Business Start-Up Books

The full title of this book by Duncan Bannatyne is

“43 Mistakes Businesses Make…and How to Avoid Them: Your Expert Guide to Better Business“.

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book Four Stars. This means I think it is Good and Well Worth Reading.

Here is my book review.

Good for anyone thinking about starting a business

In my opinion, this book is very much targeted at the business start-up market as a guide of what to look out for or what to think about before you start out.

Most people who have already started a business get rapid feedback if things aren’t right – potential customers don’t buy, staff don’t do things right and the bank balance shoots downwards at an alarming rate. [continue reading…]

In my review of

Wake Up and Change Your Life by Duncan Bannatyne

posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave this book Four Stars.

This means that I think it is Good and Well Worth Reading.

Here is my book review.

Recommended for anyone thinking about starting a business

This book provides the inspiration for you to move from thinking and talking about starting your own business to actually making the commitment to literally change your life.

It’s a no nonsense guide to getting your idea developed and your business started. [continue reading…]

The full title of this book by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur is

“Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers“.

In my review on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a rating of Four Stars. This means that it is Good and Well Worth Reading.

Here is my book review.

More style than substance

This is a remarkable triumph of visual design. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a book like it before.

I have some criticisms about how easy it is to read and the fact that the content is more style over substance. For one thing, to create space for all the funky images, the words are in a small font. I was OK but I know that some people will struggle.

I really like the idea of the one page Business Model Canvas which is described as “a shared language for describing, visualising, assessing and changing business models.” It looks very useful to summarise your existing business model and for moving towards better ways to create, deliver and capture value. [continue reading…]

The full title of this book by Don Reynolds is

“Crackerjack Positioning: Niche Marketing Strategy for the Entrepreneur“.

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book Five Stars. This means I think it is Excellent and it is Very Highly Recommended.

Here is my book review.

This is inspiring, even if it doesn’t tell you how to do it

I thought this was a super book when I read the hardback version and wrote my review on my Differentiate Your Business Blog on May 3, 2011.

Since then, I saw it was going cheap as a Kindle and I bought it again although I can’t yet comment on the quality of formatting for Kindle.

This book is a very enjoyable, interesting and thought-provoking read for any small business owner who wants to build a unique position in a niche market. [continue reading…]

The full title of this book by Richard Walsh is

The Start Your Own Business Bible: 501 New Ventures You Can Launch Today

In my review on Amazon.co.uk, I rated the book at 4 Stars. This means it is good to very good.

Here is my review.

As a business coach, I sometimes get calls that start with “I want to start a business but I don’t know what kind. Can you tell me a business where I can make a lot of money?”

The short answer is No. It depends so much on you and where your skills, interests and passions lie.

But this book gives you some answers to that question. It tells you about 501 different ideas for starting a business separated into categories based on how much money is needed.

For each business idea, you get a concise summary of what’s required which will help you to narrow your focus. Then you can start to research deeper into the particular business types that interest you. Not all the businesses will be practical. You can’t suddenly become a lawyer, an accountant or architect because you normally need to get a degree and then take professional qualifications. The journey can be long before you reach the end. Other types of business, including what I do as a business coach, don’t have any of these mandatory qualifications but it’s still best to get relevant experience before you risk starting a business.

As a general rule, the harder it is to get into a particular type of business, the more money you can make. That’s a simple application of supply and demand. If demand is high and supply is short, prices are high but it will attract new people unless it’s tough to break through and become established.

If you already know what business you want to start, then this book isn’t for you. If you see it in a bookshop, it’s worth reading what it says. When you already know the business type, there are plenty of niche specific business books on Amazon so search for the “(trade or profession) + marketing” or “starting a (trade or profession) business”. Just be wary of authors who take a cookie cutter approach and have written the same book for many types of businesses by using the find and replace facility in Word. With care, you can find books written by genuine experts in the trade you’re interested in.

I don’t understand why there are so many bad reviews. What can people expect from a book that takes a short look at so many types of business.

I originated rated this book with Five Stars but because time has passed with an update, I’ve knocked one star off.

You can buy the book from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

The full title of this book by Rob Warlow is

“Loan Sharp: Get the business finance you deserve“.

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book Five Stars. This means it is Excellent and Very Highly Recommended.

Here is my book review.

The key to your banker’s mind

Loan Sharp is an excellent book from Rob Warlow packed with practical tips on how you can get the business finance you need.

What makes the book so special is that the author takes you into the world of the small business banker so you can see how and why they make the decisions they do. [continue reading…]