When I meet a businessperson, one of the first rituals after shaking hands is to take my other hand and reach out for his or her card. In the business world, it is a reflex reaction. In Japan, the practice is even more ritualistic.

You have built a good business, you have a story to tell and you want to attract more customers. Unfortunately, not enough people have heard of your company.

It was reported in the presidential election of 1992, that James Carville, Bill Clinton?s campaign manager had a sign posted in their Little Rock Office that simple stated "It?s the economy, stupid". This was a reminder to everyone that worked at the campaign that the only thing that the race was about was the economy. The campaign should focus on this one point. That year, I started my third business after failing in two others. This time, I scrawled my own sign and tacked it up in my office so it read "It?s cash flow, stupid". It became my daily mantra.