After being arrested in the US in possession of 6,500 ecstasy tablets he served time in prison on both sides of the Atlantic.On his release he started a business with the help of the Prince's Trust. A business that he grew and sold four thousand days after his release from prison, making him a millionaire many times overRead his entertaining and inspiring story and realise that, no matter what your background, you too can chart your own course from adversity to success.

    They did so for good reasons: the sometimes astonishing returns they've delivered to their investors and the astonishingly large companies that their ecosystem has created.But the vast majority of fast-growing companies never take any venture capital. So where does the money come from to start and grow their companies? From a much more agreeable and hospitable source, their customers. That's exactly what Michael Dell, Bill Gates and Banana Republic's Mel and Patricia Ziegler did to get their companies up and running and turn them into iconic brands.In The Customer Funded Business, best-selling author John Mullins uncovers five novel approaches that scrappy and innovative 21st century entrepreneurs working in companies large and small have ingeniously adapted from their predecessors like Dell, Gates, and the Zieglers:Matchmaker models (Airbnb) Pay-in-advance models (Threadless) Subscription models (TutorVista) Scarcity models (Vente Privee) Service-to-product models (GoViral) Through the captivating stories of these and other inspiring companies from around the world, Mullins brings to life the five models and identifies the questions that angel or other investors will - and should! - ask of entrepreneurs or corporate innovators seeking to apply them. Drawing on in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs and investors who have actually put these models to use, Mullins goes on to address the key implementation issues that characterize each of the models: when to apply them, how best to apply them, and the pitfalls to watch out for.Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur lacking the start-up capital you need, an early-stage entrepreneur trying to get your cash-starved venture into take-off mode, an intrapreneur seeking funding within an established company, or an angel investor or mentor who supports high-potential ventures, this book offers the most sure-footed path to starting, financing, or growing your venture.John Mullins is the author of The New Business Road Test and, with Randy Komisar, the widely acclaimed Getting to Plan B.

    What happens next in the fifth stage, or Fifth Paradigm, will not be an evolution, but a revolution.Almost everything about how marketing is done today, including the very notion of a brand itself, will require a complete re-imagination.As Chief Marketing Officer of Mastercard, one of the world’s most recognizable and decorated brands, Raja Rajamannar shares the forward-thinking ways all businesses must rethink their entire marketing landscape to remain relevant and be successful.In Quantum Marketing, readers will:Understand the evolution of marketing and how to be at the forefront of future change.Get clarity on the right marketing strategies and tactics to pursue amidst an ever-evolving industry.Achieve breakthroughs in innovative thinking to compete in modern business. Gain perspective from top marketers across industries.Quantum Marketing is for all business people who seek to understand how rapidly marketing is evolving, what marketers are doing to get ready for this shift, and what the new world will look like for companies, consumers, and society as the race to develop revolutionary marketing strategies reaches a whole new level.

    After winning the highest award in his field, Vincent was offered a 3 percent raise. He knew at that moment he needed a monumental change. One month away from their baby being born, Vincent and Elizabeth started a side photography business out of desperation. In less than four years, they grew their business to pay off all of their debt, including their home, and left their jobs for a life of freedom. With the world moving rapidly towards a freelance model, Freelance to Freedom is not only timely and necessary, but it’s also entertaining, engaging and paints a picture for anyone looking for a life of freedom with money, time and location.

    

    You just need to be willing to break the rules.At nineteen, I founded a software company with $119 in my bank account. Five years later, it was valued at $10.5 million. I don't consider myself exceptionally brilliant. I just realized something few people know: You don't need lots of money or an original idea to get really rich.Now, I make more than $100,000 in passive income every month, while also running my own private equity firm and hosting The Top Entrepreneurs podcast, which has more than 10 million downloads. This book will show you how I went from college dropout to member of the New Rich. And I'm holding nothing back. You'll see my tax returns, my profit and loss statements, my email negotiations when buying and selling companies.It's time to forget your grandfather's advice. I'll teach you how to be a modern opportunist--investor, entrepreneur, or side hustler--by breaking these four golden rules of the old guard:1.Focus on one skill: Wrong. Don't cultivate one great skill to get ahead. In today's business world, success goes to the multitaskers.2.Be unique: Wrong. The way to get rich is not by launching a new idea but by aggressively copying others and then adding your own twist. 3.Focus on one goal: Wrong. Focus instead on creating a system to produce the outcome you want, not just once, but over and over again. 4.Appeal to the masses: Wrong. The masses are broke ($4k average net worth in America?). Let others cut a trail through the jungle so you can peacefully walk in and capitalize on their hard work.By rejecting these defunct rules and following my unconventional path, you can copy other people's ideas shamelessly, bootstrap a start-up with almost no funding, invest in small local businesses for huge payoffs, and reap all the benefits.

