nickshanagher

The answer to every strategic question is “it depends”. The trick is knowing what it depends on. If the answer to a question isn’t “it depends” then it’s not a strategic question. This is Mazzeo’s Law, a business school rule that its author and two fellow professors tested out on independent businesses across the USA in a series of road trips. Their book, The Roadside MBA , aims to provide real world lessons for entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses. Michael Mazzeo, Paul Oyer and Scott Schaeffer write up visits to 45 small businesses to provide lessons across 10 subject areas ranging from hiring staff to battling the big boys. The businesses range from a fitness centre for older women to a company that makes air socks and everything in between. The book’s strength is that it is a collection of the wisdom of people just like you, running a small business and making a profit. In Reno, Nevada, they visit Christine Kelly, owner of Sundance Books and Music. How do you comp...