The Truth About Starting a Business

The Truth About Starting a Business

by Bruce R. Barringer
Released December 2008
Publisher(s): Pearson
ISBN: 9780137005888

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Book description

“This book should be on the seasoned entrepreneur’s list of ‘what I should have read before I started my business.’”

JOE KEELEY, President & CEO, College Nannies & Tutors Development

“This is one of the best entrepreneurship books I’ve read...I wish I had this book when I first started out.”

RYAN O’DONNELL, Cofounder and CEO, BullEx Digital Safety

Your own business: Take the leap, make it happen, and make it succeed!

·   The truth about choosing the right business for you and maintaining a healthy personal life

·   The truth about planning, funding, hiring, and successful launches

·   The truth about financial management, marketing, and growth

This book reveals 53 bite-size, easy-to-use techniques for choosing, planning, launching, and growing your winning business.

You’ll learn how to generate and test business ideas, and pick the one that’s best for you...select the right entry strategy...name and locate your business...raise capital...build your team and get expert advice...protect your business secrets and intellectual property...effectively brand your business and market its offerings...handle pricing, distribution, and sales...manage your finances to specific objectives...prepare for growth...and even maintain your work/life balance as an entrepreneur. This isn't “someone's opinion”: it's a definitive, evidence-based guide to building your own successful enterprise--a set of bedrock principles you can rely on whoever you are, wherever you are, and whatever business you choose to launch.

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Table of Contents
  5. Praise for The Truth About Starting a Business
  6. I. The Truth About What It Takes to Be a Business Owner
    1. 1. Why people start businesses
    2. 2. The right business for you
    3. 3. Questions to ask before you quit your job
    4. 4. Key characteristics of successful business owners
    5. 5. You may not need &“prior business experience&”
  7. II. The Truth About Generating and Testing Business Ideas
    1. 6. The most common sources of new business ideas
    2. 7. Want several alternatives? Techniques for generating new business ideas
    3. 8. A make-it or break-it issue: Selecting an idea that can be sold into a niche market
    4. 9. Screening and testing business ideas
    5. 10. Writing a business plan: Still as important as ever
  8. III. The Truth About Entry Strategies
    1. 11. Starting from scratch: Developing your own product or service
    2. 12. Franchising: Buying into someone else’s formula for success
    3. 13. Believe it or not: There are legitimate opportunities in direct sales
    4. 14. Buying a business
    5. 15. Internet businesses: The sky does seem to be the limit
  9. IV. The Truth About Getting Up and Running
    1. 16. Choosing a location for your business
    2. 17. Something you’ll say a million times: Your business’s name
    3. 18. The paper chase: Obtaining business licenses and permits
    4. 19. Choosing a form of business ownership
    5. 20. Creating a Web site: An absolute necessity
  10. V. The Truth About Raising Money
    1. 21. How to think about money as it relates to starting a business
    2. 22. Calculating your initial start-up costs
    3. 23. Personal funds, loans from friends and family, and bootstrapping
    4. 24. Debt financing
    5. 25. Equity funding
    6. 26. Grants: It takes the right fit
    7. 27. Persistence pays off: Finding alternative sources of start-up funds
  11. VI. The Truth About Building a New Business Team
    1. 28. How to approach the task of building a &“new business&” team
    2. 29. Starting a business as a team rather than an individual
    3. 30. Recruiting and hiring employees
    4. 31. Board of directors
    5. 32. Board of advisors
  12. VII. The Truth About Intellectual Property
    1. 33. Intellectual property: What is it, and how is it protected?
    2. 34. To patent or not to patent?
    3. 35. Trademarks: An essential form of protection
    4. 36. Copyrights laws: A surprising breadth of protection
    5. 37. Trade secrets: Guard them carefully
  13. VIII. The Truth About Marketing
    1. 38. How to approach marketing in a new business
    2. 39. Segmenting the market and selecting a target market
    3. 40. Establishing a brand
    4. 41. Selling benefits rather than features
    5. 42. Pricing: The most dicey element in the marketing mix
    6. 43. It’s okay to advertise, but think through your choices carefully
    7. 44. Public relations: More important than ever
    8. 45. Distribution and sales: More choices than ever
  14. IX. The Truth About Financial Management
    1. 46. Managing a business’s finances
    2. 47. Financial objectives of a business
    3. 48. The nitty-gritty: Forecasts, budgets, and financial statements
  15. X. The Truth About Growing a Business
    1. 49. Preparing for growth
    2. 50. Stages of growth: More opportunities, more challenges
    3. 51. Strategies for growth
  16. XI. The Truth About Starting a Business and Maintaining a Healthy Personal Life
    1. 52. Work life balance: Practical tips
    2. 53. Starting a business as a means of achieving a healthy personal life
  17. Reference
  18. About the Author

Product information

  • Title: The Truth About Starting a Business
  • Author(s): Bruce R. Barringer
  • Release date: December 2008
  • Publisher(s): Pearson
  • ISBN: 9780137005888