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Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat (Your Coach in a Box) Audio CD – Audiobook, January 15, 2008

by Michael Masterson (Author), Sean Pratt (Narrator)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 451 ratings
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If you had the opportunity to work where, when, and with whom you wanted - all while getting paid very well - would you take it? Self-made multimillionaire and best-selling author Michael Masterson did, and with Ready, Fire, Aim he'll show you how to do the same. Whether you're thinking about starting a new business or growing an existing one, Ready, Fire, Aim has what you need to succeed in your entrepreneurial endeavors. In it, Masterson shares the knowledge he has gained from creating and expanding numerous businesses and outlines a focused strategy for guiding a small business through the four stages of entrepreneurial growth. Along the way, you'll learn the skills needed to succeed in this dynamic environment. Discover how to: Start a business from scratch and make it profitable quickly Keep a growing business growing Get other people to do almost all the hard work for you, so you are free to do the fun stuff Position yourself as an indispensable business builder, so you can enjoy a big share of the profits - even if you are only working part time Duplicate your winning strategy in several businesses so you never have to worry about "needing" any one of them. Over the course of his remarkably successful career, Masterson has developed dozens of businesses, including one still growing at $300 million. Now he shows you how to outsell your competitors by implementing innovative operational procedures to reduce costs and using the power of the Internet to reduce customer complaints and increase profits.
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Gildan Media
  3. Publication date
    January 15, 2008
  4. Dimensions
    6.4 x 1.1 x 5.3 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1596591633
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1596591639
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Masterson has been making money for himself or others for almost four decades-since age 14. In that time, he's only taken two breaks-a stint with the Peace Corps where he learned the joy of teaching - and at 39, when he sold his $135 million business and retired. Over the course of his remarkably successful business career, Michael's been a partner in two businesses that grew beyond $100 million, two more that exceeded $50 million and at least a dozen that surpassed the $10 million mark. At one time or another, he's owned and run companies that were public/private, onshore/overseas, local/international, service/product oriented, retail/wholesale/direct mail, and even profit/not-for-profit. He has developed a loyal following with his writings on EarlyToRise.com which has over 181,000 readers.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gildan Media; Unabridged edition (January 15, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1596591633
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1596591639
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.4 x 1.1 x 5.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 451 ratings

About the author

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Michael Masterson

Michael Masterson

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MICHAEL MASTERSON has developed a loyal following through his writings in Early to Rise (ww.earlytorise.com), an e-newsletter published by Agora, Inc. that mentors hundreds of thousands of success-oriented individuals to help them achieve their financial goals.

Masterson has been making money for himself and others for almost four decades. At one time or another, he's owned and run multi-million dollar companies that were public/private, onshore/overseas, local/international, service-/product-oriented, retail/wholesale/direct mail, and even profit/not-for-profit.

Masterson is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestsellers Automatic Wealth: The Six Steps to Financial Independence; Automatic Wealth for Grads... and Anyone Else Just Starting Out; Power and Persuasion: How to Command Success in Business and Your Personal Life (all published by John Wiley & Sons); and Confessions of a Self-Made Millionaire. His next book, Seven Years to Seven Figures: The Fast Track Plan to Becoming a Millionaire (John Wiley & Sons) will hit bookshelves in October of 2006.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
451 global ratings
Formatting is messed up and text out of order
2 Stars
Formatting is messed up and text out of order
The text and formatting of this ebook are completely messed up. The screenshot I’ve uploaded shows how random strings of text are inserted in the main text, with footnotes also randomly mixed in. Paragraphs trail off and aren’t continued. Sections begin and end with no explanation. This book is an embarrassment to the publisher and author.
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Top reviews from the United States

Kevin Hogan
5.0 out of 5 stars Slow Start, Very Strong FInish
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2008
Verified Purchase
Masterson, strong ego and all, comes right out and let's you know that you need help in the form of other people in this journey. He gives you a ballpark formula for estimating the numbers of employees you'll want to have at various levels of business growth. Most entrepreneur's never think of such a notion.

Section two of the book begins with one of the most important factors business people should know and don't. The question is, what % of time and money needs to be spent on selling vs. everything else. Masterson has the right answer. If people stop reading the book right here, they will have gotten their money's worth. Most people start a business thinking that the products and services are the focal point. There's no doubt they are crucial, but the focal point is elsewhere....

Page 57 has the most important piece of wisdom in the book...it's one of the hardest things for entrepreneur's to do, but one thing is certain, it will make or break you in business. Masterson is clear cut in his description.

The remainder of Chapter Four contains basic advice...that almost no one will follow and it will cost them their business if they don't.

