The Beginner's Guide to Low-Risk Entrepreneurship You want to start your own business, but "risk" isn't your middle name. You're not alone. Many successful entrepreneurs are averse to risk--but they have learned the tricks to working around it. And now you can too, with School for Startups. This practical guide shows you how to build a business the smart way--without risking major assets such as your house, savings account, or health insurance. You'll learn how to increase your chance of success by: Funding your venture without investors Entering international markets Taking full advantage of tools on the Web Marketing your product or service for little or no cost Deploying a third party to package and ship products Taking control of an existing business or franchise The authors present hundreds of the best ideas for new businesses, along with case studies proving the effectiveness of their approach. Also included with the book is a code you can use to register for The Entrepreneur School (www.theentrepreneurschool.com), where you can access exclusive webinars and supplementary material.
The Beginner's Guide to Low-Risk Entrepreneurship You want to start your own business, but "risk" isn't your middle name. You're not alone. Many successful entrepreneurs are averse to risk--but they have learned the tricks to working around it. And now you can too, with School for Startups. This practical guide shows you how to build a business the smart way--without risking major assets such as your house, savings account, or health insurance. You'll learn how to increase your chance of success by: Funding your venture without investors Entering international markets Taking full advantage of tools on the Web Marketing your product or service for little or no cost Deploying a third party to package and ship products Taking control of an existing business or franchise The authors present hundreds of the best ideas for new businesses, along with case studies proving the effectiveness of their approach. Also included with the book is a code you can use to register for The Entrepreneur School (www.theentrepreneurschool.com), where you can access exclusive webinars and supplementary material.
Thanks to Shazam’s services and products, we no longer have to spend hours wondering about the title of a song we heard in passing or wait to hear it again to find out who sings it. With Shazam, consumers can instantly find song, movie, or product information at the touch of a button, without even requiring a search engine. The foresight of the company’s four founders—which even anticipated smartphones—made possible one of the early smartphone apps now used by over 400 million people. Their stories and the development of this remarkable business are chronicled in this volume.
This insightful work combines Jeff Bezos's life story, beginning in 1964 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with the creation of Amazon, in 1995, and its rise as the largest online retailer in the world. Bezos's zeal and tirelessness has seen Amazon through the inevitable ups and downs that come with building a start-uptaking it from a garage and turning it into a worldwide powerhouse. Although Bezos has wide-ranging interests and investments today, Amazon remains the cornerstone of his work life, and he is determined to keep his company at the forefront of technological and commercial innovation. The narrative includes captivating sidebars on Bezos's life and innovations, and fact sheets on his life and the company. A timeline helps readers glean pertinent facts about Bezos and Amazon quickly.
(Berklee Guide). Take charge of your music career with crucial do-it-yourself strategies. If you are an independent musician, producer, studio owner, or label, you should own this book! Written by Peter Spellman, Director of the Career Development Center at Berklee College of Music, this guide will teach you everything you need to know to become a success in the music business. Filled with empowering tips and resources for self-managed musicians, you will learn to: create a goals-driven plan to help you fulfill your musical passions; multiply the power of every gig you play using 15 proven methods; turbo-charge your social media strategy; get radio airplay online and offline; protect your creative works; keep your career organized and growing, using the best low-cost practices; and more!
A proven approach to achieving entrepreneurial success in new corporate ventures and startups Every day, business and corporate startups take action based on assumptions. Yet these assumptions are based largely on guesswork that leads to everything from costly mistakes to the failure of ventures. Fortunately, there are ways to overcome these issues and excel in your business endeavors—and this book will show you how. Engaging and informative, Pivot provides entrepreneurs with practical guidance for achieving success in corporate ventures as well as new startups. Based on more than fifteen years of academic research and many more years of experience in business and corporate startups, this book skillfully addresses topics ranging from resources and organizational uncertainties to the scope and scale of new business opportunities. Reveals how to successfully conceptualize new business opportunities, pivot as required to experiment with these opportunities, and accelerate to the marketplace Captures the capabilities needed to quickly build a business by understanding and systematically reducing uncertainties from market landscape and technology to talent and organizational positioning The digital component of this book includes a world-class strategic innovation methodology that is in demand from corporations worldwide Written with today's serious entrepreneur in mind, Pivot will provide you with the tools you'll need to get ahead of the competition and achieve consistent success.
