Sandra E. Peterson Quotes

The most dangerous thing for an entrepreneur to do is to actually go into a business that he does not understand fully.

The successful man is the one who finds out what is the matter with his business before his competitors do.

The needs of the business sector must be understood.

You need a different checklist and different mental models for different companies.

We spend as much time looking at companies that are smaller than we are as we do at those that are bigger.

When companies are successful or not successful, they almost immediately jump to the wrong conclusions about how they got there or why they got there.

You change your business plan to anticipate and adapt to changes in the marketplace.

There are two ways to extend a business. Take inventory of what you're good at and extend out from your skills. Or determine what your customers need and work backward, even if it requires learning new skills. Kindle is an example of working backward.

We recognize the need to adapt to a changing competitive environment.

Basically if you study entrepreneurs, there is a misnomer: People think that entrepreneurs take risk, and they get rewarded because they take risk. In reality entrepreneurs do everything they can to minimize risk. They are not interested in taking risk. They want free lunches and they go after free lunches.

Fact is, inventing an innovative business model is often mostly a matter of serendipity.

We are really very lucky to have so many fantastic brands. But to grow them we should not be too much in a hurry. They are growing fast, but they have to grow accordingly to the market and to the capacity we have to deliver good products.

There's a fundamental distinction between strategy and operational effectiveness.

Most people end up owning a business by accident. Therefore, they don't usually have a thought process and a strategic plan in place.

Most entrepreneurs are merely technicians with an entrepreneurial seizure. Most entrepreneurs fail because you are working IN your business rather than ON your business.

If you want to stay in the business then you've got to be a bit shrewd, haven't you?

Business, more than any other occupation, is a continual dealing with the future; it is a continual calculation, an instinctive exercise in foresight.

Just as predatory animals follow a similar general design and behave in similar ways, so organizations, especially those in competition with one another, must follow certain design principles if they are to succeed and prevail.

Recessions are the best time to start a company. Companies fail. Others hold back capital. If you are willing to do the preparation and work, it is the best time to invest in yourself and start a business.

My business is the analytical framework.

In a period of economic downturn, the overwhelming instinct is to pare back, cut costs, and lay off. If you do that, do so with your strategy in mind. The worst mistake is to cut across the board. Instead, reconnect and recommit to a clear strategy that will distinguish yourself from others.

Each country is different. Keep an open mind, and you will able to find where the niche entry level lies - the areas where there are gaps. You have to keep an ear to the ground, and you can find a business opportunity.

I think the success around any product is really about subtle insights. You need a great product and a bigger vision to execute against, but it's really those small things that make the big difference.

And so if your competitors aren't growing, if there isn't a competitive reason to grow, and you want focus and discipline to add customers to existing stores, you adjust your strategy.

Business is a string of seemingly impossible problems looking for solutions. Each problem you solve creates a new barrier to entry for your next competitor.