Chapter Five, Masterson gives the reader his Optimum Selling Strategy. A very frank and transparent look at his personal marketing strategy and philosophy which I found thorough and easy enough to model for most of the startups I've helped with.

Next up is a discussion of writing copy. Not much is more important in business and Masterson does a nice job of laying out a solid strategy here.

As the book evolves, Masterson reveals what all those who are successful and respected in the information business know. You have to give a far more than you expect in return to succeed. There may be no greater truth.

It's hard in the short run to do this because people see themselves as working for "free." But the fact is that you are a farmer planting seeds. Masterson calls "The Hoarder" the person who wants to give others little so he has much for himself...and he dismisses the notion as insane (my word, not his).

The rest of the book is filled with useful tactics and strategies.

The book is worth far more than the price asked. One of the great things about reading a book written by someone with a...significantly large ego is that they tend to impress or try and impress you with what they know.

Fortunately Masterson does just that.

I don't know Michael personally though we've been in similar businesses for years. After reading this book a solid respect for his wisdom, intelligence and foresight has been solidified within.

I will recommend this book to all readers of Coffee with Kevin Hogan and particularly those who are thinking about going into biz for themselves.

Really well done, easy to read, perhaps life changing.

Kevin Hogan
Author of The Psychology of Persuasion
and
The Science of Influence
39 people found this helpful
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John Hinds
5.0 out of 5 stars My Money is on Michael Masterson!
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2008
Verified Purchase
This is the first book that I've read by Michael Masterson and I came away quite impressed. Michael did a "masterful" job in laying the blueprint for the evolution of a small business into a large corporation (if that's your goal)

I am currently a Stage 1 business owner, and I found his advice refreshing. There's a lot of theory being promoted by so-called experts in entrepreneurship. The problem with it is that the overwhelming majority of these "experts" have no experience actually growing a business. They focus on the things that don't really matter like getting a pretty website or company brochure.

Instead, Michael reminds us that in the beginning, making sales is everything. He correctly states that at least 80% of your time should be spent on selling/marketing and only 20% on everything else. Once you're making sales as a Stage 1 business, you have the resources to address your other business needs.

Another great point that he made was when he said, "To be consistently successful, you need to anticipate the market, not follow it." This will enable you to become a market leader instead of a "Me too" competitor.

In addition to that, Michael talks about the importance of testing. Too many entrepreneurs make the mistake of wasting a lot of money and time on an idea that is going nowhere. Had they tested the concept first, they could have come to the conclusion that their idea was a bad one a lot sooner and saved money, and more importantly time.

As a result, I choose the cover of my new book by letting the market decide on two designs. The cover I chose was the runaway winner and it wasn't the one I thought would win. It was a great reminder that YOU are not buying your product, the market is and you should let them tell you what's the winning idea.

I have read and continue to read a lot of business books but this one was one of the most practical, timely, and valuable books that I have read in a long time. I will continue to use this book as a resource for years to come.
20 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Bullseye
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2008
Verified Purchase
As a long time reader of business books and long time business consultant, it is rare that I read a business book that dazzles me. Michael Masterson's latest book dazzled me! This is a terrific book!!

Full disclosure: I am big fan of the author's wisdom through my daily reading of the thoughtful e-newsletter, Early To Rise. Masterson's philosophies, on both life and business, delightfully combine old fashion values (hooray!) with insight into the nature of the changing world.

There is much to like about this book. The author's depiction of the key issues in different stages of growth is well done. The anecdotes from his personal experiences, both good and bad, are interesting. But, it is his focus on the importance of SALES that makes this is a must read, especially for entrepreneurs in love with a product or idea. Ultimately, it is SALES that determines true success...not mere buzz, accolades or the like. And, this book is chuck-full of sound advice with respect to growing the top line so as to ultimately achieve bottom line success.

Here is the top line on this book...I think so much of this book that I intend to use it as the primary guide/grading mechanism for my newest business being launched (in the info products area where Masterson has so clearly demonstrated exceptional success). We will write a sizable check to the author's charity of choice when our business hits annual revenue of $100MM to reflect our appreciation for this roadmap to that level.
9 people found this helpful
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Tucson Desert Man
5.0 out of 5 stars product is in good condition
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
book is in good condition almost like new I have begun to read it in last 2 days
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Top reviews from other countries

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Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Um dos livros mais importantes da minha trajetória empresarial
Reviewed in Brazil on February 2, 2023
Verified Purchase
Se você busca por um livro que vá te dar as orientações necessárias para você alcançar seu próximo nível financeiro, esse é o livro certo
One person found this helpful
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Sofia Ait Hadouch
5.0 out of 5 stars Très intéressant
Reviewed in France on November 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
Un livre qui s'étudie. Intéressant et motivant. Super clair et simplifié.
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D. Wagner
5.0 out of 5 stars Top Empfehlung, für Unternehmsnanfänger oder auch Fortgeschrittene
Reviewed in Germany on October 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
Dieses Buch ist meiner Meinung nach ein absolutes Muss für Unternehmer, sowohl für Anfänger als auch für Fortgeschrittene. Es bietet einen klaren und strukturierten Schritt-für-Schritt-Ansatz, um erfolgreich die ersten Millionen zu verdienen.

