Understanding business strategies is key to success. There are five important factors to consider about competitors: their leadership, abilities, advantages, discipline, and employee training. It is important to act quickly when opportunities arise and use deception to mislead others. The ultimate goal is to overtake competitors without confrontation by identifying and addressing their weaknesses. A wise business leader considers all angles and adapts tactics based on changing circumstances, leads through authority but also caring, and gathers intelligence on others through covert means.

1. The Art of War by Sun Tzu
It is evident that The Art of War was used to help generals win wars, but this prose is also used today to help
business owners succeed in the dog-eat-dog world of business.
Equate each set of epigrams to the world of business. In other words, give examples or scenarios where each set
of epigrams can be used in the business world?
Chapter 1 - Laying Plans
1. Understanding the Art of War is of vital importance to the State.
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2. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one's
deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.
1) Moral Law - Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the Moral Law?
2) Heaven - Which of the two generals has the most ability?
3) Earth - With whom lie the advantages derived from the terrain?
4) The Commander - On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced?
5) Method and Discipline - Which army is stronger?
- On which side are officers and men more highly trained?
- In which army is there the greater constancy both in reward
and punishment.
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EXAMPLE:
CHAPTER 9 - THE NINE SITUATIONS
19 - Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness
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Understanding the ways of business is the way to success.
In business take into account five questions that will give you an idea as to determine who is
the better company.
1. Guidelines- Which company president is inspired with many guidelines?
2. Heaven- Which president has the most ability to run a company?
3. Earth- Which company has more advantages?
4. The Commander- Which company enforces more discipline?
5. Method and Discipline- Which company is stronger?
- Which company's employees have more training?
- Which company has a better balance of reward and discipline?
In business, it is important to move when you have an idea and not wait and procrastinate. If
you know another company is trying to release the same product, but is procrastinating, it is
important to act first and steal the majority of the consumers.

2. Chapter 2 - Waging War
16-17 - In order to kill the enemy, our men must be roused with anger; that there may be advantage from
defeating the enemy, they must have their rewards. Therefore in chariot fighting, when ten or more chariots have
been taken, those should be rewarded who took the first. Our own flags should be substituted for those of the
enemy, and the chariots mingled and used in conjunction with ours. The captured soldiers should be kindly
treated and kept.
18-20 - All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we seem unable. When
using our forces, we must seem inactive. When we near. we must make the enemy believe we
are far away. Hold out baits to entice the enemy, Feign disorder, and crush him.
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Chapter 3 - Attack by Stratagem
1-2 - Sun Tzu said: In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and in tact;
to shatter and destroy it is not so good. Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence;
supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
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In Business use deception to win. When you are able to put out a product, act like you are
unable to. When you are making a new, you must seem like you are without an idea.
In business to take over a company you must be ready and expect to get something out of
the take over. The company should reward whoever takes the company over first. Whatever
company takes over the other the name should be replaced with theirs. If you take over a
business hire the people from the other company.
In business a company should not run their competition down til they are ready to close, take
over the company while it is in tact. That is the true superiority, breaking a company's
resistance without fighting them.

3. Chapter 4 - Tactical Dispositions
2 - To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is
provided by the enemy himself.
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Chapter 5 - Energy
7-10 - There are not more than five musical notes, yet in combination of these five give rise to more melodies
than can ever be heard. There are not more than five primary colors (blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in
combination they produce more hues than can ever be seen. There are no more than five cardinal tastes (sour,
acrid, salt, sweet, bitter), yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.
In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack -- the direct and the indirect; yet these two in
combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers.
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Chapter 6 - Weak Points and Strong
1 - Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second
in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.
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28 - Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the
infinite variety of circumstances.
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31-33 - Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows. Therefore, just as water
retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics in
relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a Heaven-born captain.
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In business wait til a company makes a mistake to take them over.
In business there are more than two ways that can be combined to do different things to
make your company successful.
In business if you are the first to bring a product out, you will be successful, but if you are late
you will lose.
In business don't tell anyone why or how you are successful, but how you are successful
depends on the circumstances.
In business if one product fails try another different product.

4. Chapter 7 - Maneuvering
13 - We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country -- its
mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps.
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26 - In night-fighting, make much use of signal-fires and drums, and in fighting by day, of flags and banners, as a
means of influencing the ears and eyes of your army.
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Chapter 8 - Variation in Tactics
12 - There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general:
1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;
2) Cowardice, which leads to capture
3) A Hasty Temper, which can provoked by insults;
4) A Delicacy of Honor, which is sensitive to shame;
5) Over-Solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble
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Chapter 9 - Army on the March
29-33 - When the soldiers stand leaning on their spears, they are faint from want of food. If those who are sent to
draw water begin by drinking themselves, the army is suffering from thirst. If the enemy sees an advantage to be
gained and makes no effort to secure it, the soldiers are exhausted. If there is a disturbance in the camp, the
general's authority is weak. If the banners and flags are shifted about, sedition is afoot.
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In business know your surroundings before you start working on products.
In business give out "prizes" for the most productive employee to get them working.
In business there are five things that bring down your company manager:
1. Recklessness, which can lead to product failure.
2. Cowardice, which can lead to take over of a company.
3. A bad temper, which can lead to poor production.
4. A weak honor, which could shatter if you do something wrong.
5. worrying too much for your employees, can cause worry through the whole company.
In business watch to see if your competition is weak and if they are send out any new
products to get you ahead.

5. Chapter 10 - Terrain
23 - If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it. If fighting will not
result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler's bidding.
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25-26 - Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest forests and stand by you
even unto death.
However, if you are indulgent and kind-hearted, but unable to enforce your commands and incapable of quelling
disorder, your soldiers will be like spoiled children; they are useless for any practical purpose.
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Chapter 11- The Nine Situations
18 - When asked how to deal with an enemy in order and on the point of marching to an attack, I say: "Begin by
seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will."
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Chapter 12- Attack by Fire
21-22 - A kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be
brought back to life. Hence, the good general is full of caution. This is the way to stay at peace and keep an army
in tact.
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Chapter 13 - The Use of Spies
3-8 - One who acts without foreknowledge is a wise and good general. This foreknowledge must come from other
men. Hence, the use of spies. When spies are all at work, it is the sovereign's most precious faculty.
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In business if you know you can be victorious send out a product even though you are told
not to, If you know you can't be victorious don't send out a product even though you are told
to.
In business if you aren't very forceful with your commands and disciplines your employees
will not listen and will not be very productive, if you are forceful your employees will be
productive.
In business offer your opponent's best employee something better than what their company
is giving them.
In business if the manager is cautious the employees will be more relaxed and productive.
In business a company should have an "Inside man" to know what the other companies are
doing.