"Your book is terrific"--Warren Buffett

"This is 24-carat advice - a real gem for any aspiring entrepreneur."--Harvey Mackay, author of the #1 New York Times best-seller, Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive

"Who better to teach us all about managing and growing a business than Barnett Helzberg? His honesty and up-front perspective on management and business principles should be required reading for a wide audience."--Henry W. Bloch, Cofounder and Honorary Chairman, H&R Block, Inc.

"What I Learned Before I Sold to Warren Buffett is based on thirty-nine years of hard work and experience. It is interesting and instructive, and I highly recommend it." --Bob Dole

Through hard work and determination, Barnett Helzberg built his small family-owned business–Helzberg Diamonds–into a successful company that caught the attention of Warren Buffett. Buffett was so impressed with the business that in 1995 he decided to purchase Helzberg Diamonds through his holding company Berkshire Hathaway–an act that any business owner would consider the ultimate compliment.

Although the chances of receiving a phone call from Warren Buffett are small, the chances of developing a highly successful company are better than you may think. All you need to succeed is a burning desire and the right set of entrepreneurial skills. In What I Learned Before I Sold to Warren Buffett, Barnett Helzberg shares his thirty years of experience in running a successful business and outlines the steps needed to prosper within a challenging business environment.

Divided into six information-packed sections–Managing, Decision Making, Hiring, Inspiring, Communicating, and Focusing–What I Learned Before I Sold to Warren Buffett provides a step-by-step approach for developing your own entrepreneurial business sense. Filled with over seventy-five gems of entrepreneurial wisdom, each contained in short, readable chapters, this comprehensive guide offers a proven road map for entrepreneurs and business owners looking to build a solid company that will stand the test of time. Through real-life experiences gleaned by Helzberg on his journey as well as honest insights of other seasoned entrepreneurs, you will receive an unparalleled education on what it takes to get on the right entrepreneurial track and stay there.

• Some of the valuable lessons you will learn include how to:
• Keep and build customers
• Overcome and grow from your mistakes
• Hire the right employee(s), lawyer(s), CPA(s), or other professionals
• Recognize great work and motivate associates
• Listen and negotiate
• Understand the business you’re in
  

Entrepreneurs come in every shape and size, and arise under a variety of different circumstances. Some are made from the moment they open their first lemonade stand. Others are born out of necessity–inheriting a family business or getting laid off. Whatever your situation, What I Learned Before I Sold to Warren Buffett will show you how to transform yourself into the entrepreneur you’ve always wanted to become.