BOOK KNOWLEDGE: Dr. Ken Blanchard and Don Hutson, co-authors of "The One Minute Entrepreneur," are scheduled to speak today at a fundraiser for the Salvation Army.

Today, people will be able to glean some advice from two well-known authors and support the work of the local Salvation Army during a fundraising event.

From 9 a.m. to noon, Don Hutson and Dr. Ken Blanchard, co-authors of the soon-to-be released book, "The One Minute Entrepreneur," are scheduled to speak at the Holiday Inn-University of Memphis, 3700 Central Ave.

Tickets range from $69 to $99 depending on how many are being purchased.

People who attend the seminar will receive a copy of the book.

Hutson, who is based in Memphis, CEO of U.S. Learning Inc., and author of eight other business-themed books, said both he and Blanchard are speaking at the seminar for free.

"It's a rare opportunity to hear Ken Blanchard," Hutson said. "He was in Beijing last week and he's all over the world, so we're lucky to have him in Memphis for this."

Blanchard also was the guest speaker for the Salvation Army's annual dinner Monday night.

Hutson said they expect about 600 people to attend the seminar.

Both Hutson and Blanchard are expected to cover some material from their book that will be available online and in all major bookstores next Tuesday.

"It's going to be a program for anybody interested in business development or success principles for business," Hutson said. "We're going to talk about entrepreneurship from the standpoint of learning the principles of a successful business. So it's partially from the book and partially from just some of our best material for business success."

The book, "The One Minute Entrepreneur," is similar to one of the books Blanchard is most known for, "The One Minute Manager," a book he co-authored with Spencer Johnson.

"It's similar in that it's a fairly short read and it's got a one-minute theme," Hutson said. "Also, at the end of each chapter, we've got one-minute insights. And it's similar from that vantage point."

Those one-minute insights include advice such as, "Associate with people you admire and can learn from," "Be open-minded and receptive to counsel from others," and "Today people want a partnership, not a superior-subordinate relationship."

The book is dedicated to entrepreneurs who have "braved countless obstacles and hung in through good times and bad to create successful companies."

Between the two of them, Blanchard and Hutson have written or contributed to nearly 50 books - some of which have been featured on The New York Times Bestsellers list.

Hutson said when he first came up with the idea for "The One Minute Entrepreneur," he instantly thought of Blanchard, his longtime friend, as the perfect partner for the project.