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The Pumpkin Plan: A Simple Strategy to Grow a Remarkable Business in Any Field Kindle Edition

by Mike Michalowicz (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,614 ratings
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 Each year Americans start one million new businesses, nearly 80 percent of which fail within the first five years. Under such pressure to stay alive—let alone grow—it’s easy for entrepreneurs to get caught up in a never-ending cycle of “sell it—do it, sell it—do it” that leaves them exhausted, frustrated, and unable to get ahead no matter how hard they try.

This is the exact situation Mike Michalowicz found himself in when he was trying to grow his first company. Although it was making steady money, there was never very much left over and he was chasing customers left and right, putting in twenty-eight-hour days, eight days a week. The punishing grind never let up. His company was alive but stunted, and he was barely breathing. That’s when he discovered an unlikely source of inspiration—pumpkin farmers.

After reading an article about a local farmer who had dedicated his life to growing giant pump­kins, Michalowicz realized the same process could apply to growing a business. He tested the Pumpkin Plan on his own company and transformed it into a remarkable, multimillion-dollar industry leader. First he did it for himself. Then for others. And now you. So what is the Pumpkin Plan?

  • Plant the right seeds: Don’t waste time doing a bunch of different things just to please your customers. Instead, identify the thing you do better than anyone else and focus all of your attention, money, and time on figuring out how to grow your company doing it.
  • Weed out the losers: In a pumpkin patch small, rotten pumpkins stunt the growth of the robust, healthy ones. The same is true of customers. Figure out which customers add the most value and provide the best opportunities for sustained growth. Then ditch the worst of the worst.
  • Nurture the winners: Once you figure out who your best customers are, blow their minds with care. Discover their unfulfilled needs, innovate to make their wishes come true, and overdeliver on every single promise.

Full of stories of other successful entrepreneurs, The Pumpkin Plan guides you through unconven­tional strategies to help you build a truly profitable blue-ribbon company that is the best in its field.

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  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Portfolio
  5. Publication date
    July 5, 2012
  6. Reading age
    18 years and up
  7. File size
    639 KB
  8. Page Flip
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From the Publisher

✓ Rapid ✓ Healthy ✓ Organic. Business Growth in the Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz

RAPID, HEALTHY, ORGANIC BUSINESS GROWTH

Who knew that the secret to rapid, healthy, organic business growth was held by pumpkin farmers? Not just ordinary pumpkin farmers, but those geek farmers, who grow colossal pumpkins as big as your car.

Told only as acclaimed author, Mike Michalowicz, can, The Pumpkin Plan reveals the simple, yet highly effective, method to grow the business of your dreams. There is a reason The Pumpkin Plan has been a perennial bestseller for nearly a decade: It cuts through the confusion of entrepreneurship and reveals the simple strategy to trigger extraordinary growth. Always.

Image of someone planting seeds

Drawing of someone watering a sprout plant.

Drawing of someone pulling weeds from a pumpkin patch

Drawing of giant pumpkin with smaller ones beside it.

PLANT THE RIGHT SEED

Align what you love to do with the people who love you doing it for them.

WATER, WATER, WATER

Relentlessly target a specific community with your specialized offer.

KILL THE WEEDS

Separate out your winning customers and offerings. Eliminate everything else.

FEED THE GIANT PUMPKIN

Be the leading innovator in your market and over deliver on every single promise.

ABOUT MIKE MICHALOWICZ

ABOUT MIKE MICHALOWICZ

By his 35th birthday MIKE MICHALOWICZ (pronounced mi-‘kal-o-wits) had founded and sold two multi-million dollar companies. Confident that he had the formula to success, he became a small business angel investor…and proceeded to lose his entire fortune.

Then he started all over again, driven to find better ways to grow healthy, strong companies. Mike has devoted his life to the research and delivery of innovative, impactful entrepreneurial strategies to you.

Cover image for Fix This Next by Mike Michalowicz Cover image of Get Different by Mike Michalowicz Cover image of Clockwork revised and expanded Cover image of ALL IN by Mike Michalowicz Cover image for PROFIT FIRST by Mike Michalowicz
Fix This Next Get Different Clockwork All In Profit First
Customer Reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
539
4.7 out of 5 stars
234
4.7 out of 5 stars
169
4.9 out of 5 stars
89
4.8 out of 5 stars
8,856
Price $14.99 $26.00 $20.14 $22.10 $14.78
YOUR GUIDE TO ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS I want to do the RIGHT things! I want to MARKET better than ever! I want to get my TIME back! I want to LEAD an unstoppable team! I want to MAKE more money!

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Every page, every chapter, as I read this book, I asked myself, ‘Michael E. Gerber, how come YOU didn’t think of that?’ Just remarkable! Just absolutely a remarkable book. A pumpkin! Who would have thought? Every one of you—entrepreneurs, business owners—read it! Do it now!”
—MICHAEL GERBER, author of The E-Myth and creator of The E-Myth Evolution™

“Another great read from Mike Michalowicz! Mike’s off-the-cuff sense of humor and business savvy ensure that The Pumpkin Plan is a book that entrepreneurs should read for years to come.”

