Today brands are everything, and all kinds of products and services - from accounting firms to sneaker makers to restaurants - are figuring out how to transcend the narrow boundaries of their categories and become a brand surrounded by a Tommy Hilfiger-like buzz.

I endorse a lot of people - sometimes people say I endorse too many books. And my response has always been the same: If I can get one case study that can give me one good idea that I can implement for $25, or for these days one-third of that on Kindle, I've gotten a very good deal.

OLD: Be No.1 or No.2 in Your Market. NEW: Find a Niche, Create Something New.

I believe in the age of the Internet, Facebook and Twitter, that relationships are everything.

Make an extensive table of project 'deliverables'. Label one column 'as requested'. Create another column labeled 'could be'. Make each 'could be' wild and woolly!

...high end does not necessarily equal high price. It's a matter of attitude.

The 'value added' for most any company, tiny or enormous, comes from the Quality of Experience provided.