You've thought about starting your own business . . . but how can you decide if you should really take the leap? There's a lot on the line, and you have to ask yourself difficult questions: Do I have what it takes? Is it worth it? And how the hell do I do it? You need answers, not bullshit. This book has them. Entrepreneurial Leap: Do You Have What it Takes to Become an Entrepreneur? is an easy-to-use guide that will help you decide, once and for all, if entrepreneurship is right for you—because success as an entrepreneur depends on far more than just a great idea and a generous helping of luck. In this three-part book, Gino Wickman, bestselling author of Traction, reveals the six essential traits that every entrepreneur needs in order to succeed, based on real-world startups that have reached incredible heights. If these traits ring true for you, you'll get a glimpse of what your life would look like as an entrepreneur. What's more, Wickman will help you determine what type of business best suits your unique skill set and provide a detailed roadmap, with tools, tips, and exercises, that will accelerate your path to startup success. Packed with real-life stories and practical advice, Entrepreneurial Leap is a simple how-to manual for BIG results. Should you take the leap toward entrepreneurship? Find out today and let tomorrow be the first step in your new journey, whatever shape it may take.
In Singapore, SMEs are a vital part of the economy, yet little is known of the many leaders whose vision, acumen and hard work have such a far reaching impact.In Leading Entrepreneurs and How They Succeed, several entrepreneurs, well recognised in their respective industries, provide a unique perspective on their business journeys — the trials, tribulations and best practices that have contributed to their climb to the top. With several awards to their names, these successful business owners, proud members of the Enterprise 50 (E50) Association, share valuable insights and personal experiences about what success means to them.
Entrepreneurship is essential for international social and economic well-being, as new ventures are the dominant source of job creation, market innovation, and economic growth in many societies. In this book, a noted group of researchers use findings, methods, and theories of modern psychology as the basis for gaining important, new insights into entrepreneurship-and into the hearts and minds of the talented, passionate professionals who create new business ventures. The Psychology of Entrepreneurship, a volume in the SIOP Organizational Frontiers Series, is the first book written about the psychology of entrepreneurship, and includes over 60 research questions to guide industrial organizational psychology, organizational behavior, and entrepreneurship research about entrepreneurs. It seeks to answer questions such as, how and why do some people, but not others, recognize opportunities, decide to start new ventures, and organize successful, rapidly growing new ventures? Some topics addressed include: methods to help researchers explore the domain of entrepreneurship research; the entire process of starting a new business; characteristics of the individual entrepreneur; the history of entrepreneurship education; the cross-cultural effects of entrepreneurship; and the viewpoints of seasoned psychologists who analyze current entrepreneurship research methods. This book will appeal to teachers, students, and researchers in the areas of industrial organizational psychology, organizational behavior, entrepreneurship, and management.
This book is perfect for anyone who's ever dreamed of starting their own business, or for small-business owners who want to grow the business they already have. Inside, entrepreneurial wiz Marty Grunder offers readers a step-by-step approach to formulating good business ideas, then executing them successfully. Grunder derived these nine simple strategies from the traits shared by all successful business people. He devotes one lengthy chapter to each step, along with illustrative anecdotes and Reality Check sidebars, which offer warnings and issues for further thought. To ensure readers clearly understand what steps to take and why, Grunder also provides examples from both his own business and those of other management experts. Marty Grunder is the founder and president of Grunder Landscaping Co., which generates $3 million a year in sales and continues to grow. He started the business as a 15-year-old with a $25 used lawnmower. Marty is a two-time Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the state of Ohio and in 2001 won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for Dayton/Miami Valley. He also holds seminars on entrepreneurship and business management through the Winner's Circle, a small-business consulting firm he founded in 1995 (at age 27). He publishes Winning Strategies for Business and Life, a motivational newsletter on marketing and management. He lives in Dayton, Ohio.
