The Pumpkin Plan

A farmer who devoted his life to growing giant pumpkins gave Mike Michalowicz the model he applies to business growth. Michalowicz starts from the strain on new companies: Americans launch a million businesses a year and nearly 80 percent fail within five, and many owners get stuck in an exhausting cycle of selling and delivering. His own first company made steady money with little left over while he chased customers in all directions. After reading about the farmer, he tested the approach on that company, which grew into a multimillion-dollar leader in its industry. Its steps include: find the one thing the business does better than anyone and focus on it, drop the worst customers, and nurture the best ones.

Grammar Factory founder Jacqui Pretty recommended it as a book on differentiation.