Practical wisdom on tools, concepts, and strategies to build, grow, and optimize your business 91% of small and medium sized businesses fail in the first 10 years. What is the other 9% doing to succeed? The 9% Edge is a highly practical guide to entrepreneurship and taking your business to the next level, no matter where you currently are in your build. Developed from extensive research on businesses and their founders, combined with the 26 years of real-world, firsthand experience of author Candy Valentino, this book breaks down the core principles and concepts that are essential to bridging the knowledge gap between different stages of a build, and contains a wealth of tools and strategies, explained in plain English, that can be put into practice as soon as today. Valentino went from a teenager living in a little white trailer on government assistance, to building, scaling, and selling multiple businesses in various industries and helping countless other businesses do the same in a consultant role. In this book, readers will learn about: Expanding your customer base, strategically reducing costs without compromise, and measuring and evaluating critical revenue drivers Making data-driven decisions, implementing strategic financial and metric changes, and always moving forward with intention Achieving organizational transformation through revamping a marketing strategy, optimizing operational efficiencies, and restructuring finances The 9% Edge is an essential resource for all business owners seeking to learn from someone who has run the gambit in entrepreneurial endeavors and knows from experience what has been proven to work.