The Guru Guide to Entrepreneurship: A Concise Guide to the Best Ideas from the World's Top Entrepreneurs
Joseph H. Boyett, Jimmie T. Boyett
Language: English
Pages: 400
ISBN: 0471390844
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
What qualities does it take to be a successful entrepreneur?
Are some business ideas better than others, and how can I pick the one that's right for me?
How do I obtain financing to start a business? How do I write a successful business plan?
What is the secret to finding and keeping customers?
How do I find, hire, motivate, and retain great employees?
For answers to these and other critical questions on the minds of every entrepreneur and aspiring business owner today, there is no better source than those who have been there and done it. Few entrepreneurs have achieved the level of business success realized by the gurus covered here. Now you can find out what they have to say about the most practical aspects of starting and succeeding in the business of your dreams. The Guru Guide(TM) to Entrepreneurship is an indispensable source of inspiration and ideas for anyone who runs, or dreams of running, a business of their own. Some of the Gurus you'll meet:
- Paul Allen, cofounder, Microsoft Corporation
- J. Walter Anderson, cofounder, White Castle
- Mary Kay Ash, founder, Mary Kay Cosmetics
- Jeff Bezos, founder, Amazon.com
- Richard Branson, founder, the Virgin Group
- Charles Brewer, founder, Mindspring.com
- Warren Buffett, owner, Berkshire Hathaway
- Ben Cohen, cofounder, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
- Michael Dell, founder, Dell Computers
- Debbi Fields, founder, Mrs. Fields Cookies, Inc.
- Bill Gates, cofounder, Microsoft Corporation
- Earl Graves, founder, Black Enterprise
- Steve Jobs, cofounder, Apple Computer, Inc.
- Herb Kelleher, founder, Southwest Airlines
- Phil Knight, cofounder, Nike Corporation
- Ray Kroc, founder, McDonald's Corporation
- Edwin Land, founder, Polaroid Corporation
- Charles Lazarus, founder, Toys "R" Us
- Bill Lear, founder, Lear Jet Corporation
- Tom Monaghan, founder, Domino's Pizza
- Akio Morita, cofounder, Sony Corporation
- Fred Smith, founder, Federal Express
- Thomas Stemberg, cofounder, Staples, Inc.
- Dave Thomas, founder, Wendy's International, Inc.
- Jay Van Andel, cofounder, Amway Corporation
- Sam Walton, founder, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
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niche? ❏ 5. Can the success of you idea be improved by linking it to another business venture? ❏ 6. Is there a way to minimize your downside risk through creative financing and/or a joint venture? ❏ 7. Are you being realistic? Are you prepared to admit that the idea isn’t workable if the facts tend to bear that out? Suggestion #1: Make Sure Your Idea Meets a Need There has to be a need. Mary Kay Ash makes this point beautifully: Only a small percentage of new businesses do succeed. I think
In May [1997], Jeff Bezos, the American, took his bookstore, Amazon.com, public at a valuation of nearly $500 m[illion]. Mr. Bezos himself is now worth nearly $500 m[illion].Two months earlier, Darryl Mattocks, the Briton, had listed his bookstore, the Internet Bookshop, on Britain’s Ofex, a small pseudo-market that matches traders’ orders. It is now worth about $10 m[illion], and his stake is worth about $3 m[illion]. . . . Whilst $3 m[illion] is hardly something to be sneezed at—and the amiable
Boyett_*i-xvi_001-171 9/18/00 15:30 Page 72 72 THE GURU GUIDE EXHIBIT 2.7. Business-Plan Resources Books ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Anatomy of a Business Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Smart, Building the Business, and Securing Your Company’s Future, 4th edition, by Linda Pinson and Jerry Jinnett (Chicago: Dearborn Trade, 1999). Award-winning best-seller. The Business Planning Guide: Creating a Plan for Success in Your Own Business, 8th edition, by David H. Bangs (Chicago: Upstart
THE GURU GUIDE start-up fees and still retain enough money in reserve to last at least three years without profits? If not, advises Graves, you need to do some more analysis. Think it though. Plan. Get expert advice. In addition to a well-thought-out business plan, Graves advises you to get the counsel of smart legal and accounting professionals who can help you fine tune your b.s. detector. In particular, says Graves, never sign an agreement without first having your attorney review it
determine your monthly vari- Boyett_*i-xvi_001-171 9/18/00 15:30 Page 85 85 M O N E Y M AT T E R S EXHIBIT 3.1. ITEM Initial Cash Outlay AMOUNT ITEM AMOUNT Deposits: ________ Office supplies ________ Rent ________ Transportation equipment ________ Telephone ________ Professional fees: Utilities ________ Legal ________ Insurance ________ Financial ________ Other ________ Other ________ ________ Machinery and equipment ________ Advance advertising and publicity