A business owner is someone who works sixteen hours a day to avoid working eight for somebody else. But all the determination, hard work, risk taking, and faith in the world can take you only so far. "Many small business owners make it up as they go along, flying by the seat of their pants. I did for years..." writes Clay Mathile. "But sooner or later, we all discover...no matter how good an idea or how great a product, every venture needs an organization in which people know where they are going, what they are supposed to do, and what the results are supposed to be."Implementing professional management helps owners and employees find the sense of purpose, direction, and control needed to grow and endure. In this book you'll discover a philosophy and a system of applied professional management tailored to the needs of small and growing businesses. You'll get details that business courses don't teach you, true stories from the trenches from those, who, like Mathile, have been there and survived. Entrepreneurs will learn to free themselves from the crush of day-to-day details but ensure that the business remains an expression of their personal philosophy and values. Clay Mathile calls this book a part of his commitment and effort to "keep the great American dream alive by giving back to aspiring entrepreneurs" and help other business owners to prosper.