Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is truly a great book for any kind of entrepreneur - tech startup or coffee shop, just starting or already in business.
The book makes a big promise with, "The Complete Handbook for Launching a Company for Less," and "$100,000 in savings," but if you stick with the program, it works!
Obviously, it's impossible to create a comprehensive book of business best practices because every business has its own variables, but chapter by chapter, this book tackles everything you need to know - in order - for starting a business and growing it successfully.
She breaks down even the most complicated topics - like financing a business with loans or with investors - in plain English and gives step-by-step advice to maximize your upside and minimize the risk of starting a business. This book definitely explores "How to Finance a Startup" in a lot more detail than any other book I've come across. She has 14 sources beyond the normal VCs, angel investors, and SBA loans - and shows how to structure sweat equity with vendors and partners, etc.
I wish everything in life came with this kind of manual. This is the kind of reality-based textbook that university entrepreneurship programs should be using.
Every chapter begins with strategy, then breaks down tactics, then specific recommendations for templates, tools, software, and websites. You can tell that the author has actually used the tools because she even makes recommendations on how to get the most out of them - and how to get a deal.
Every chapter contains do-it-yourself guides - and that's where a lot of the savings comes in. The Branding, Marketing, PR, and Advertising chapters are so much fun! Brainstorming a brand and names for your business, templates for creating your own press releases - all very helpful.
Even for small business owners who have been in business for years, this book is a great quick reference guide for growing a business - tackling sales and revenue growth.
A great read!
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For the technology startup raising venture capital, the freelancer, social entrepreneur, and coffee shop owner, Edwards has written a modern textbook for entrepreneurship, covering all aspects of starting a business, including finance, branding, advertising, PR, accounting, and business law.Part manual, part manifesto, the nearly 400-page text presents proven strategies for launching a startup on a shoestring budget. In Startup: The Complete Handbook for Launching a Company for Less, Edwards draws upon her own experiences as a venture capital investor and bootstrap entrepreneur to outline over $100,000 in savings with do-it-yourself guides and personal finance strategies.The book explains how to create a profitable business model, conserve cash, and get operational fast, giving equal attention to the risks and wealth creation opportunities business ownership provides.Startup tackles both strategy and tactics - discussing high-level business strategy concepts and illustrating back of the napkin calculations to help entrepreneurs make good decisions.Edwards offers three tests for feasibility (to minimize risk), 14 creative ways to finance a startup, and a formulaic approach to marketing (to grow revenue).In concise, plain English, Startup explains the finer points of venture funding, angel investors, grants, SBA loans, intellectual property, and corporate structure, and includes templates of business plans, press releases, and startup expenses.Chapter Outline:1 - The Pros and Cons of Entrepreneurship2 - Startup Finance is Personal Finance3 - Create a Business Model that Works4 - Feasibility5 - How to Finance a Startup6 - Create an Unforgettable Brand7 - Marketing, Advertising & Publicity8 - Managing Administrative Details9 - Make it Legal10 - Two Business Plans
