Essential reading for any would-be entrepreneur Blueprint to Business is the ultimate guide to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Bestselling author and CEO Mike Alden puts aside the rainbows and sunshine, gets real about what it takes to 'make it,' and gives you the real-world guidance you need to hear. Through anecdotes and advice, he shares his experiences along with those of other top founders and entrepreneurs to give you a realistic picture of what it takes to build a business. It's a bit of tough love, a healthy dose of reality, and a tremendously motivating guide to striking out on your own; from motivation and commitment to business licenses and the IRS, this guide is your personal handbook for the biggest adventure of your career. So you want to start a business: how much are you willing to commit in terms of time, money, and energy? How do you plan to bring in customers? What will set you apart from the crowd? What will convince clients to come to you rather than your competitor with an established track record? These questions must be answered before you even begin planning—and then, you have to make that canyon-sized leap from planning to doing. This book guides you through the early stages with practical advice from a real-world perspective. Turn 'dreams' into goals, and goals into reality Discover just what it takes to build a successful business Dig into the paperwork and legal/regulatory requirements Adjust your expectations to reflect your abilities and willingness to commit Starting a business could be the best thing you've ever done—or it could be the worst. Mitigate the risk by setting yourself up for success from the very beginning with the invaluable advice in Blueprint to Business. Praise for Blueprint to Business "I've had the opportunity to work directly with Michael Alden on his children's book. His business know how and ability to get things done is unparalleled.” —Naren Aryal, CEO Mascot Books. "As an entrepreneur and author myself, I would recommend Blueprint to Business to anyone who is in business or looking to start a company. Michael Alden's no nonsense approach is much needed for anyone who wants the real truth about the life of an entrepreneur." —Ken Kupchik, author of The Sales Survival Handbook Cold Calls, Commissions, and Caffeine Addiction The Real Truth About Life in Sales "Michael Alden's story is truly inspirational. He has seen some extremely difficult times and has overcome extraordinary odds along his journey. He harnessed what he learned even as a young child to achieve great business success. The lessons in Blueprint to Business not only help those in business but it is for anyone who wants more out of life.” —June Archer, author of YES! Every day can be a good day: The Keys to success that lead to an Amazing life “As a young entrepreneur, I have found that truly successful people help and teach others. Michael Alden has taken the time to help me with my business and my book. His experience is undeniable and I would recommend Blueprint to Business to any entrepreneur who wants to learn from someone who has done great things and continues to.” —Casey Adams, social media influencer and author of Rise of The Young: How To Turn Your Negative Situation Into A Positive Outcome, and Build A Successful Personal Brand “Being an entrepreneur has its challenges. Michael Alden shares his business experiences to help others succeed. His advice and enthusiasm is directed towards teaching and leading through example. If you are looking to succeed in business this book is a must read!

Want to write a sellable book? Do it the right way! Because it's not how you finish that matters. It's how you start! Many people write books that never sell-or worse-damage credibility. Key reason: Authors don't develop a clear, complete marketing plan beforehand. If this step is skipped, there's no road map to keep writers out of the ditches.

“A superb . . . how-to book for any entrepreneur who not only wants to get their thoughts down to share with the world, but to leverage off their expertise.” –Geoff Hetherington, JG Hetherington, The Clarity CEO With the availability of self-publishing services and the rise of the entrepreneur as a thought leader, writing a book is becoming more appealing to an increasing number of small business owners. The problem? Most businesspeople aren’t writers, have never written a book before, are time poor and don’t know where to start. While many want to write a book, they worry about investing months of their time and thousands of their dollars to write something that isn’t any good, or even whether they will finish. Book Blueprint gives a step-by-step framework that any entrepreneur can follow to write a great book quickly, even if they’re not a writer.

Plan for success No one would embark on a business venture without a thorough and coherent plan. So why are so many of us happy to stagger through life with no real plan – just going with the flow, seeing what happens? It’s time we gave our lives the same importance we give to our business exploits. The Personal Business Plan offers a practical, field-tested method for effectively planning out what you want from life and exactly how to achieve it. It will change the way you look at yourself, your job and your career. This is an essential toolkit for all ambitious career professionals who want to know how to thrive in their job and simultaneously become a happier and more effective person. Creating your own personal business plan will help you to define your purpose, plan your actions, break through limiting beliefs and reinvent yourself. Written by a top executive coach and head-hunter with the world’s leading Talent Management and Executive Search firm who has changed the lives of thousands of people A field-tested methodology for identifying your mission, setting your critical success criteria, defining your agenda, keeping to the point and become more fulfilled and happier A complete life view – how to excel in your chosen career and simultaneously enjoy a happy personal life

Meaning, Inc. is about achieving happiness, motivation and performance at work for you and your organisation. Well-motivated people who are happy with their work and where they work are more likely to deliver high performance. People who work for organisations whose purpose they believe in are more likely to go the extra mile to help achieve that purpose. Yet modern organisations too often stifle the enthusiasm and skills of those who work for them. Instead of providing meaning, they prevent it. Meaning Inc. shows the way for organisations to provide meaning to their people through a clearly understood sense of purpose, unequivocal values and day-to-day leadership. This is joined-up business thinking for 21st century leaders and organisations.

Discover what's possible when the art and science of marketing collide The Marketing Performance Blueprint is an actionable and innovative guide to unlocking your potential as a marketer and accelerating success for your business. With an eye toward the marketing industry's rapid evolution, this book focuses on the processes, technologies, and strategies that are redefining the marketing environment. Step by step, you will learn how to build performance-driven organizations that exceed ROI expectations and outpace the competition. Companies are demanding a more technical, scientific approach to marketing, and this guide provides the key information that helps marketing professionals choose the right tools and recruit the right talent to more effectively build brand, generate leads, convert sales, and increase customer loyalty. Marketers are facing increased pressure to connect every dollar spent to bottom-line results. As the industry advances, the tremendous gaps in talent, technology, and strategy leave many professionals underprepared and underperforming. The Marketing Performance Blueprint helps bridge those gaps: Align marketing talent, technology, and strategy to reach performance goals Drive digital marketing transformation within your organization Recruit, train, and retain a modern marketing team Propel growth through digital-savvy marketing agency partners Adapt more quickly to marketing technology advancements Create connected customer experiences Turn marketing data into intelligence, and intelligence into action Devise integrated marketing strategies that deliver real business results The marketers who will redefine the industry in the coming months and years will never stop challenging conventional knowledge and solutions. Whether in terms of evolved talent, advanced technology, or more intelligent and integrated strategies, these driven professionals will be in demand as the pioneers of the new marketing era. The Marketing Performance Blueprint helps marketers blaze a trail of their own by providing a roadmap to success.