—GUY KAWASAKI, author of Enchantment and The Art of the Start

“Hard-hitting advice aimed directly at the entrepreneur who is stuck being a wandering generality instead of a meaningful specific. Plenty of seeds worth planting.”

—SETH GODIN, author of We Are All Weird

“Michalowicz hits it out of the park, yet again. The Pumpkin Plan is chock-full of Mike’s wonderful humor and is an extraordinary step-by-step guide for entrepreneurs whose business growth has plateaued.”

—J. J. RAMBERG, host of MSNBC’s Your Business

“In his crazy-like-a-fox style, Mike Michalowicz reveals why channeling a pumpkin farmer brings you unparalleled success. Michalowicz is rapidly becoming one of the most innovative business authors of our time. The proof is in the pudding (or pumpkin, as it were).”

—RIEVA LESONSKY, CEO of GrowBiz Media, former editorial director of Entrepreneur magazine

“Mike makes turning your business from ordinary to extraordinary as easy as following a simple step-by-step recipe. This book reveals degrees of knowledge and wisdom I have rarely seen in writing before. If you read only one book this year, let it be The Pumpkin Plan.”

—BOB BURG, co-author of The Go-Giver and author of Endless Referrals

“He’s a very handsome young man.”

 —URSULA MICHALOWICZ, Mike’s mom

About the Author

Mike Michalowicz launched and sold two multimillion-dollar companies and currently operates his third, Obsidian Launch, a consulting firm that ignites explosive growth in companies that have plateaued. He is the author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur and is a small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal. Visit www.PumpkinPlan.com

 



Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0064VPS24
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio; 1st edition (July 5, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 5, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 639 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,614 ratings

About the author

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Mike Michalowicz

Mike Michalowicz

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By his 35th birthday MIKE MICHALOWICZ (pronounced mi-‘kal-o-wits) had founded and sold two multi-million dollar companies.

Confident that he had the formula to success, he became a small business angel investor… and proceeded to lose his entire fortune. Then he started all over again, driven to find better ways to grow healthy, strong companies. Mike has devoted his life to the research and delivery of innovative, impactful entrepreneurial strategies to you.

Mike is the creator of Profit First, which is used by hundreds of thousands of companies across the globe to drive profit. He is the creator of Clockwork, a powerful method to make any business run on automatic. He is the author of Fix This Next, an instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller, The Pumpkin Plan, Surge and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. His newest book, Get Different, teaches entrepreneurs how to creating marketing that can't be ignored.

Today, Mike leads two new multi-million-dollar ventures, as he tests his latest business research for his books. He is a former small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal and business makeover specialist on MSNBC. Mike is a popular main stage keynote speaker on innovative entrepreneurial topics; and is the author of Get Different, Fix This Next, Clockwork, Profit First, Surge, The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.

Fabled author, Simon Sinek deemed Mike Michalowicz “…the top contender for the patron saint of entrepreneurs.”

Mike is also a guest lecturer for collegiate entrepreneurial programs such as Babson, Boston College, Columbia, Copenhagen Business School, Emerson, Harvard, Penn State, Pepperdine and Princeton. His books are in the core curriculum for entrepreneur students at Pepperdine, Carnegie Mellon, Stanford University, and universities across the country. His books have been translated into over 27 languages.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
1,614 global ratings
The Pumpkin Plan is a must read
5 Stars
The Pumpkin Plan is a must read
I love how the Pumpkin Plan is broken down and the concepts within the book. Currently working on several areas anime discusses in this book in order for me to grow my own Giant Pumpkin and eliminate the curve.I was already on the right track to standing out from any competition and this book is helping me to be even better. I’m finding ways to add my own “est” to my coaching industry.Thanks again Mike for this and several other of your books to help me create and build a well rounded business I can either sell or hold onto. ☺️
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Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Seriously, just buy the book!
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2013
Verified Purchase
I'm not big on writing reviews, and rarely take the time to do so...but this book is definitely worth spreading the word about.

OK, what's it cost 30 bucks (15 on the Kindle)? It will be the best 30 bucks you spend this year. Heck, if you're a client of mine I'll buy it for you (I give copies of this book to all of my new clients). It is that good...at least for me it was. I truly believe this is a _must_ read for all entrepreneurs and most business people. I can only speak to where I am in my business, but it was spot on. Flippin' Bullseye.

From the opening paragraph I was riveted, and felt like Mike had been following me around for the last two years spying on my efforts as an entrepreneur and finding ways to improve on my strengths and decrease the impact of my weaknesses. Most of the ideas in the book are deceptively simple, but feel like an epiphany when laid out in the way they are.

