Self-Made Boss: Advice, Hacks, and Lessons from Small Business Owners


Book Description

Part starter-kit, part encyclopedia, and part inspiration, Self-Made Boss is an essential survival guide for small businesses When it comes to getting practical advice, small business owners too often don’t know where to look. Sure, you can find all sorts of high-level strategic tips from Fortune 500 CEOs. But what if you own a restaurant, and you’re trying to figure out how to source good fish, or if you’re looking to increase revenue from your plumbing supply store? You’ll be running a lot of Google searches before you hear from someone who’s actually stood in your shoes. Longtime Square executives Jackie Reses and Lauren Weinberg want to change this. So they reached out across the country, talking to dozens of entrepreneurs with valuable businesses—and invaluable advice. This book is the product of that research. Part starter-kit, part encyclopedia, part inspiration, Self-Made Boss is filled with information not just about who these small business owners are, but how they built their companies, step by step. How did they get their start? When did they decide to hire more staff? How did they set a course for growth? And when problems arose, how did they fight through them? You’ll hear from a second-generation ice cream shop owner on how to manage price increases; an oyster farmer finding new ways to stay afloat in the middle of a global pandemic; a roofer who refused to be denied or defined by her race and gender—and dozens of other small business owners making a big difference in their communities. No matter the size of your business today—or where you’re thinking about taking the jump tomorrow—you’ll find answers you can apply right away. Because there’s a common purpose that all small business owners share: the drive to build something from the ground up; the relentless pursuit of turning obstacles into opportunities and roadblocks into stepping stones. It’s tough and messy, hard-fought and hard-won. And above all, it’s something you can’t have when you work anywhere else—or for anyone else. That’s what it means to be a Self-Made Boss.




Rework


Book Description

Rework shows you a better, faster, easier way to succeed in business. Most business books give you the same old advice: Write a business plan, study the competition, seek investors, yadda yadda. If you're looking for a book like that, put this one back on the shelf. Read it and you'll know why plans are actually harmful, why you don't need outside investors, and why you're better off ignoring the competition. The truth is, you need less than you think. You don't need to be a workaholic. You don't need to staff up. You don't need to waste time on paperwork or meetings. You don't even need an office. Those are all just excuses. What you really need to do is stop talking and start working. This book shows you the way. You'll learn how to be more productive, how to get exposure without breaking the bank, and tons more counterintuitive ideas that will inspire and provoke you. With its straightforward language and easy-is-better approach, Rework is the perfect playbook for anyone who’s ever dreamed of doing it on their own. Hardcore entrepreneurs, small-business owners, people stuck in day jobs they hate, victims of "downsizing," and artists who don’t want to starve anymore will all find valuable guidance in these pages.




The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business, Revised


Book Description

The self-employment revolution is here. Learn the latest pioneering tactics from real people who are bringing in $1 million a year on their own terms. Join the record number of people who have ended their dependence on traditional employment and embraced entrepreneurship as the ultimate way to control their futures. Determine when, where, and how much you work, and by what values. With up-to-date advice and more real-life success stories, this revised edition of The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business shows the latest strategies you can apply from everyday people who--on their own--are bringing in $1 million a year to live exactly how they want.




Will it Fly?


Book Description

The author shares a series of tests along with insights from entrepreneurs on how to investigate the viability of a new business idea before trying to launch the business.




Business Without the Bullsh*t


Book Description

In this "must-read," readers will learn surprising yet tried-and-true secrets about being an extraordinary boss, about coping with annoying coworkers, and navigating the thorny problems that recur in every workplace (Gerhard Gschwandtner, publisher of Selling Power magazine). Contrary to popular belief, the business world is not that complicated. While every industry and every profession requires specific expertise, the truth is that the "business of business" is relatively simple. For the past seven years, Geoffrey James has written a daily blog that's become one of the most popular business-focused destinations on the web. Tips from Business Without the Bullsh*t: Long work hours mean less work gets done. Multiple studies reveal that working 60 rather than 40 hours a week makes you slightly more productive but only for a little while. After about three weeks, people get burned out, get sick and go absent, and start making avoidable errors. What every boss wants from you. From your boss's perspective your real job is to make the boss successful. There are no exceptions to this rule. Why your resume is your enemy. Only write a resume after you're talking to people inside the hiring firm. Then, customize it to match what you've discovered that they really what.




