Book excerpt: This book is NOT written by a Harvard MBA. This book is written by someone who has actually owned and managed businesses for 30 years. In other words, been there, done that. I have read many books on developing your business, how to grow your business, how to succeed in business, how to start a business, how to finance a business --- and none of them tell you what NOT to do. Over the years I have had my disasters and successes, the lessons learned the hard way (why is it always like that?) and I learned what to do AFTER you screw something up or AFTER something screws you up (or AFTER someone screws you up!) I felt that without having the knowledge of what NOT to do, you're only getting half the story, so I'm going to give you my best shot of the errors that I have seen and the mistakes which I have made, hopefully in order that you may avoid those same pitfalls yourself. As I said, it's not just what you do right that helps you to succeed in business. It's avoiding those things that are pre-destined to turn out badly. I hope that this book is going to give you the ability to save yourself some pain and the derailing that will take your train off the track. Here is another thing: I make myself available to help you with some of your most difficult problems to give you the perspective of an outside opinion.