Sarah Petty - Worth Every Penny

IVE WRITTEN A FEW FOREWORDS in my life, but only for special books. Books that touched upon an entrepreneurial subject that had long ago been beaten to death but that did so with a verve, style, and substance that illuminated the well worn, weary subject in a way that stimulated a new and original take on it.

Of course, in my mind, this book is such a book.

How to create a different company, a company that takes the ordinary and delivers it as the extraordinary?

A company like so many examples in this book.

A hot dog stand that isnt just a hot dog stand.

A photography business that isnt just a photography business.

In short, these are companies much like the greatest companies ever createdlike Apple, like Zappos, like Starbucks, and like (I wish) so many morebut they are also companies youve probably never heard of. The owners of these companies learned and put into practice the fine art of turning a raw commodity into a blazingly original product.

And after all, thats the point of this bookto demonstrate to you the innumerable ways in which you can make your company worth every penny, and even more.

So, to get a shot of entrepreneurial derring-do, and to take a true picture of what your company is doing (or could be doing), sit down, put your feet up, rest your weary soul, and read, read, read. Youre about to go on an unexpectedly exciting journey. I know, because I did. And I loved every second of it.

Michael E. Gerber

Author of the E-Myth books

Founder, Origination

Founder and Chief Dreamer, The Dreaming Room

STARTING A BUSINESS IS SCARY. Youve taken the leap, quit your full-time job, and decided to follow your passion. It was thrilling at first, and it felt so great to get out of that cubicle. But business didnt take off quite as quickly as youd hoped. You dont have as many clients as you planned for. Sales are slow. And now you need cash, quickly, unless you want to sell your car and start eating ramen noodles every night. So you offered a 50-percent off sale and spread the news to everyone you could think of. You ran an ad in the newspaper. You sent emails to your entire database. You told the world on Facebook and Twitter. Youre handing out coupons like theres no tomorrow.

Stop.

Youre trying to fix the wrong problem.

That approach wont do you any good. In fact, it can do incalculable damage to your brand, your profit margins, and the long-term value of your business. Theres a better way to do business. And thats why were writing this book.

For the portrait photographer who believes that her prices need to mirror the portrait pricing at Sears, theres a better way to compete. For the graphic designer who thinks he will only get enough business if he charges the lowest hourly rate, theres a better way to compete. For the restaurateur whos tried and failed at every type of advertising, theres a better way to compete. And for any small business whose phone isnt ringing, who cant get customers in the door, theres a better way to compete. Anyone in a specialty business can benefit from this book.

Erin and I learned the lessons in this book from experience. In the summer of 2000, I was pregnant with twins. I decided to give up my long days at an amazingly creative advertising agency, HIP Advertising. It was a job I had spent my whole career working toward (this is where Erin and I first met). But I knew that it was time to focus on my family, turn my longtime hobby into a real business, and open my first photography studio. After my twins were born, I invested in a professionally designed logo and spent the summer painting and fixing up a studio space. I was having a blastI was full of the excitement and anticipation of starting my own business. Two weeks before the 9/11 attacks, Sarah Petty Photography officially opened its doors. Id been open barely long enough to get a credit card in my business name when, overnight, the marketplace was overwhelmed with anxiety. People were scared, and our economy screeched to a halt.

Yes, Sarah Petty Photography opened its doors two weeks before a world-changing catastrophe and major economic crisis. But by viewing marketing through a different lens, my business was able to grow quickly and profitably.