Free: The Future of a Radical Price Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I read the original WIRED magazine article written by Mr. Anderson that this book is based on back in February 2008; I've been anxiously awaiting this book... and I've just finished it.
First off, I've implemented a few "freebies" in the past year that I give away in my line of work; the question was whether it would pay off. It did. I offered something of value (to me, and I believe to my customer) and waited to see if interest in the free item would increase sales of a companion item. Sales were there.
So many people are attacking the book for various reasons, but for me the key question for rating this book was "Is the author's information accurate and can it hold up to real-world results?" The answer is Yes.
A lot of things in the book aren't relevant to me, but I've taken what I can from it (in addition to the original article) and made some changes in how I do business. (I'm a small business owner, not a corporate giant.)
You can agree or disagree with the book's overall theme, but my findings are that the book has a solid grasp on how any business that has any Internet-related sales or support must adapt. The author's argument about how costs are moving to zero for the "bits" world is dead-on.
I find it humorous that so many negative reviews of the book are simply about the price of the book (or the lack of price for some of the free versions). The book is about the concept of Free. Some people are seeing "Free" on the cover and whining that it has a price???
The book isn't light reading - it's got some complicated concepts that the reader must grasp, especially business owners. For that reason, I could never listen to an audio version - I've highlighted my text at various points that I want to come back to and consider how I might use the info with my work.
I give the book 5 stars - I enjoyed it, it gave me much to think about, and I didn't feel (when done) that I'd been ripped off... the value of the information contained in the book is worth much more to me than the $20 I paid.


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Small Business Survival Guide Review

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(More customer reviews)I was very impressed with "The Small Business Survival Guide" by Jason Reid. The book is a fantastic reference for the small business owner or manager, and contains a wealth of information on a large variety of business topics. Included in this information is an abundant amount of other resources available, and I found it very convenient to have all of this contained in one volume. I really think this book will benefit anyone running a small business.
First of all, the book is practical and pragmatic. It's not a bunch of theory, but rather straight forward advice on the things a small business owner faces on a regular basis. There are tips, strategies, suggestions, and lists that guide you through a plethora of topics.
Chapter topics include: branding; marketing; when things go very bad; leads; sales, sales, sales; sales management; employees, hire slow, fire fast; it's your turn, use it wisely; customers; technology; business intelligence; back to school; expense management, running a lean business; estimating and pricing; big opportunities; management; meetings, communication is key; dream management or whole life management; goals; protect yourself, your company, and your employees; and business planning.
This book really is a hands-on tool for running a successful small business. Reid doesn't pull punches and lays it out the way he's experienced it. For instance, in the chapter titled "Big Opportunities," he discusses making deals with big box retailers. Rather than provide some motivating rah rah talk, such as, "work at getting your product onto the shelves of a big box retailer, and watch your profits soar," he tells it like it is. He provides some straight forward advice that shines a light on the many small businesses that have been chewed up and spit out by these big corporations.
In some chapters, Reid has specific advice for specific businesses. If yours falls into one of these categories, so much the better. If not, you can still learn from the advice and look to ways it will apply to your own situation. Throughout the book there are side boxes with questions to assist you in figuring out how to apply the information to your business. Of course, to get the most value from these, you'll have to take the time to think about the questions and come up with the best answers and solutions to them.
Because Reid covers so many topics in this book, he can't go into great depth on them, but I was pleasantly surprises at how much depth he did provide. This book has more practical ready to use business advice than I've seen in one volume in quite a while. I guarantee if you are a small business owner, this book can help you run your business better and more efficiently. This survival guide will show you the way toward success.
Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer.

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The SMALL BUSINESS SURVIVAL GUIDE is a pragmatic book geared toward entrepreneurs who want to grow their small business fast. The book is not about creating a mission or strategic planning -- it's a hands-on tool that teaches small business owners what they need to know about marketing, sales, hiring and managing employees, cost control, and other basic business principles in order to make sure their business is successful and profitable. The tips and tricks included here are ripped from the author's real-life experiences building his business from nothing to one of the largest residential repaint contracting companies in the country doing $40 million in business per year. Whether your business has one employee or one thousand, if you follow all the steps outlined in The SMALL BUSINESS SURVIVAL GUIDE, you can have a successful business that will be the envy of all your competitors!

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