Beans
Four Principles for Running a Business in Good Times or BadLeslie Yerkes, Charles Decker
Foreword by Bob Nelson
ISBN: 0-7879-6764-5
Hardcover; 176 pages
List Price $19.95
-- from the Foreword by Bob Nelson, author of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees
Beans is tells story of The El Espresso, a legend in its own time in Seattle. Told over the span of a single day, it follows The El's founder, Jack Hartman, through a business crisis that will challenge him and make him clear on why he does what he does. Unsure of whether he has lost the passion needed to sustain his business, Jack hires a consultant who flies to Seattle to "help" him but in reality bears witness to the secrets of good business, whether it's a company of 20 employees or 20,000. In the process, Jack learns about "the Four Ps" and how applying these universal principles can reenergize his employees, his customers, and even himself.
Though fictionalized, this is a true story in the best sense of the word. It arrives at a time when people are yearning to return to honest ways of doing business -- before corporate dominance, inflated executive salaries, accounting trickery, and outright greed became so much a part of our everyday business headlines. It is the story of how a pushcart David up against the corporate Goliaths succeeded by focusing on what is core to good business and a good life: honoring customers, trusting employees, building passion around a product, and turning an honest profit.
Order Beans today and you’ll save 20% and receive free UPS Ground shipping. And if you’re one of the first ten people to buy the book, we’ll send you a free mug. To receive your discount, add Beans to your shopping cart. Enter promotion code WA482 in the discount information field. Click the apply discount button so your savings are calculated. Then checkout.*
"Listen in" on a question and answer session with the authors.
Read an excerpt.
Leslie A. Yerkes is president and founder of Catalyst Consulting Group in Cleveland, Ohio. She is coauthor of 301 Ways to Have Fun at Work and author of Fun Works: Creating Places Where People Love to Work.
Charles Decker is Vice President for Client and Partner Relations
for Acumentum, Inc., an electronic publishing company. He was formerly
a senior executive at Amazon.com as well as a past director of the Executive
Program book club in New York.
Preface. Authors’ Note.
Introduction.
1. PASSION: You gotta have it or you gotta get it.
2. PEOPLE: You’re known by the company you keep.
3. MAKE IT PERSONAL: Everybody wants to be a regular.
4. PRODUCT: People don’t pay good money for bad coffee.
5. THE EYE OF INTENTION: If you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t know when you get there.
6. THE FOUR P’S: Big lessons from a small cup of coffee.
Epilogue: SIX WEEKS LATER.
A Page From Carol Wisdom’s Notes.
Discussion Questions: Applying the Four P’s to Your Work Experiences.
Appendix: Caffeine Facts.
Acknowledgments.
About the Authors.
Contact Page.