Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Book Review: Start Your Own Business
If you want to start a business, but don't know where to start, then the place to start is with "Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up Book You'll Ever Need" by Rieva Lesonsky. The book is put out by Entrepreneur Press and is essentially a compilation of Entrepreneur Magazine's large knowledge database regarding starting a business.
The book literally takes you through the entire business process - from determining if you really have what it takes to run a business to how to deal with failure if your business doesn't work out, and everything in between. The best part about the book is that it covers nearly EVERYTHING in some capacity. If you need more information, it does a great job of suggesting further reading and pertinent web sites.
The book is broken down into seven sections, each with several chapters. The first section, 'You Gotta Start Somewhere' covers determining if you can be an entrepreneur, how to come up with an idea for your business, and whether you should launch your business part time or full time. Most people who buy the book will already have answers to these questions, but going through the exercises in the book can still be helpful.
The second section of the book is entitled 'Building Blocks'. It covers how to name your business, choosing a business structure, creating a business plan, and how to hire a lawyer and accountant. I think that this is the most valuable section of the book. These are the things that most entrepreneurs either struggle with or ignore. The "Naming Your Business" chapter in particular helped me a great deal. Naming your business is not nearly as easy as you think - you need to consider all registered trademark names, registered domain names, and names that are being used but not trademarked. One of the worst things that you can do is to pick a name that is already being used by someone and face a legal battle down the road.
The third section covers financing including where and how to get money to run your business. The fourth section, 'Setting the Stage' is absolutely massive and covers numerous important things such as choosing a location for your business, creating a professional image, offering customers credit, hiring your first employee, and business insurance. Needless to say, all of these things are extremely important to every business owner.
The fifth section covers buying company computers, cell phones, and cars. These things probably won't be very difficult for most business owners. The sixth section, however, covers one of the hardest thing every business owner faces - marketing. The section is nearly 100 pages about advertising, marketing, and public relations. It also briefly touches on web-marketing but those looking to seriously profit online will need to look elsewhere because the book is a little thin when it comes to e-commerce.
The final section, entitled 'By the Books' goes over every entrepreneurs favorite things - accounting and taxes. It gives solid advice regarding basic bookkeeping, financial statements, budgeting, and taxes. For most business owners this section and the web resources listed should be more than enough to get them started on keeping their business legal.
I can't overemphasize how important I think it is for every business owner to have this book. It is a mini-encyclopedia (ok, so 800 pages isn't THAT mini) for everything business related. Having this book on your shelf will save you countless hours. I read it from cover to cover when I got it and I constantly refer back to it. I have recommended it to every person I know that has talked with me about starting a business. Each and every one of them bought it, and each and every one of them came back to me raving about it.
For the amount of depth that is covered in the book, Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up Book You'll Ever Need by Rieva Lesonsky is an amazingly easy read. Anyone over the age of 16 will be able to comprehend the simple nature of the book. Reading this book won't guarantee your success as an entrepreneur, but it will help reduce the risk of starting a business by providing you with a sound foundation to build upon.
The book literally takes you through the entire business process - from determining if you really have what it takes to run a business to how to deal with failure if your business doesn't work out, and everything in between. The best part about the book is that it covers nearly EVERYTHING in some capacity. If you need more information, it does a great job of suggesting further reading and pertinent web sites.
The book is broken down into seven sections, each with several chapters. The first section, 'You Gotta Start Somewhere' covers determining if you can be an entrepreneur, how to come up with an idea for your business, and whether you should launch your business part time or full time. Most people who buy the book will already have answers to these questions, but going through the exercises in the book can still be helpful.
The second section of the book is entitled 'Building Blocks'. It covers how to name your business, choosing a business structure, creating a business plan, and how to hire a lawyer and accountant. I think that this is the most valuable section of the book. These are the things that most entrepreneurs either struggle with or ignore. The "Naming Your Business" chapter in particular helped me a great deal. Naming your business is not nearly as easy as you think - you need to consider all registered trademark names, registered domain names, and names that are being used but not trademarked. One of the worst things that you can do is to pick a name that is already being used by someone and face a legal battle down the road.
The third section covers financing including where and how to get money to run your business. The fourth section, 'Setting the Stage' is absolutely massive and covers numerous important things such as choosing a location for your business, creating a professional image, offering customers credit, hiring your first employee, and business insurance. Needless to say, all of these things are extremely important to every business owner.
The fifth section covers buying company computers, cell phones, and cars. These things probably won't be very difficult for most business owners. The sixth section, however, covers one of the hardest thing every business owner faces - marketing. The section is nearly 100 pages about advertising, marketing, and public relations. It also briefly touches on web-marketing but those looking to seriously profit online will need to look elsewhere because the book is a little thin when it comes to e-commerce.
The final section, entitled 'By the Books' goes over every entrepreneurs favorite things - accounting and taxes. It gives solid advice regarding basic bookkeeping, financial statements, budgeting, and taxes. For most business owners this section and the web resources listed should be more than enough to get them started on keeping their business legal.
I can't overemphasize how important I think it is for every business owner to have this book. It is a mini-encyclopedia (ok, so 800 pages isn't THAT mini) for everything business related. Having this book on your shelf will save you countless hours. I read it from cover to cover when I got it and I constantly refer back to it. I have recommended it to every person I know that has talked with me about starting a business. Each and every one of them bought it, and each and every one of them came back to me raving about it.
