If you're a fan of books and speakers who have the secrets to the success in 10 steps, know the seven habits of getting rich quick, and can setup your day timer to take over the world... here is a contrarian view!

Assembled here for your reading pleasure are nine sure-fire ways to ruin your business in record time.  Why nine? Because it's not 3 or 7 or 10!

Experts are liars.  You already know it all.  People with education and experience should never be trusted.  At the end of the late 1890s, a prominent member of the bar arose to make his final argument. "Members of the jury, there are three kinds of liars in this world, the common liar, the damned liar, and the expert liar.  What we have here is an expert liar...".

Do everything yourself.  Delegation is for the lazy.  Unless you can clone yourself, no one can do it as well as you.  You'll end up wasting all your time monitoring who you gave the task to, so it's easier just to do it yourself.

Money or time spent growing skills is evil.  The old expression "ignorance is bliss" is a fact.  If we let our workers get knowledge, they will be empowered.  Who wants employees who are powerful?

All plans fail, therefore "shoot from the hip".  Never make a To-Do list in the morning, it will only depress you that night.  Spur of the moment keeps life interesting.

Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?  Making a decision that requires action will only frustrate you.  Evenutally people will stop bothering you with things to do and you will have more free time.

Personal stuff only gets in the way of work: a balanced life is for losers.  Start early and stay late.  Give all your energy and creativity to your job.  Relationships only get in the way and can't make you any money.

People who say "NO" are programmed for failure.  Keep your door open and talk to everyone who walks by.  You want to be like everyone else don't you?

Never practice what you preach.  Tell other people what to do and do not do it yourself.  Set a poor example.

Direct eye contact with customers should be avoided.  Ignore them unless they contact you.  Promising a delivery is best done while looking disinterested.  It will set their expectations low and keep them there.

Yes friends, you too can be a failure.  Just follow these nine simple steps and walk the road to its dead end!