The Engine of America: The Secrets to Small Business Success From Entrepreneurs Who Have Made It!

240 Pages·2007·0.89 MB·English

by  Hector Barreto

THE ENGINE
OF AMERICA
THE SECRETS TO SMALL BUSINESS
SUCCESS FROM ENTREPRENEURS
WHO HAVE MADE IT!
HECTOR V. BARRETO
Former Administrator of the
U.S. Small Business Administration
with
ROBERT J. WAGMAN
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiiiii 88//2244//0077 11::3311::2266 PPMM
ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiii 88//2244//0077 11::3311::2266 PPMM
THE ENGINE
OF AMERICA
ffffiirrss..iinndddd ii 88//2244//0077 11::3311::2255 PPMM
ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiii 88//2244//0077 11::3311::2266 PPMM
THE ENGINE
OF AMERICA
THE SECRETS TO SMALL BUSINESS
SUCCESS FROM ENTREPRENEURS
WHO HAVE MADE IT!
HECTOR V. BARRETO
Former Administrator of the
U.S. Small Business Administration
with
ROBERT J. WAGMAN
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiiiii 88//2244//0077 11::3311::2266 PPMM
Copyright © 2007 by Hector V. Barreto. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
Wiley Bicentennial Logo: Richard J. Pacifico
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise,
except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without
either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the
appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers,
MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests
to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley
& Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or
online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts
in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or
completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of mer-
chantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales repre-
sentatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for
your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor
author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited
to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please con-
tact our Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], outside the
United States at [phone] or fax [phone].
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in
print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit
our web site at www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Barreto, Hector V., 1961-
The engine of America : the secrets to small business success from entrepreneurs who have
made it! / Hector V . Barreto.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-470-11013-3 (cloth)
1. Small business—United States—Management. 2. Small business—United States—
Finance. 3. New business enterprises—United States. 4. Entrepreneurship—United States.
5. Success in business—United States. I. Title. II. Title: Keys to small business success from
entrepreneurs.
HD62.7.B366 2007
658.02'2—dc22
2007018925

Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ffffiirrss..iinndddd iivv 88//2244//0077 11::3311::2277 PPMM
To the fi rst entrepreneurs I ever met—Mary Louise and Hector Barreto Sr.,
my parents .
And to the most important people in my life: Robin, my w ife; and my children
Avrial, Tahlia, and Julian—all three future entrepreneurs.
ffffiirrss..iinndddd vv 88//2244//0077 11::3311::2288 PPMM
ffffiirrss..iinndddd vvii 88//2244//0077 11::3311::2288 PPMM
Contents

Foreword Michael Nobel, PhD ix
Acknowledgments xi
I The Journey Begins
1 My Life in and around Small Businesses 3
II Principles of Success
2 Plan—Don’t Just Wing It 23
3 You Must Know What You Don’t Know 41
4 Challenge the Conventional Wisdom 52
5 No Guts, No Glory 66
6 Seek an Edge by Finding Your Niche 79
vii
ffttoocc..iinndddd vviiii 88//2244//0077 11::3322::2299 PPMM