Definitive Business Plan, Second Edition, The

When you don't want to be a big fish

Whenever you approach investors, or your boss, it's not really your size or the relevance of your ideas that are important. You have to look at it from the other person's perspective. How big are you and your ideas relative to his or her other interests. The less important you are in relative terms, the easier ride you'll have – providing that you know what you are doing and you are not so small that you are overlooked or rejected.

Intelligence lies in recognizing opportunity.

—Chinese proverb

Three fish on vacation

Three successful entrepreneurs met at an exotic beach hotel. Over sunset daiquiris by the pool they exchanged stories.

• One was a businessman who had needed an extra couple of million dollars to ...