If you're thinking about what will be happening on the business scene in the future, the first step is to clear your mind of several popular misconceptions. More than ever, it will be dangerous to harbor-let alone act upon-erroneous ideas which can lead a business down the wrong road.

We've all heard that the essence of marketing is to find a need and fill it. Well, unless you have deep pockets or know exactly what the world needs, your marketing efforts will yield a better response if you follow this formula instead: Find a want and fill it.
Most of us have enough food, shelter, clothing, and transportation-we don't need much more. But we want more. We need food, but we want fast foods, diet foods, or gourmet foods. Most of us don't need a 2 1/2-bath home or expensive designer clothes, but we want them. We may need a car, but we want a Lexus or a BMW.