In an economy that takes pride in being led by large companies and strategic consulting prescribed by academia, like the Harvard Business School, 10% of the small businesses fail every year and 60% close after six years.

According to author Donna Fenn, there are seven reasons for this, from the backlash of big business to consumer lust for luxuries. In " Alpha Dogs: How Your Small Business Can Become a Leader of the Pack" the author consults with eight small businesses situated in different regions of the USA that have used certain strategies to outshine their competition and thrive, and she passes those strategies on to her readers. These eight businesses have flourished despite their sometime stories of failure and they have learned to get ahead in the highly competitive business world.

In the book, Fenn has focused on these eight businesses: Zane's cycles, a bicycle shop; Dorothy Lane Market Inc., three grocery stores; Auction Systems Auctioneers & Appraisers; Amy's Ice Creams, 12 ice cream parlors; THOR.LO Inc., manufacturer of sport-specific socks; Dancing Deer Baking Company (Boston); PR Consultants Group Inc., an alliance of 34 public relations firms; and Mike's Famous Harley-Davidson Inc.

The majority of the tips from these leading entrepreneurs deal with employee training, creating a workplace that appeals to the workers, getting new customers while retaining existing ones, being bold and fearless, giving good service, forming alliances, adapting to the new technologies of the times, continually re-inventing, tweaking innovations and keeping them close to home while upgrading wisely.

its valuable tips worth several years of serious study. The information inside this book can give a serious boost to any enterprise.

the stories behind each company and the writer's chatty style.

make a Christmas present of it to a few small business owners I know.

Donna Fenn has been writing as a contributing editor about entrepreneurs and small business trends in Inc. Magazine for more than 20 years. In 2001 she was a co-recipient of the Women's Economic Round Table Entrepreneurship Prize, sponsored by the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, The Washington Monthly, Working Woman, and many other publications.
Fenn's writing style is direct, clear, conversational, and sprinkled with quotes by the entrepreneurs: "'When you are comfortable, you're never performing at 100% says Dave Barr. It might be Schwartz's mantra. Mike's Roadside Rest had earned him press accolades…"

If you already know how to succeed in business or own an MBA, but especially if you don't, "Alpha Dogs: How Your Small Business Can Become a Leader of the Pack" will help you to take a closer look at your own way of handling your company.

"Alpha Dogs: How Your Small Business Can Become a Leader of the Pack" is in hardcover with 224 pages. After the foreword and introduction, it has ten chapters followed by acknowledgements, sources, and an index.