What does it really take to become a successful entrepreneur? Just ask those who have succeeded. 'The Entrepreneurs: Success and Sacrifice' is author Kip Marlow's inspiring new book that gathers the success stories of small business owners who have transformed small businesses into highly lucrative enterprises through vision, persistence, and plenty of sweat. Culled from Marlow's interviews on his popular radio show, "Entrepreneurs Club Radio," this highly motivational collection is an invaluable learning tool for anyone who wants to get ahead in their own business. There's Scott Marincik, the founder of Solv-All cleaning products and services, who went from maxed-out credit cards to revenues in excess of one hundred million dollars. Or John Allin, founder of Snow Management Group and Snow Dragon Snowmelters, who turned the accumulation of snow into a sizable slush fund. Equally impressive is Cathy Horton, founder of Nutek & Renegade Brands, who developed green products that outpaced the leading brands. You'll also find stirring accounts such as the rags-to-riches tale of Diana Richards, founder of Vacuum Systems International, who went from near homelessness to cleaning up by way of an invaluable service for vacuum maintenance. In The Entrepreneurs, each featured businessperson tells his or her own story about starting and growing their businesses, while sharing the lessons they learned, the strategies they employed, and the secrets of their success. The book also expands upon the art of being flexible and changing when the market changes. In aggregate, these candid profiles paint a vivid picture of the characteristics and habits of the visionary risk-takers who shrug off nay-sayers and embrace the unsure waters of forging new businesses. Now more than ever, start-up companies are the key to a robust American economy. By taking cues from individuals who have overcome lean times, lack of support, and uncharted territory, others who aspire to launch or expand a small business will have the information and inspiration they need to hit the ground running and stay the course until they have turned potential into profit. With clarity, focus, and determination, anyone with a concept and some conviction can join the ranks of the entrepreneurs. Take it from the shining examples celebrated in this indispensable business book: There's plenty of room at the top! "A retired entrepreneur and business radio show host offers thumbnail profiles of entrepreneurs in an engaging format that makes for light, quick reading. Here the business-owner wannabe will read about 22 self-made men and women who overcame all sorts of odds to build their own successful companies. For instance, Scott Marincek developed an environmentally safe cleaning liquid in his mother's kitchen, turning it into a $100 million business. Arline Kneen got interested in business in her early 40s and today, at 96, she continues to work as an independent travel consultant. Each of these stories is a little nugget of encouragement for those with a burning desire to strike out on their own. The tales are cautionary as well: Many of the individuals speak candidly about facing widespread skepticism and starting seriously underfunded businesses. The commonality, however, is the entrepreneurs' passion to pursue their dreams and do whatever it takes to succeed. Readers looking for a do-it-yourself game plan will not find it here; rather, they'll get a taste of the trials and tribulations of successful people who forged their paths in diverse industries. -Kirkus Indie Review
Every year thousands of hopeful entrepreneurs decide to take the plunge. Many fail, but many go on to achieve great success and huge profits. In How I Made It 40 successful entrepreneurs explain how they managed to defy the odds and turn their dreams into reality. Find out how they decided what to do, how they got started and how they found the money they needed. But they also reveal how they had doubts, made stupid mistakes, and encountered overwhelming frustrations along the way. This second edition updates their stories to reveal what happened next and how, in most cases, they finally sold their businesses and made millions. Gutsy, inspiring, and life affirming - if you have ever dreamt of starting up your own business How I Made It is for you.
Bringing hard data to the way we think about entrepreneurial success, this bold call to action draws on the latest scientific evidence to dispel the most pervasive startup myths and light a path to entrepreneurship for those eclipsed by the hype. When you think of a successful entrepreneur, who comes to mind? Bill Gates? Mark Zuckerberg? Or maybe even Jesse Eisenberg, the man who played Zuckerberg in The Social Network? It may surprise you that most successful founders look very different from Zuckerberg or Gates. In fact, most startup origin stories are very different from the famous "unicorns" that have achieved valuations of over $1 billion, from Facebook to Google to Uber. In The Unicorn's Shadow: Combating the Dangerous Myths that Hold Back Startups, Founders, and Investors, Wharton School professor Ethan Mollick takes us to the forefront of an empirical revolution in entrepreneurship. New data and better research methods have overturned the conventional wisdom behind what a successful founder looks like, how they succeed, and how the startup ecosystem works. Among the issues he examines: Which founders are most likely to succeed?Where do the best startup ideas come from?What's the most foolproof way of securing the funding needed to take a company to the next level?Should your sales pitch really be something out of Hollywood?What's the best way to grow and scale your company and create a thriving culture that won't hinder expansion? Mollick argues that entrepreneurship is too important, both for society and for the individuals who start companies, to be eclipsed by the shadows of unicorns. He shows we can democratize entrepreneurship—but only by following an evidence-based approach that puts to rest the false narratives that surround it.
Start a successful business mid-life When you think of someone launching a start-up, the image of a twenty-something techie probably springs to mind. However, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers are just as likely to start businesses and reinvent themselves later in life. Never Too Old to Get Rich is an exciting roadmap for anyone age 50+ looking to be their own boss and launch their dream business. This book provides up-to-date resources and guidance for launching a business when you're 50+. There are snappy profiles of more than a dozen successful older entrepreneurs, describing their inspirational journeys launching businesses and nonprofits, followed by Q&A conversations, and pull-out boxes containing action steps. The author walks you through her three-part fitness program: guidelines for becoming financially fit, physically fit, and spiritually fit, before delving more deeply into how would-be entrepreneurs over 50 can succeed. • Describes how you can find capital to start your own business • Offers encouraging stories of real people who have become their own bosses and succeeded as entrepreneurs • Written by PBS Next Avenue’s entrepreneur expert, Kerry Hannon • Teaches you how to start your own business Never Too Old to Get Rich is the ideal book for older readers looking to pursue new business ventures later in life.