The Unauthorized Guide to Doing Business the Simon Cowell Way

From a job in the mail room at EMI Music Publishing Cowell rose through the ranks swiftly and after becoming a record producer at the firm, left to set up his own company. Following the collapse of his first business and a time at BMG, Cowell went on to pioneer the <i>Popstars</i> TV talent show, and subsequently co-produce <i>Pop Idol</i> and more recently <i>The X Factor</i>. As a music producer he has achieved sales of over 25 million albums, over 70 top 30 records, and 17 Number 1 singles. His band 'Westlife' has achieved an impressive 10 Number 1 hits alone. <p><i>The Sunday Times Rich List</i> recently estimated that he earned £33.5m in one year alone, thanks to the global success of the 'Pop Idol' brand.</p> <p> The 10 Secrets of the International Music Mogul are:</p> <ul> <li> <div><b>Work Your Way Up – get to know your industry</b></div> </li> <li><b>Don’t Be Defeated – how to overcome set backs in business</b></li> <li><b>Grab Opportunities – respond to the market</b></li> <li><b>Know Your Market – and consistently produce the product they want</b></li> <li><b>Think Differently – take your product and spin it in different formats</b></li> <li><b>Get Your Name on the Credits – and reap the rewards</b></li> <li><b>Don’t Look Back – learn from missed opportunities but keep moving forwards</b></li> <li><b>Say it How It Is – straight talking saves time in business</b></li> <li><b>Build a Personal Brand – and be respected for what you do well if nothing else</b></li> <li><b>Use Your Contacts – there is no shame to pulling strings in business</b></li> </ul>