The fact is that the average business has less life in it than the average dog. Sadly, 80% of businesses fail within five years and of the 20% still standing, 80% of those statistically will fail in a further five years. As the more numerate amongst you will already have worked out, 20% of 20% is just 4% - yes, a measly 4% survive ten years. That\'s 96% failure. I mean, come on, these are precious entities that have tied up people\'s lives, cash, and dreams for years and they are just dropping like flies. It seems crazy, doesn\'t it? Why does it happen? How can you prevent it happening to your business? These are the two questions that this book sets out to answer, and if you can\'t answer these two questions as a business owner, then you may be steering your own ship at the moment, but ultimately you will be steering it as effectively as Captain Edward John Smith steered his. And he managed to drive the Titanic into an iceberg. Interestingly, the activity of organising the deck chairs on the Titanic as a strategy to try to calm passengers and remove their focus from the lack of lifeboats has become a famous metaphor for all activities with no real benefits. This is, however, the description that best sums up the groundhog-day way in which most leaders that I see are operating their ventures. This book inspires new thought and action so that readers can create a new and better future for both themselves and their businesses.