Former Ohio ready mixed producer Jim Spurlino has written Business Bullseye: Take Dead Aim and Achieve Great Success, a practical and effective guide for small- to medium-sized entities. Among the thousands of businesses launched each year, he observes, many fail at the hands of owners who lack the knowledge or focus needed to prosper. Business Bullseye stresses a key facet of the planning process for a company: Identify a precise target goal and place it at the forefront of every business decision.
Written for entrepreneurs from all walks of life and career endeavor, the book provides the insight, tools, and guidance needed to propel a business to new heights. It inspires, entertains, and combines salient business lessons with spot-on advice. “Key leadership lessons are brought to light through vivid, real-life stories,” observes John Pepper, former chief executive officer of Procter & Gamble. “This book touches on every important aspect of creating and sustaining a successful business.”
Spurlino approaches Business Bullseye’s central theme by emphasizing focus and aim, writing:
Too often, we confuse visions, missions, goals, and strategy with knowing our bullseye and marshalling all the resources required to focus on hitting it. It is the most important concept to grasp, whether starting a business, growing it, or meeting a challenge. It is always the first concept that needs your attention. And as with many things in business and life, knowing your bullseye means understanding it fully as well as your means of hitting it. There are two parts to the equation.
The bullseye itself needs a finite definition, as precise as can be for the type and character of the challenge. Refrain from describing a general target that results in a positive outcome but is possibly of little value. This means the bullseye is defined in your mind and communicated effectively in the minds of your management. Describe it as fully and discretely as possible as well as the outcome of hitting it.
The means of hitting the bullseye are just as important, he continues:
Just as with archery, knowing the size of the target, the distance to it, the weather conditions, your bow and arrow, and maybe most importantly, your own skill are crucial elements to understand in order to hit the bullseye. Archery is practiced on a range. A target is set up at one end and the shooter stands at the other. The target is large but has a small circle in the center called the bullseye. There are concentric circles surrounding the bullseye. Points are awarded in descending value from the bullseye to the last circle line. For the purposes of this book, consider that everything inside the outer circle line constitutes the target but that, of course, the bullseye is the most valuable part.
Spurlino pursued Business Bullseye after years in a cyclical business known for long hours and high fixed costs. Combining hard work and a personal investment of $40,000, he founded Spurlino Materials in Middletown, Ohio, building a reputation for quality ready mixed concrete and excellent service. He grew the business to encompass three additional Ohio sites, three Indiana satellites, and a national portable plant division that secured concrete supply contracts from Pennsylvania to Arizona. Among the latter’s largest jobs were the Bristol Motor Speedway in Virginia and Lucas Oil Stadium, home to the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise. Tennessee fast-mover Smyrna Ready Mix acquired Spurlino Materials in late 2017. — http://jimspurlino.com; Amplify Publishing, Herdon, Va., 703/437-3584; www.amplifypublishing.com, www.mascotbooks.com
