"Not a single company that qualified as having made a sustained transformation ignited its leap with a big acquisition or merger. Moreover, comparison companies--those that failed to make a leap or, if they did, failed to sustain it--often tried to make themselves great with a big acquisition or merger. They failed to grasp the simple truth that while you can buy your way to growth, you cannot buy your way to greatness." --Jim Collins/Time

"Be the best. It's the only market that's not crowded." - from: Retail Superstars: Inside the 25 Best Independent Stores in America, George Whalin.