Let’s own up to something right off the bat: GoDaddy’s TV commercials are an offense to the sensibilities of most Americans. They got off on the wrong foot when an old co-worker of mine at Shine Advertising convinced them to take the low road in their advertising. Doing ads that break through the clutter is one thing, but doing ads that offend people is another.

Fortunately, GoDaddy has overcome the bad advice they’ve gotten from ad agencies over the years by doing an A++ job with their customer service. Their customer service team is so well-trained, they address every basic question you have about the interactive world as though it’s the first time they’ve heard it.

On that note, I was surfing around the GoDaddy website and came across their founder’s blog. Bob Parsons has 16 Rules for Business that are worth sharing.

(Hey, Bob — No doubt you’ve been hugely successful in the material world. Now that you’ve done that, how about changing your tune, cleaning up your commercials and being an inspiration for good living? Wouldn’t that be much more fulfilling than what you’re doing now?)

With all that said, here are some of Bob’s rules, which are pretty decent, no matter what you might think of GoDaddy’s commercials.

Get and stay out of your comfort zone.
I believe that not much happens of any significance when we’re in our comfort zone. I hear people say, “But I’m concerned about security.” My response to that is simple: “Security is for cadavers.”

When you’re ready to quit, you’re closer than you think.
There’s an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: “The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.”

With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be.
Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of “undefined consequences.” My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, “Well, Robert, if it doesn’t work, they can’t eat you.”

Focus on what you want to have happen.
Remember that old saying, “As you think, so shall you be.”

Always be moving forward.
Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

Be quick to decide.
Remember what General George S. Patton said: “A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow.”

Measure everything of significance.
I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.

Never expect life to be fair.
Life isn’t fair. You make your own breaks. You’ll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

Solve your own problems.
You’ll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you’ll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: “You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others.” There’s also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: “A wise man keeps his own counsel.”

Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.

There’s always a reason to smile.
Find it. After all, you’re really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: “We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time!”

Bob Parsons’ 16 Rules for Business Copyright © 2005-2007 Bob Parsons. All rights reserved.

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