    But it wasn't enough. He worked by the clock, and yearned to be his own boss. With a small amount of savings, he acquired his first rental property. Two years later, he was making more from his rentals than he was working 9 to 5, so he quit his day job to oversee his real estate investments. Today, he enjoys a multi-million-dollar collection of income-producing properties--and he's ready to share his money-making strategies so you can begin your own journey to career and financial independence. Two Years to a Million in Real Estateshows you everything you need to know, including how to Invest small amounts early-on while working a full-time job Avoid real estate â��bubbleâ�� risks Get others to pay your mortgage for you Pick a hot property (and spot others that will become hot) Simplify the ins-and-outs of financing Negotiate like a pro Screen for reliable tenants Understand how local tenant laws work Hire good people to manage your properties Know when to sell (20061208)

    The book reveals the secrets, deals, schemes and dreams of these, the world's fiercest business competitors.

    The world's leading guide to raising money online, The Crowdfunding Bible shows you how to launch, market and successfully run a high-tech fundraising campaign, regardless of industry or budget. It reveals the secrets to catching the media and public's eye, and attracting donors, in a language that everyone can understand. From books to films, albums, events and consumer products and video games, dive in to discover the new world of venture capital waiting at your fingertips. FEATURES: Best Crowdfunding Sites and Services / Full Guides: How to Start & Promote Any Project / Expert Tips and Advice / PR and Social Media Strategies / Advice from Top Creators.

    

    Most people know how important it is to manage their money wisely. But most budget books are cumbersome and overly technical. And computerized budgeting systems are complex and temperamental. This book presents a simple, easy-to-use, and effective system that makes budgeting as easy as writing a check.

    The monograph vociferouslydemanded that socialism be sacrificed for a competitive market economic system, so India cangrow at 10 per cent per year, achieve self-reliance, full employment and produce nuclear weaponry.The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi denounced the plan as dangerous.Fifty years later, Swamy redefines his path-breaking ideas on India-specific economic developmentin his seminal work, Reset. It undertakes a nuanced analysis of the manner in which the highlyprosperous Indian economy witnessed a long, accelerated decline due to persistent British imperialistaggression, and compares the distinctive manner in which Asian giants—India and China—sufferedat the hands of imperialism. He critically analyses the highs and lows of the Nehruvian model ofcentralized economic planning borrowed from the Soviet Union, and the debilitating circumstancesthat impelled him, as Commerce Minister in Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar’s government, todraw up a blueprint for economic reforms.

    He proves that aggressive marketing doesn't have to be expensive if you use creative and unconventional means.* Hold a giveaway contest. You'll attract customers and acquire names for your mailing list.* Give free talks, consultations, and demonstrations. You'll establish yourself as an expert and publicize your business at the same time.* Post on websites, bulletin boards, and other online communities. They offer countless opportunities for spreading your business message.* Feed your clients. Sending cookies or offering free refreshments in your store can set you apart from the competition.Levinson offers dozens of other tips -- some straightforward, many surprising -- in a unique, indispensable guide that proves you don't have to pay top dollar to improve your bottom line.

    .

    Ram Charan, expert in corporate governance and best-selling author, packs this book with useful tools and techniques to take boards and their companies to a higher level of performance. Charan puts his finger on a growing problem for boards: the disconnect between directors' efforts and their results. The added time and attention boards invest is not translating into better governancea that is, governance that adds value to the business. Boards That Deliver gets beyond the rhetoric of corporate governance reform. It captures the tried-and-true practices used by high-performance boards. In contrast to experts who base prescriptions on number-crunching exercises, Charan identifies the real problems that drain directors' time and suppress their best judgmentsa and explains clearly and succinctly how boards can solve those problems. These battle-tested solutions help boards achieve what rules and regulations alone cannota to get succession right, refine a winning strategy, and design a rational CEO compensation package.Good governance requires leadership. Boards That Deliver is the no-nonsense guide for directors and CEOs who are rising to the leadership challenge to make their boards a competitive advantage.