What I Learned Before I Sold to Warren Buffett : An Entrepreneur's Guide to Developing a Highly Successful Company

by Barnett C. Helzberg

• ISBN13: 9780471271147
• ISBN10: 0471271144
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-04-01
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Expert advice for those who want to create a solid company 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. Helzberg shares his thirty years of experience in running a successful business and outlines the steps needed to prosper within a challenging business environment. Through "helpful hints" and words of wisdom, Helzberg offers a proven road map for entrepreneurs and business owners looking to build a solid company that will stand the test of time. What I Learned Before I Sold to Warren Buffett is a comprehensive guide that will help readers get their businesses on the right track. Barnett C. Helzberg Jr. (Kansas City, MO) was President of Helzberg Diamonds, Inc. from 1962 to 1995, a period during which he expanded his family-owned business to 143 stores in twenty-three states. His business practices have been a key ingredient to the success of Helzberg Diamonds.

Author Biography

BARNETT C. HELZBERG, Jr., former president and CEO of Helzberg Diamonds, Inc. from 1962 to 1995, a period of success during which he led the expansion of the family-owned business from fewer than thirty jewelry stores to 143 stores in twenty-three states. Under Helzberg’s leadership, the company defined the concept of placing jewelry stores in shopping malls and earned a national reputation for profitable, customer-focused operations. Its average per store sales of more than $2 million in 1994 were more than double the industry average. In a November 1994 industry report, Goldman Sachs said Helzberg Diamonds set the industry standard for customer service, calling the company the "Nordstrom of the jewelry business."

Table of Contents

A Confession of Plagiarism.

Selling to the World’s Best Investor.

Know Thyself: What It Takes to Be an Entrepreneur.

Helzberg.

Hints.

Part I: Managing.

1 Concern Yourself with Only the Controllables.

2 Making Your Business Different.

3 Highe