TOM PANAGGIO - 9 Risks You Must Take for Sustainable Business

 Imagine you stand at the edge of an enormous cliff, a parachute strapped to your back. To your right is a winding staircase with a sturdy handrail. There are only two ways off the cliff—jump or take the stairs. If you jump, once you reach the bottom, you’ll be awarded the exact amount of money you and your family need to live a happy and comfortable life. If you take the stairs, you’ll reach the bottom and walk away—nothing gained, nothing lost. Will you take the risk knowing there’s a slight chance the parachute won’t open? Or will you take the safe way out, knowing a life of mediocrity awaits?This, says Tom is the dilemma entrepreneurs face every day. “Risk is eternally linked to opportunity,” he says in The Risk Advantage: Embracing the Entrepreneur’s Unexpected Edge“ There is nothing wrong with taking the safe way out—millions make that choice—but successful entrepreneurs are a different breed. They are professional risk takers and they need to be willing to strap on that parachute every day. “Though we typically associate risk with the initial leap-of-faith decision to start a business, to achieve real success, one must consistently embrace risk every day, and not just on the business’s first day,” He knows all about the rewards of risk. Along with several partners, he has built two thriving companies: Direct Mail Express and Response Mail Express. He wrote the book to help entrepreneurs face the many situations, predicaments, and crises they’ll encounter during their lives and to help formulate their leadership style and business strategy.