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Click the link to purchase 52 Business Adages Biblically Considered. We offer quantity discounts for those purchasing multiple copies for their men’s group, staff meeting, or other gathering.

Mike Smock + Mike Winter

You will not agree with all of the adages in this book. In fact, some may provoke or even anger you.

Avoid large scale. Small-scale, local enterprises are preferable to large-scale, global enterprises.

Over the past 50 years, there has been an increasing focus on the individual at the expense of the team

Mike Smock was born and raised in Ann Arbor, went to MSU, then moved across the country with stops in Chicago, Salt Lake, and San Francisco before recently resettling in DeWitt, Michigan. Mike has been married for more than 40 years to his high school sweetheart and...

Pray. There comes a time when you need to throw away the spreadsheets, silence the advisors, tear up the plan, and go with God.

Get on the field. Play the game.

Remove all technocrats from the line of fire.

You nurture babies and prize-winning orchids.

Fairly distribute the wealth.

Stay in the game. When you do fail, do not give up.

Business negotiations are not spot transactions.

Or one will be chosen for you.

Subordinates should not mindlessly obey their superiors.

There is nothing inherently bad about benevolent dictatorships.

There comes a time in the life of all start-ups, and small to medium-sized enterprises that requires the founder to act courageously and decisively.

There are few good reasons for an enterprise to seek high levels of visibility.

If you have a complex project and can’t describe it in simple terms, then don’t do it.

Honesty begets loyalty and respect.

Always reach for trusted and tested confidants when making board choices—but never place your destiny in their hands.

Ninety-five percent of enterprise resources should be trained on short-term profitable revenue generation.

Always remain in control of your company, either via equity ownership or organizational bylaws.

The bigger the stakes for your opponent, the easier they are to bluff.

Select your adversaries with care.

Once you find yourself in a fight, be relentless.

All CEOs need an office with four walls, a ceiling, and a door that locks.

If you find yourself in a fight, you’ve probably done something wrong.

Spend your own money to build your core competencies. Use partner resources to shore up your weaknesses.

Avoid over-investment in capacity that you may not use.

Anyone can cut costs. Knowing which costs can be cut, delayed, or marginalized is the trick.

Become an ascetic. Stay fluid. Stay maneuverable.

Increase your competency set via partnering. Use partnering to fill gaps in your resources and open new markets.

Avoid becoming dependent on a single source for anything where you have no readily available substitute.

Large capital investments are a suspect mechanism for improving your competitive position.

When accomplishing anything of significance, you will offend people and make enemies.

Focus on your needs in a contract. Neither of you will sign a contract unless you both get what you need.

Look at the chain of value, which extends from you and your suppliers, and ends with the ultimate end-user customer.

The world evolves with regularity. Most organizations are structured to work best in their original environment.

Most companies do one thing really well. Whether they like it or not, it’s the thing that keeps them in business, and keeps customers returning.

If you are selling a commodity (a product distinguishable only by price) there will always be a competitor with a lower price.

Always do a deal sheet before moving on to a contract.

Organic growth is vastly superior to acquired growth.

Whether it’s clothes, computers, or food, most people emulate and copy other members of their tribe or social group.

Always compete with high margins.

Avoid business models based upon doing one simple thing a million times.

Replace sticks and boxes with circles, cycles and rapid adaptation.

Quality is the key route to increasing market share.

In this age of video conferencing, e-mail, and instant messaging…