Für Anfänger ist dieses Buch ein unschätzbares Werkzeug, da es die komplexen Konzepte des Unternehmertums in verständliche und gut erklärte Schritte aufbricht. Es bietet praktische Ratschläge und zeigt, wie man von Null auf eine Million kommt.

Aber das Beste an diesem Buch ist, dass es nicht nur für Anfänger geeignet ist. Selbst Fortgeschrittene können von den tiefgreifenden Erkenntnissen und Strategien profitieren, die es bietet, um Geschäfte auf die nächste Stufe zu heben.

Die klare und lehrreiche Art, wie der Autor die Prinzipien vermittelt, macht es zu einem wertvollen Ressourcenpunkt für jeden Unternehmer. Ich kann dieses Buch uneingeschränkt empfehlen, und es sollte in der Bibliothek eines jeden ernsthaften Geschäftsmannes oder jeder Geschäftsfrau zu finden sein.
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Giuseppe
1.0 out of 5 stars Illeggibile per kindle
Reviewed in Italy on June 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
L’impaginazione non permette una lettura agevole
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Paul Simister
5.0 out of 5 stars Answers two big questions
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2020
Verified Purchase
I'm a fan of the author and I looked at this book many times before buying it. My problem was that it has always been expensive and I prefer my books in kindle format.

I tried the published summary of the book and it convinced me that the author has a powerful message which I really needed to discover in full. So I bought the audio book, enjoyed it so much that I bought the hardback as well.

The book sets out to answer two big questions:
1) How do you start-up a business from scratch?
2) How do you take an established business to the next level?

It sets four different stages for the business (which I agree with) but I don't agree with the financial values quoted. I feel they are too big and generally I prefer to think about size in terms of the number of employees. I feel it's a better guide to the complexities involved in managing the business. The book goes on to look at employee numbers but I think there is an inconsistency between revenue and employees.

These levels are:
1) Infancy - just starting out - getting to $1 million in revenue
2) Childhood - the fast growth stage - from $1 million to $10 million
3) Adolescence - $10 million to $50 million
4) Maturity - $50 million to $300 million

The book focuses on the main challenge in each stage i.e. getting your first sales, adding more products to become profitable, developing systems and getting the business to run itself and continue to grow.

The book was published in 2006 and that's five years before Eric Ries published his book "The Lean Startup". Both have the united theme that the earlier you test your product idea with real customers, the better it will be.

Unlike the Ries book, this book focuses o the sales and marketing issues. It argues the entrepreneur must become the expert in selling, to such an extent that sales and marketing should take up 80% of your time. This isn't what many people want to hear but the product and service just need to be "good enough". Don't waste time on perfecting it in your eyes without selling. This is also the message from The Lean Startup where the concept of the Minimum Viable Product is explained.

With this in mind, the book explains how to develop your Optimum Selling Strategy (OSS). You just want to know how to sell your particular product in your particular market and you must not spread your learning and activities too widely on too many different marketing and selling techniques.

The Optimum Selling Strategy is based on answering four questions:
1) Where are you going to find your customers?
2) What product will you sell them first?
3) How much will you charge for it?
4) How will you convince them to buy?

This is the vital task in the first stage, infancy. Moving on to Childhood or the fast growth stage, the challenge is to identify, develop and sell more products. These two stages are were the vast majority of the text is focused. This is getting the business established and consistently profitable.

The author has interesting ideas in the Adolescence stage too but the final stage is glossed over in a few pages.

This is a great book and I recommend it very highly. I very much approve of the emphasis it puts on sales and marketing. As management guru Peter Drucker said, there is only one purpose of a business and that's to create customers. Quite simply, without customers there isn't a business.

There are some excellent marketing books available to read but too often they encourage you to try too many techniques too quickly. Once you have one method working, I certainly believe you should add a few more but getting that first method is critical.

Many of the stories from the book come from the author's experience in information marketing. He is one of the people behind the remarkably successful Agora publishing empire. However the concepts explained apply much more widely.

Paul Simister helps frustrated business owners who are stuck, get unstuck.
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