What's the secret to a company's continued growth and prosperity? Internationally known marketing expert AI Ries has the answer: focus. His commonsense approach to business management is founded on the premise that long-lasting success depends on focusing on core products and eschewing the temptation to diversify into unrelated enterprises.

Using real-world examples, Ries shows that in industry after industry, it is the companies that resist diversification,and focus instead on owning a category in consumers' minds,that dominate their markets. He offers solid guidance on how to get focused and how to stay focused, laying out a workable blueprint for any company's evolution that will increase market share and shareholder value while ensuring future success.

Preface

Introduction to the

  Collins Business Essentials Edition 2005

Introduction

1 The Unfocusing of Corporate America

2 The Driving Force of Globalization

3 The Driving Force of Division

4 Encouraging Signs from the Corporate Front

5 Encouraging Signs from the Retail Front

6 A Tale of Two Colas

7 The Quality Axion

8 Finding Your Word

9 Narrowing Your Scope

10 Coping with Change

11 Divide and Conquer

12 Building a Multistep Focus

13 Disciplining the Dinosaur

14 Crossing the Trench

15 Fifteen Keys to a Long-Term Focus

  Index