Ultimate Guide to Local Business Marketing


Book Description

MASTER LOCAL SEO AND REACH THE RIGHT CUSTOMERS EVERY TIME With Google local services ads returning local businesses as results on more than a billion daily searches, Google Adwords expert Perry Marshall and lead generation expert Talor Zamir introduce you to the basic framework behind a successful local SEO campaign. From defining local search--often confused with paid search and search engine marketing--to local listing and reviews to social outreach and effective content development, this guide delivers the tools to build an entire local marketing campaign. You'll learn how to: Capture high-quality leads from Google AdWords, new competitors and even legacy platforms such as Bing in 48 hours Master the components of a high-converting campaign and get the most bang for your buck Harness mobile search advertising and Facebook ads for maximum results




No B.S. Price Strategy: The Ultimate No Holds Barred, Kick Butt, Take No Prisoners Guide to Profits, Power, and Prosperity


Book Description

Millionaire maker Dan S. Kennedy and marketing strategist Jason Marrs dare you to re-examine your every belief about pricing and empower you to take a more creative, more effective, bold approach to your price-and prosperity. Kennedy and Marrs don't offer little tricks, like new ways to say 50% off, half off, or 2 for 1. They tell you the secret to setting prices for the greatest gain. Then they teach you how to avoid the ultimate price and fee failures-like attracting customers who buy by price. You'll discover how to compete with FREE, learn how to discount without damage, and uncover the key to price elasticity. Most importantly, you'll grasp how to use price to your extreme advantage and grant yourself the power to be as profitable as possible. Reveals: The 9 ultimate price and fee failures The trick behind discounting without devaluing The 5 price-related propositions to be concerned with The million-dollar secret behind "FREE" How to win price wars with competitors Why price cutting isn't the cure for the recession and what is Book jacket.




Clockwork


Book Description

Do you worry that your business will collapse without your constant presence? Are you sacrificing your family, friendships, and freedom to keep your business alive? What if instead your business could run itself, freeing you to do what you love when you want, while it continues to grow and turn a profit? It’s possible. And it's easier than you think. If you're like most entrepreneurs, you started your business so you could be your own boss, make the money you deserve, and live life on your own terms. In reality, you're bogged down in the daily grind, constantly putting out fires, answering an endless stream of questions, and continually hunting for cash. Now, Mike Michalowicz, the author of Profit First and other small-business bestsellers, offers a straightforward step-by-step path out of this dilemma. In Clockwork, he draws on more than six years of research and real life examples to explain his simple approach to making your business ultra-efficient. Among other powerful strategies, you will discover how to: Make your employees act like owners: Free yourself from micromanaging by using a simple technique to empower your people to make smart decisions without you. Pinpoint your business's most important function: Unleash incredible efficiency by identifying and focusing everyone on the one function that is most crucial to your business. Know what to fix next: Most entrepreneurs try to fix every inefficiency at once and end up fixing nothing. Use the "weakest link in the chain" method to find the one fix that will add the most value now. Whether you have a staff of one, one hundred, or somewhere in between, whether you're a new entrepreneur or have been overworked and overstressed for years, Clockwork is your path to finally making your business work for you.




Starting a Business QuickStart Guide


Book Description

THE ULTIMATE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO STARTING A BUSINESS! Have you ever dreamt of starting your own business and living life on your terms? This book shows you EXACTLY what you need to know to stand out from the crowd! Do you have an idea for an amazing product or service but you aren’t sure how to build a business around it? Then you NEED this book. Buy now and start reading today! Are you a current business owner who struggles to identify your customers and deliver true world-class value? Everything you need to know is included in these pages! Do you want to build your hobby business into a fully-fledged venture that will help you build the life you deserve? Then you NEED this book. Buy now and start reading today! The most comprehensive guide ever developed for starting and growing a business! In the highly competitive world of business, what makes or breaks a new entrepreneur? Sourced from over twenty years of firsthand experience working with entrepreneurs, new ventures, and high-growth startups, author Ken Colwell, PHD, MBA has the answers. In his comprehensive Starting a Business QuickStart Guide, Ken Colwell concisely presents the core fundamentals that all new entrepreneurs need to know to get started, find success, and live the life of their dreams. Business and entrepreneurship students, small business owners, managers, and soon-to-be entrepreneurs will all find a wealth of value within the pages of the Starting a Business QuickStart Guide. From the very first steps conceptualizing your venture to winning your first customers, delivering value, and turning a profit, this book acts as an invaluable blueprint for your path to entrepreneurial success. Colwell’s clear voice, extensive experience, and easy-to-understand presentation come together to make this book a must-have resource in the library of every budding entrepreneur! Starting a Business QuickStart Guide is Perfect For: - Would-Be Entrepreneurs With a Ton of Passion! - Entrepreneurial Students of All Ages! - Beginners with Zero Prior Experience! - Managers, Business Owners, and Decisions Makers Growing into a New Role! You'll Discover: - The Difference Between an Idea and an Opportunity! - What Makes an Entrepreneurial Opportunity Great! - The Very First Steps You Need To Take To Get Your Venture Off The Ground! - Pricing, Competition, Customer Identification, Marketing, and Distribution Demystified! - The REAL Components of an Entrepreneurial Mindset! - Exactly How To Craft Your Value Proposition! - How to Write a Comprehensive Business Plan! **LIFETIME ACCESS TO FREE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES **: Each book comes with free lifetime access to tons of exclusive online resources to help you become a better business owner including: - Business Plan Checklist & Presentation Blueprint - Layers of Business Taxation Cheat Sheet - Elevator Pitch Template & Tips - And Many More! *GIVING BACK: * QuickStart Guides proudly supports One Tree Planted as a reforestation partner. *CLASSROOM ADOPTION:* Teachers and professors are encouraged to contact the publisher for test banks and classroom presentation materials.




