PREFACE<br > We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats， but<br > the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of<br > avarice.<br > ~~ SAMUEL JOHNSON "t~<br > Presiding at the sale of Thule s Brewery， London<br >This is a book for the entrepreneur and the would-be entrepreneur. It was<br >written in the belief that he or she faces a problem that is somewhat<br >unique relative to other professions: Our society offers no apprenticeship.<br >In other professions， such as law， engineering， or medicine， there exists a<br >formal progression of schooling-to-apprenticeship-to-practice， to equip<br >the initiate with some background and experience before he is asked to<br >accept major responsibilities.<br > As an entrepreneur， on the other hand， you usually must move from<br >an established larger organization into a new enterprise with nothing<br >even resembling an apprenticeship behind you. Without formal indoc-<br >trination， you assume responsibility for management of people， resources，<br >and substantial amounts of other people s money. A substantial gap usu-<br >ally exists between what you have learned and experienced， and what<br >you will be required to know to succeed in your new enterprise. It is the<br >author s hope that this book will help to close that gap.<br > The book is not intended to be a complete field manual of what-<br >every-young-man-should-know-about-starting-companies. That would be<br > xl<br >