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Paperback
Format: Bargain Price
What's the secret to a company's continued growth and prosperity? Internationally known marketing expert Al Ries has the answer: focus. His commonsense approach to business management is founded on the premise that long-lasting success depends on focusing on core products and eschewing the temptation to diversify into unrelated enterprises. Using real-world examples, Ries shows that in industry after industry, it is the companies that resist diversification, and focus instead on owning a category in consumers' minds, that dominate their markets. He offers solid guidance on how to get focused and how to stay focused, laying out a workable blueprint for any company's evolution that will increase market share and shareholder value while ensuring future success.
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| Keeping things in focus |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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I have been a fan of Al Ries for years, ever since reading Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, 20th Anniversary Edition" more than a dozen years ago. In "Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It (Collins Business Essentials)," Ries makes a compelling, well-documented case for finding a niche and staying with it. In case study after case study, he shows why companies that become known for a single attribute (e.g., Volvo for safety) continue to thrive while more generalized conglomerate falter.
I do think the book was over-long. It would be equally (if not more) effective if it about 100 pages shorter. This version (published in 1997) is somewhat dated, and I have not read the revised version (published in 2005). However, the basic premise remains the same. As the book's title indicates: focus, your company's future depends on it.
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| A good reminder for those of us in business |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This is an excellent book. It is a good reminder for those of us especially in smaller businesses to not try to be all things to all people.
I found as I am sure some of you will that I was already doing some of the things right. It does however reinforce the specialization factor that we can eaily forget about.
This book made me go back and reassess the things we do. We actually eliminated a couple of types of work we did based on this books suggestions.
Some of the examples noted are out of date and the book should be updated to reflect that.
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| Great |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Written in 1996, but still right on. Al Ries knows branding. Find also: 22 Immutable Laws. Favorite Chapters: Finding your Word. Narrowing Your Scope. Divide and Conquer. Fifteen Keys to a long-Term Focus.
Differentiate or Die is a good companion to this.
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| Being Focused made my business |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Way back in 1994, I started a golf business with nothing more than a credit card and a $5k limit. I was doing both retail and wholesale. I had a hard time serving both markets until I read this book. I decided to serve only the wholesale market and turned away all the retail business. In 5 years I went from nothing to over $500k in sales a year. Not bad for a one-man operation.
Trying to be all things to all people is just the wrong way to do business. Ries' example of your family doctor doing your brain surgery is probably one his best. Is it fluff because he doesn't give you data to back up an undeniable position that your family doctor can't hold a scalpel to your brain surgeon? I don't think he needs data to back up many of his points.
This book is from the 50,000 foot view people. Yes there are exceptions to the rule, but generally speaking, focusing is better than the shotgun method most of the time, for most businesses.
Highly recommended to keep your eye on the prize. You cannot successfully chase every dollar out there.
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| When I started up my business... |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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When I started up my business, AUDIN Web Design, I used this book as my bible. It has worked so well for me. Some people may find a lot of fluff in the book (which is true if you read all the other books by the same authors), but if you are fresh to the material you will find it invaluable. When searching for a name of my company, the book revealed to me that AUDIN should be the name of my Web Design Company. With that I focused and channeled my course of action. If only everyone abide by the laws set forth in this book, we wouldn't have everyone and anyone hawking everything under the sun (hint, hint: Amazon). Anyway, if you are in a small business an you are starting to lose your focus, get this book and read; read like you've never read before. Read until the cows come home. This stuff is gold, real gold.
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