a farmer planting seeds. Masterson calls "The Hoarder" the person who wants to give others little so he has much for himself...and he dismisses the notion as insane (my word, not his).

The rest of the book is filled with useful tactics and strategies.

The book is worth far more than the price asked. One of the great things about reading a book written by someone with a...significantly large ego is that they tend to impress or try and impress you with what they know.

Fortunately Masterson does just that.

I don't know Michael personally though we've been in similar businesses for years. After reading this book a solid respect for his wisdom, intelligence and foresight has been solidified within.

I will recommend this book to all readers of Coffee with Kevin Hogan and particularly those who are thinking about going into biz for themselves.

Really well done, easy to read, perhaps life changing.

Kevin Hogan
Author of The Psychology of Persuasion
and
The Science of Influence

Masterson should just launch an infomercial business business so he can be like Kevin Trudeau, but he doesn't because it is far less expensive to do viral marketing via the web. Look at the reviews for this book yourself; Most all of them are very complimentary yes, but several are from Agora, the publishing company that Masterson owns.

Further, the reviews from those who say they have "worked" with Masterson are likely people who have paid Masterson to attend his workshops that cost in the thousands of dollars. I could be wrong here, but I searched the reviews and cannot find one that says "Masterson worked for me and did a great job." For someone who is supposed to write outstanding copy and be a high priced expert consultant, it seems odd that there would not be a review from a satisfied employer.

Lastly, the biggest thorn in the side of a copy writing business (other than losing the reader's attention) are typos. If you read Masterson's self aggrandizing posts, under the heading "A Good Way to Start the Day" dated 4 January 2008, second sentence. "He thanked 'me for sending me' a copy of Ready Fire Aim....."

It's your money, buy the book if you want. But if you want a better return on your educational and success building dollar, go to business school.

Here I am struggling to make my business work and guess what? I'm doing everything wrong! After reading this awesome book (just what I needed!), I started doing the only thing that's ever going to make me successful - selling my services! Not only is this already making me more money, but I feel so much better about myself as well. I know this sounds elemental, but as a small business owner, it's so much easier to focus on websites, products, etc. This book reminds me that all that is nice, but it means nothing if you aren't making money!

Michael Z, Author The Wisdom of the Rooms A Year of Weekly Reflections

Any book written or recommended by William Bonner (Agora/Daily Reckoning) deserves close attention. He's a super brain of our times.

Ready, Aim, Fire is a book for entrepreneurs with three excellent core topics;

1) Ready, Fire, Aim; which is basically trail and error. The author stresses the importance of this approach very well in the entrepreunerial context.

2) Focus on Selling; this cannot be overemphazised and the author explains in details with annectotes the need for focus on selling.

3) The 4 Stages; infancy, childhood, adolescence & adulthood defined by revenues. The author highlights the focus and problems during each stage. A fantastic framework of thinking and tackeling every stage of a venture.

It's an easy read book with some boring annectotal parts, but the three core points are outstanding which deserve five stars.

As a long time reader of business books and long time business consultant, it is rare that I read a business book that dazzles me. Michael Masterson's latest book dazzled me! This is a terrific book!!

Full disclosure: I am big fan of the author's wisdom through my daily reading of the thoughtful e-newsletter, Early To Rise. Masterson's philosophies, on both life and business, delightfully combine old fashion values (hooray!) with insight into the nature of the changing world.

There is much to like about this book. The author's depiction of the key issues in different stages of growth is well done. The anecdotes from his personal experiences, both good and bad, are interesting. But, it is his focus on the importance of SALES that makes this is a must read, especially for entrepreneurs in love with a product or idea. Ultimately, it is SALES that determines true success...not mere buzz, accolades or the like. And, this book is chuck-full of sound advice with respect to growing the top line so as to ultimately achieve bottom line success.

Here is the top line on this book...I think so much of this book that I intend to use it as the primary guide/grading mechanism for my newest business being launched (in the info products area where Masterson has so clearly demonstrated exceptional success). We will write a sizable check to the author's charity of choice when our business hits annual revenue of $100MM to reflect our appreciation for this roadmap to that level.

As a long-time entrepreneur, I can tell you that Michael is writing from a place of "having been there....done that".

He also writes clearly and doesn't waste your time....In fact, if you only want to build a small business, you can skip 60% of the book, and still get way more than your money's worth.

Buy this book!

You can go back to it again and again.

"Nothing matters more than selling," says the author. "Many first-time entrepreneurs have the impression that they are doing things in a logical order when they look for the perfect office space, have logos designed, and order a lot of inventory. The reality is they are wasting valuable resources on secondary and tertiary endeavors. If no one is going to buy what you want to sell, you've just wasted a bunch of money on a business that will never be."

I see this when a client comes to me and has spent most of his small budget on Web site design and left the important thing, the sales message, for least --- just to fill in the beautiful design. They've spent their money on the least important and have no money left for the most important. This book addresses just these issues.

In this new book Masterson gives a three-step process that entrepreneurs should follow in order to have a successful business. Unfortunately, most do not. I've seen this first hand in my own consulting business. Entrepreneurs tend to put their values and their money on all the wrong things --- and this leads to certain failure.

Here are the steps according to Masterson:

Step one: Get the product ready enough to sell, but don't worry about perfecting it. Step two: Sell it. Step three: If it sells, make it better. While this all sounds fairly easy, it's not.

"Selling can be terrifying," Masterson says. "It can be tough, gritty, unglamorous work. But when you make that first big sale, you realize it's also exhilarating. And like it or not, you probably won't become a successful entrepreneur until you can sell your product or service in your sleep."

When your business is new, you should begin to build a base of customers or clients --- that means you have to sell. Online, that would mean you have to have a powerful sales message on your Web site and in all of your online advertising.

Successful entrepreneurs should (and generally do) spend most of their time --- especially in the beginning --- on selling. Most are very bad at it.

"As the business grows out of its infancy--as it goes beyond the million-dollar revenue mark by selling many more products through many more channels--you can let other people do most of the selling," says the author.

"But by establishing your marketing credentials during the first stage, when the selling secrets of your business are still unknown, you will gain a deep understanding of your business that will serve you well for the rest of your career."

The author writes in an engaging style. This material should help those starting their own business and even those already in business. I see so many mistakes that entrepreneurs make and they tend to be the same things all the time.

If you can avoid those mistakes, you can quickly leap over everyone else and become successful.