The book literally takes you through an entertaining "step by step" path to grow your business in ways you never thought possible. It is extraordinarily funny (I love Mike's sense of humor), entertaining, informative, and easy to apply to your own life/business. Each chapter contains a very specific idea that builds on the previous idea until the end you have a solid foundation and a well laid out strategy for success. At the end of each chapter are two nice additions. He offers up a "Work the Plan" that gives you homework to help ingrain the idea into your brain. This homework takes less than 30 minutes for each project, and I highly recommend working through each exercise. Then he has the "Pumpkin Plan Your Industry" section. He takes a real industry but with a fictional company and applies the ideas learned in the chapter to help grow this business. With a tiny bit of imagination you can take the creative suggestions Mike uses for the fictional company and apply them to your own. Genius.

I've gone on long enough. I believe the real purpose of amateur reviewers is to help someone decide if they should purchase the book. The answer is, "what are you waiting for?". If you are an entrepreneur or treat your career like it is your own business, then you will get great value out of this book.

I read 50+ business books per year, and this is currently my favorite of all time.

Enjoy!
4 people found this helpful
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Bobby Ray Burns
5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly Surprised
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2013
Verified Purchase
I must admit that I purchased this book without realizing the Mike Michalowicz was also the author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. I chose NOT to buy his previous book earlier because I was put off by the apparent bathroom humor and what I supposed would be a general crassness.

Imagine my surprise when I opened my package from an Amazon seller, Mint Quality Books - which arrived incredibly fast - and held not one, but TWO books (in "mint" condition!). I received not only a brand, spanking new AUTOGRAPHED copy of The Pumpkin Plan, but I was given a free brand, spanking new copy of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur! (another review will be found there)

Vowing not to be swayed by this generous and very effective marketing approach, I proceeded to read The Pumpkin Plan as objectively as I could. I am a business coach by profession and I read upwards of four to five books each month along with following blogs, newsletters, magazines, etc. In short, I read a lot and it is primarily business books. So I have become a bit jaded and cynical with the deluge of clever titles and supposed breakthrough strategies being touted relentlessly.

This book exceeded my expectations. While not a fan of vulgar language or coarse humor in business books (go ahead, call me a prude!) I was able to sidestep the occasional lapses from Mr. Michalowicz's pen... uhm, keyboard, as the content was so engaging, so true to my experience with clients, and so practical and executable. Unlike many of the reviews I make myself read on Amazon, I will not reiterate all 14 chapters with a page-by-page critique. If that is what you are looking for in a review then buy the freakin' book!

And, in the case of The Pumpkin Plan, I would heartily recommend it. While not quite as applicable for start-ups, solo entrepreneurs or un-empowered middle managers somewhere in corporate America, it is spot on and provocatively applicable for any small or medium-sized business. (ANY business really, but let's keep it practical)

Mr. Michalowicz manages to take what amounts to sound, logical and strategically smart approaches to differentiation, customer service and support, and networking, and make them real. I also appreciated that fact that he does not hedge on the psychic difficulty of some of his prescriptions nor the plain, old work that can be involved, such as with systems development. Executing the Pumpkin Plan into your business is not a task for get-rich-quick types or sluggards. (now there's a word for you!)

Bottom line: This is one of those rare business books that kept me going page after page without stopping. My copy has dozens of colored sticky tabs coming out of it where I marked passages for use with my coaching clients. Buy the freakin' book! It is well worth it. (Especially a used copy from Mint Quality Books!)
5 people found this helpful
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Ohio Guy
5.0 out of 5 stars Great content all the way through
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book lived up to the hype - I only wish I would have read it even sooner.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Matt
5.0 out of 5 stars Game Changer
Reviewed in Canada on December 16, 2021
Verified Purchase
A great read that is not only informative but funny. This is mandatory reading for all entrepreneurs, follow his simple steps outlined in the book and it will change your business and your life all for the better.
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Lissette Garrido Irueste
5.0 out of 5 stars Libro
Reviewed in Mexico on September 3, 2022
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Excelentes consejos
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Myles
5.0 out of 5 stars amazing book definitely in my top 3
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 17, 2024
Verified Purchase
It has helped me plan out my business and be more effective in all aspects. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is in business looking to scale efficiently
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Client d'Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars This book brought me so much clarity !
Reviewed in France on January 30, 2021
Verified Purchase
Entrepreneurs life is not easy, but during this COVID moment, it is even tougher. Recently I was feeling completely stuck in my business and lost about where to focus energy. This book brought me so much clarity ! Now the direction I must take is much clearer and aligned to my natural talents, my dreams, my desired lifestyle and the kind of persons I want to work with. I really recommend to any kind of entrepreneurs. Thank you very much Mike
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Anoop
5.0 out of 5 stars Good guideline bok
Reviewed in India on November 26, 2017
Verified Purchase
This is a very good book, but just with this book alone you cannot pumpkin your business. It's a good book to get your guidelines for running a business right. I liked this book because it provided me information that some of the other books were not able to. So guys just this book is not enough to Nox your business, this is one of the books.
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