A call to arms for everyone who believes in America's future If you trust what you hear in the news, America is in trouble. We've moved our manufacturing overseas. We've lost our competitive edge to China, Germany, Japan, and Brazil. We've entered our final days as an economic leader. Don't believe it! This provocative book from a former deputy assistant secretary of commerce will explode the myths you’ve been fed by the media and reinforce your faith in American ingenuity. Author Ro Khanna takes you inside Washington's economic think tanks and onto the front lines of the most innovative companies in the nation. You'll discover: How small and large businesses are spurring innovation and growth Why the accepted wisdom about American manufacturing is wrong How America can stay ahead of lower-cost factories in China and Brazil Why manufacturing is so important to our national security and future How to keep the best jobs, companies, and opportunities here in America Despite everything you've heard about the economy, one fact remains: America continues to be a world leader in manufacturing. Some of the world's best products are still being made here. The world's greatest innovations are still being developed by Apple, Google, and countless others. This book will prove to you that smart companies are staying ahead of the curve--and you can, too. You'll learn how a fourth-generation business, the Globe Manufacturing Company, customized its firefighting suits to beat foreign competitors. You'll discover how Vitamix worked with clients like Starbucks to produce a superior coffee blender. And you'll hear behind-the-scenes stories from the American steel industry, aerospace companies, the defense technology sector, and other world-class leaders. You'll also learn why companies like Solyndra fail--and what lessons we can take from them. This is more than a book. It is a wake-up call that will spark debate, shatter beliefs, and inspire action in every American who wants to succeed in the future. This is Entrepreneurial Nation.
Finally, a new kind of business startup book—packed full of practical advice plus essential legal information you really need but don’t get in business school or anywhere else! The 7 Secret Keys to Startup Success is the one book every entrepreneur should have. David J. Muchow, an award-winning, thirty-year serial entrepreneur and lawyer, gives you practical legal and business advice covering every aspect of entrepreneurship—and it’s fun to read! It includes all the basics of building and growing a business—management, fundraising, marketing, intellectual property, and risk management—plus much more, like how to avoid the hidden mistakes that cause “Startup Suicide” and kill 80 percent of startups in the first year. There are also model legal forms and charts along with fun-to-read stories and examples. Muchow, who teaches law, business, and entrepreneurship at Georgetown University, has advised hundreds of businesses on how to succeed. The book reveals key mistakes that can kill businesses. For example, blogging about your new products can prevent getting a patent. And giving away too much equity and picking the wrong partners can be fatal. At the macro level, the book describes why the US should create a National Ecosystem to Support Startups (NESS) to increase our competitiveness, which could take startups from a concept to commercialization in just ninety days and speed up the patent process. This unique guide, which focuses on both the business and legal aspects of startups, is a must-have for every aspiring entrepreneur, small business owner, startup incubator, student, and for business and law schools. In The7 Secret Keys to Startup Success, you will learn: How to cut legal expenses and manage lawyers How to fire employees and partners without getting sued Patent, trademark and copyright strategies and tricks How to raise money without SEC problems How to avoid the financial “Valley of Death” What “to do” but also “what not to do" to avoid “startup suicide.” Business books can be fun! Enjoy the many business stories, such as how Ivanka Trump was sued for trademark infringement over her Hettie Sandal design and Oprah Winfrey’s battle to protect her intellectual property for O Magazine. At the end of each chapter are examples, inspired by Muchow’s years as a foreign agent and federal prosecutor, which demonstrate the principles in that chapter. They’re told by Professor Scooter Magee, the Startup Expert, as he helps startups prevent Startup Suicide and achieve success while fighting the CIA and others. Think Professor Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Bar Rescue or Silicon Valley! Enjoy Scooter’s adventures while learning the critical real-life startup legal and business lessons that can help you be successful. In short, The 7 Secret Keys to Startup Success is a new kind of startup book—it’s like having both an expert attorney and a consultant by your side every step of the way on your startup’s journey to success—while enjoying the ride!
Freelancing Is Difficult. Are You Ready For This Rewarding Challenge? After the shutdown of his marketing firm, Jason Montoya unexpectedly had numerous business owners and non-profit leaders requesting his help to solve their organization's communication problems. Facing numerous challenges as a new freelancer, he quickly integrated his business insights to move through the many familiar obstacles he faced. He then began sharing with other freelancers a framework of eight vital achievements, see below, that took him to a state of personal and vocational flourishing. Behind these covers, he dives into these mile markers, unveils a blueprint and shares personal stories to help guide and equip other freelancers in their difficult but rewarding journey.
'Creating something from nothing is a daring act. Tom's wisdom and encouragement will give any reader the confidence to take the leap.' Eric Ries, bestselling author of The Lean Startup ________________ 90% of start-ups fail. But why? And is there a way to avoid the common pitfalls when you start your own business? Over the past 23 years at Harvard Business School Tom Eisenmann has helped launch thousands of startups. An astonishing 13 of these have reached unicorn status. For a decade he has explored the question of why startups fail and in The Fail-Safe Startup explains how you can succeed against the odds. Eisenmann's fascinating, often counter-intuitive, advice will help you avoid common mistakes including: * Launching too early * Aiming too high, too soon * And letting early success lead to misplaced confidence Drawing on case studies from startups of all shapes and sizes from around the world The Fail-Safe Startup will show you how to analyse the failure of others to ensure your success. ________________ 'A must read for any entrepreneur, investor, or startup team member.' Michelle Zatlyn, CEO, Cloudfare 'Eisenmann has truly helped illuminate a path to success by shining a spotlight on common startup failure patterns. His insights are invaluable, whether you're just getting started, or you're eyeing your endgame.' Jenn Hyman, CEO, Rent the Runway
