Small businesses are a risky proposition, and most celebrities want a home run. Marcus Lemonis More Quotes by Marcus Lemonis More Quotes From Marcus Lemonis Money is the by-product, it is not the purpose. Marcus Lemonis products purpose It's a privilege and not a right to own a business. Marcus Lemonis privilege Control your cash. Stick to your core business. Know your numbers. Marcus Lemonis cash sticks numbers The best advice I ever got was from Lee Iacocca.... It was get into a business where you can be a big fish, not the little fish. Get into a business where you can be a change agent, where you can make a difference. Marcus Lemonis big-fish differences advice If you respect people, and you pay them well, they will do anything for you Marcus Lemonis wells pay people People are the core of every business. Businesses are based on relationships, and relationships are based on people. I would go to an average restaurant run by amazing people over an outstanding restaurant run by awful people. Marcus Lemonis restaurant amazing business people Working and being involved in multiple businesses and fixing things has almost turned into an addiction, but I can't seem to want to change it. Marcus Lemonis things addiction change want Put no more than three messages on a lemonade stand. You have to describe what your product is, why it's the best, and how much it is. Don't be drawing turtles and flowers and footballs all over it, distracting people. Keep it clean. Marcus Lemonis best you drawing people I'm a big believer that if you're happy and your employees are happy, your customers are going to be happy. If you're unhappy and your employees are unhappy, there's no way your customers are going to be happy. Marcus Lemonis be-happy you unhappy happy I'm really not a great businessperson. I understand business, and I understand numbers, but I think what I understand more than that is people... Ultimately, I think businesses fail and people fail because they don't have their act together. Marcus Lemonis great business together people The most disappointing businesses, for me, are the ones where the people flat-out lie. I had one in Queens where I gave them a couple hundred thousand dollars and they started spending it on themselves. Marcus Lemonis lie where me people The weirdest place someone has asked me for advice was at a party where there were a lot of A-list celebrities and super-wealthy people. There were people in the middle of mingling asking for investment advice, and I'm like, 'Hey, I'm just here to dance. I'm here to have fun!' Marcus Lemonis have-fun me dance people I don't know if people consciously get in the way of their own success. In fairness, people have a lot of pride, and they fall back on what they know to be safe and correct. Anybody, including me, struggles with change. Marcus Lemonis me change success people Usually, you can figure out where a person's mistakes came from if you ask them the genesis of their thought process: 'Why did you do it this way?' As opposed to telling them they did it the wrong way. Understanding their thought process will ultimately help you be able to communicate with them and navigate around them. Marcus Lemonis mistakes you understanding way I regret the Pro Fit investment because I didn't know that I was dealing with people who were more concerned about the exposure than fixing their business. Marcus Lemonis know regret business people I became an entrepreneur as a child. I liked the art of the deal whether I was mowing lawns or selling candy or promoting clubs at the age of 16. I understood early on the importance of knowing my numbers and surrounding myself with the best people. Marcus Lemonis best myself age art When selecting businesses, I first have to be enticed by the product or the industry they are in. Then I look for passion. If a company has these two qualifiers, I go for it. Marcus Lemonis go look company passion It's okay to work for someone else; not everyone is cut out to own a business, and even so, working for someone else is a chance to learn how to both be an employee and an employer. Marcus Lemonis someone chance business work I have trouble falling asleep. I have trouble shutting my mind off. Marcus Lemonis falling off trouble mind The only thing I did well was learn how to make money. Marcus Lemonis well only how money