Billionaire Growth Strategies
The Profit: Jacob Maarse Florists
The second episode of The Profit about Jacob Maarse Florists of Pasadena, CA ends with one of the most unforgettable displays of immaturity (and worse) that you can ever expect to witness. While Hank Maarse isn’t the first or the last person to try to weasel out of an agreement, he certainly made the situation far worse by doing it on camera for a nationally televised reality series. People who renege on deals usually attempt to do so in private with minimal witnesses in case it ever ends up in court.
In a nutshell, Hank inherited the family florist business after his entrepreneurial father Jacob died in 2010. The business quickly turned into a money loser under the lackadaisical leadership of the 49 year old man-child. The only thing that has saved the business to date are a number of substantial cash infusions by Hank’s long-suffering mom. She does this not so much for Hank as for the legacy of her late husband.
Philip Green’s Growth Strategy
Philip Green, owner of, amongst much else, British Home Stores, reached billionaire status faster than anyone else in British history. Today he is worth GBP 3.6 billion and is reckoned to be the country’s fourth richest citizen.
This is the first biography of a man whose aggressive business tactics and brash lifestyle have transformed the staid image of British retailing, and who is likely to remain in the headlines for as Topman long as his ultimate prize, Marks and Spencer, continues to elude his grasp. A middle-class Jewish boy from North London who left school at fifteen, Green started and failed with four businesses before he made it with his fifth venture, Jean Jeannie, which he sold to Lee Cooper for an enormous profit that set him on the road to fame and fortune.
Mini-course on tycoon growth strategies?
Someone suggested that I offer a mini-version of The Tycoon Playbook course for those on a limited budget. I’m not sold on this idea making any sense because if you can’t afford the enrollment fee then you can’t afford to put the course into action either. However, I am willing to mull it over and gauge interest. My initial thinking is to offer a mini (strictly online) version at a nominal price which would be credited against the enrollment fee if a person decided to sign up afterwards. Free is not an option because there’s no incentive for me and besides people don’t appreciate free things. So if you are interested in a mini version of the tycoon growth for a price tag in the $50 range, sign up below and I will keep you posted. I never sell or share your information with anyone. Continue reading
Frontier Capitalism Documentary – Cowboy Capitalists
I know you guys like the frontier capitalism material, so here’s a documentary about another adventurer who travels far away to start a business. Hit the expand icon in the bottom right corner for full screen viewing and escape to exit it. Check the tag cloud for other posts on the topic.
Strangling Innovation: Tesla versus ‘Rent Seekers’
Tycoons are invariably on the look out for disruptive technologies and strategies because they act as accelerants for growth. Moreover, tycoons are not afraid to upset the apple-cart and make enemies by dislodging the fat cats who control an industry and suck out huge rents in return for delivering minimal value to customers.
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