For the amount of depth that is covered in the book, Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up Book You'll Ever Need by Rieva Lesonsky is an amazingly easy read. Anyone over the age of 16 will be able to comprehend the simple nature of the book. Reading this book won't guarantee your success as an entrepreneur, but it will help reduce the risk of starting a business by providing you with a sound foundation to build upon.
Book Review: THE BARON SON (National Bestseller)
<b>THE BARON SON: VADE MECUM 7
By Vicky Therese Davis, William R. Patterson, D. Marques Patton
Long & Silverman Publishing, Inc.
ISBN - 159575375</b>
Today it seems nearly impossible to open a newspaper without finding a story of corruption, cover-ups, or ethical lapses in judgment from prominent figures in positions of authority. With corporate and political scandal rampant and executives headed to jail in record numbers, the unbridled pursuit of wealth and abusive use of power are no longer options. Now, as an instrument of change, Bestselling Co-authors Vicky Therese Davis, William R. Patterson, and D. Marques Patton step forward to present their new book, <i>The Baron Son</i>, as a revolutionary road map to ethically guide leaders and remake America's organizations.
After completing <i>The Baron Son</i>, I found it to be as promised, a challenging and insightful work with a life-changing power. For those with no interest in the subject of leadership, not to worry, the teachings of <i>The Baron Son</i> reach far beyond the genre, adeptly covering such areas as building wealth, entrepreneurship, marketing and salesmanship to name a few.
<i>The Baron Son</i> is an instructional tale that reveals the wealth-building secrets of an oil merchant who through a string of successes and failures becomes the richest man the world has ever known. Having started from nothing, this wealthy Baron uses his life as the blueprint for the ethical attainment of riches both in material and non-material form. With many unexpected twists and turns, the story alone makes for a fascinating read, but the valuable leadership, financial, and business lessons formed into 11 "Supreme Principles" propel the book into an entirely different realm. Its archaic style is reminiscent of such classic works as <i>The Richest Man in Babylon</i> by George Clayson or <i>The Greatest Salesman in the World</i> by Og Mandino. In my opinion however, the story and depth of content in <i>The Baron Son</i> easily surpass both earlier books.
The authors do an excellent job of weaving their insights on a number of pertinent and diverse topics into a colorful and inspiring story. There are countless ideas that entrepreneurs will benefit from whether they are starting a new business or growing an existing enterprise. Investors will also notice subtle points that can help them improve their returns and avoid bad investments. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, there is a clear road map for ethical leaders to help them direct their actions with vision, integrity, and passion to create the greatest value for all those they serve. Recent history has proven this to be a lost ideal.
As with all things, there will be some people who will not appreciate the book or realize that they are the ones that need it most, but for those individuals with creative vision, there will be no limit to what he or she can achieve through its teachings. It is one of those few unique works that will reveal a new understanding each time it is opened. A book of wisdom for all seasons of life, <i>The Baron Son</i> truly is, as the authors would say, one of the "Seedlings of Empires."
<b>Rating: 5 Stars</b>
By Vicky Therese Davis, William R. Patterson, D. Marques Patton
Long & Silverman Publishing, Inc.
ISBN - 159575375</b>
Today it seems nearly impossible to open a newspaper without finding a story of corruption, cover-ups, or ethical lapses in judgment from prominent figures in positions of authority. With corporate and political scandal rampant and executives headed to jail in record numbers, the unbridled pursuit of wealth and abusive use of power are no longer options. Now, as an instrument of change, Bestselling Co-authors Vicky Therese Davis, William R. Patterson, and D. Marques Patton step forward to present their new book, <i>The Baron Son</i>, as a revolutionary road map to ethically guide leaders and remake America's organizations.
After completing <i>The Baron Son</i>, I found it to be as promised, a challenging and insightful work with a life-changing power. For those with no interest in the subject of leadership, not to worry, the teachings of <i>The Baron Son</i> reach far beyond the genre, adeptly covering such areas as building wealth, entrepreneurship, marketing and salesmanship to name a few.
<i>The Baron Son</i> is an instructional tale that reveals the wealth-building secrets of an oil merchant who through a string of successes and failures becomes the richest man the world has ever known. Having started from nothing, this wealthy Baron uses his life as the blueprint for the ethical attainment of riches both in material and non-material form. With many unexpected twists and turns, the story alone makes for a fascinating read, but the valuable leadership, financial, and business lessons formed into 11 "Supreme Principles" propel the book into an entirely different realm. Its archaic style is reminiscent of such classic works as <i>The Richest Man in Babylon</i> by George Clayson or <i>The Greatest Salesman in the World</i> by Og Mandino. In my opinion however, the story and depth of content in <i>The Baron Son</i> easily surpass both earlier books.
The authors do an excellent job of weaving their insights on a number of pertinent and diverse topics into a colorful and inspiring story. There are countless ideas that entrepreneurs will benefit from whether they are starting a new business or growing an existing enterprise. Investors will also notice subtle points that can help them improve their returns and avoid bad investments. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, there is a clear road map for ethical leaders to help them direct their actions with vision, integrity, and passion to create the greatest value for all those they serve. Recent history has proven this to be a lost ideal.
As with all things, there will be some people who will not appreciate the book or realize that they are the ones that need it most, but for those individuals with creative vision, there will be no limit to what he or she can achieve through its teachings. It is one of those few unique works that will reveal a new understanding each time it is opened. A book of wisdom for all seasons of life, <i>The Baron Son</i> truly is, as the authors would say, one of the "Seedlings of Empires."
<b>Rating: 5 Stars</b>
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