The Book of Life

pages of wisdom The second point is that success, like failure, can also be a problem. Continuous success often breeds arrogance, which itself becomes a serious cause of failure. A successful businessman, Glenn Early, once said: “I can’t afford to get arrogant about success. So, I am always trying to improve my business.” Success and failure are not mysterious. They are outcomes that arise from identifiable causes. Once you understand these causes, you will have no reason to complain about others. BUSINESS CONSISTENCY Wealthier people often prefer light, cereal-based foods for breakfast or with tea. One example of this is cornflakes. Many varieties of cornflakes are available in the market. Several companies have produced them under different brand names and created various flavours. But in India, most of these attempts have not been very successful, despite heavy spending on advertising. Currently, only two companies dominate the cornflakes market in India: Hindustan Vegetables Oils Corporation (HVOC) and Mohan Meakin Ltd. Together, they sell about one thousand tons of cornflakes every year, worth 35 million rupees. Interestingly, these companies do not spend anything at all on advertising. Their products sell without it. (The Times of India, June 9, 1990).