Free Up Your Business


Book Description

The best advice stems from failing HARD! If you're looking to start, grow, and lead your own million dollar business, you must have the right business strategies to take you there. From Connor Gillivan's experience scaling his first company out of his dorm room to over $20 million in sales on Amazon.com and then building his second company into a million dollar online hiring platform for over 1,000 users around the world, he shares 50 secrets you need in your arsenal of business practices. In the book, Connor shares 50 business secrets that he and his co-founder, Nathan Hirsch, have been learning along their entrepreneurial journey focusing on bootstrapping, delegating, building efficient teams, staying productive, and putting the customer first. Each secret is brought to life with real stories from his experiences bootstrapping his first two companies, Portlight and FreeeUp, from his dorm room, college houses, and first apartments. The stories provide a raw look into the life of a hungry and ambitious set of entrepreneurs.The book guides you through 6 core principles of building million dollar companies with step-by-step processes that you can directly apply to scaling your company. 1)Get the Financials Down2)Strategic Planning and Adjusting On the Fly3)Build a Reliable, Trusting, and Intelligent Team4)Lead and Organize Like a Real Boss5)Make Every Minute Productive6)Always Put the Customer FirstWithin each chapter, Connor breaks down the secrets that apply directly to those aspects of building your company from the ground up. You'll learn to set a strong foundation and then scale it through building an efficient and intelligent team of experts. By the end of reading the book, you'll be inspired to bootstrap your own million dollar company or take your current business to the next level. You'll walk away with key hacks that you can start implementing immediately to free up your time and you'll have a motivating story to show you it is all possible. If you're an entrepreneur or an aspiring entrepreneur, this book is an absolute must read. The lessons held within this book will help you to tackle the most difficult of situations when running your company. The most successful understand that it takes grit and perseverance to build million dollar companies. Connor tells you how he's done it and how you can too!Here's what readers are already saying..."This is not a typical book...it's a true inspirational bible. As an owner of an established business, I was pushed to aim even higher. This book gave me the confidence to do it. Definitely a must read for all entrepreneurs. " - Alex Kaminskey"I gained a lot of insights from this book. As an aspiring entrepreneur myself, I was inspired by Connor and Nate's story of how they bootstrapped not one, but two groundbreaking businesses. It shouldn't really take millions to start a successful venture and this book will show you how in 50 simple and straightforward secrets. This is definitely a must-read for all budding entrepreneurs and also for established owners of small to large companies. I'm excited to apply these secrets and watch my business grow!" - Ansis Sy"Free Up Your Business: 50 Secrets to Bootstrap Million Dollar Companies is a one-stop-shop for young or established entrepreneurs. Filled with real situations and resolutions to help you build your businesses from ground up, Connor and Nathan, through this book, have paved the way not just in inspiring future entrepreneurs, but will definitely awaken the 'hungry'souls' in the Ecommerce industry." - Janellyn Briones"Free Up Your Business is jam-packed with great practical advice for starting a business the smart way from finances to time management to handling a team. I wish I had this book when I was at my wits' end struggling alone with one business after another because of HR issues, burnout, and keeping priorities manageable!" - Julia Valdez