Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)One word describes this book - a "masterpiece." It's a book for wanta-be entrepreneurs and small business owners. It starts off in a conversational tone, and speaks by using wonderful hypothetical small businesses to make points. In a way, the author used the case approach to teaching I experienced in law school to emphasize how to best start a business and how not to start one. Very logically written and well outlined. It's no surprise the author graduated with high honors from one of North Carolina's finest universities. The book has the following 10 chapters:
1. What's your value?
2. Pick your niche
3. What do customers really want?
4. Attracting and retaining the best employees
5. Do you know your cash flow?
6. Sales and marketing go hand in hand
7. The importance of systematic processes
8. Strategically aligning yourself
9. Have a plan and measure results
10. The Chic message
Each chapter covers a topic that is, or should be, important to someone in the process of starting a new company or trying to build a successful small company that is not yet flourishing. Certain things make a successful company. Is it providing something that people want and are willing to pay for? Read chapters 1 and 3 to learn more. Is the company focused enough so the owner can put the necessary efforts into growing the company correctly? Read chapter 2 to learn more. Are operations systematized so the company is not being run by putting out fires? Read chapter 7. What about bringing in the revenues? Then read chaper 6. And what about being able to pay your creditors? Read chapter 5.
I loved Chapter 9. As a SCORE volunteer counselor I find I have to preach business plans all the time. It's not because I love them, but because every business needs one. The creation of a business plan forces the startup specialist to know the business before it gets started. It enables the founder to know how much startup capital is needed so the business will not run out of money and go into bankruptcy and cease to exist. It can help a small business owner qualify for funding, whether from a family member, a bank, or an investor. And a business plan provides the founder with a benchmark from which to compare actual results as the company grows. If things are not working to plan the founder can either change how things are being done or change the plan. But without having a plan in the first place there is no way to gauge how things are progressing. This book points this out.
I would have liked the book better if Chapter 9 had been closer to the front of the book. However, I think the way the book was written the topic of planning logically fell into place as Chapter 9. And Chapter 10 did a great job of pulling together all the points made in the book. 5 stars!
Click Here to see more reviews about:
The Chic Entrepreneur: Put Your Business in Higher HeelsLearn how to take your business from flats to stilettos in this intelligently written, highly practical, and entertaining read. The Chic Entrepreneur teaches women business owners how to get out of the trenches and take their business to new heights by mastering the 9 dimensions of a flourishing business. Elizabeth Gordon, President of Flourishing BusinessR, a consulting firm that helps stagnant businesses jump start their growth, shows how to build a business right. Gordon explains how to build an asset of inherent value instead of just a bigger job and points out common mistakes to avoid along the way. Packed with Chic Tips that businesses can inexpensively implement for an immediate return, this book is ideal for jumpstarting a stalled business, and putting it into overdrive. This simple yet timeless formula for achieving chic success in the business world is cleverly interwoven with critical analysis of real businesses and delightful tales that show what and what not to do.
Get 20% OFF
Click here for more information about The Chic Entrepreneur: Put Your Business in Higher Heels
