Shoestring Venture The Startup Bible
April 30, 2009 by Work From Home · Leave a Comment
Shoestring Venture The Startup Bible
A Consultant in a BookFor the millions who start a new business every year on the barest of resources, Shoestring Venture: The Startup Bible is like hiring a high-level consultant to deal with the bewildering maze of issues from finance to marketing to technology that all entrepreneurs face. Every business is nothing but a series of decisions which can make or break the business. You could say that, if there’s a science of business, it’s the science of making good decisions. And every bootstrap entrepreneur faces the daunting task of making ALL the business decisions, any one of which could either doom the enterprise or catapult it to stratospheric success. That meas that every entrepreneur has to quickly get up to speed on every issue their business faces. Shoestring Venture: The Startup Bible is the most exhaustive set of practical resources collected to empower entrepreneurs to make the right decisions on a limited budget, from business concept to product development to Web marketing. We call a ‘consultant in a book,’ there to give considered and experienced answers to the infinite questions that come up. Shoestring Venture-The Start-up BibleAll entrepreneurs - even the smallest operating on the tightest of budgets - have the opportunity to build powerful start-up organizations without ever really having
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars A Must-Have Business Manual For Startups And Others
If you’re looking for an inspirational book that will help you achieve the right mindset for business success, look elsewhere. But if you’re looking for a tome of resources that will teach you everything from product development to outsourcing, Shoestring Venture is it.
I was overwhelmed, at first, by the sheer size of the book. But then I realized that Shoestring Venture isn’t something read in one sitting. It’s a resource you revisit again and again for help on e-commerce, finding investors, building a web site, and any other area where you need guidance.
Each section is short and to the point, with bullet points and action items that make it easy to find the information you need without having to skim through a lot of filler. Reading it is like reading a business blog in that sense … but it’s much more convenient, because the information is all in one chunky manual that you can highlight and dog-ear to your heart’s content.
Much of Shoestring Venture applies to startups with products to sell. Because, as a writer and marketing consultant, I don’t fit that category, I found myself skipping through the chapters that deal with concepting, testing and e-commerce. But the book also offers a wealth of marketing tips and other information that applies to service providers such as myself. It even has a section on the aspects that distinguish good copywriting from bad, and how to outsource that part of business when the time comes. That’s something most business books fail to cover.
My only concern in purchasing the book is that the vast number of online resources might become obsolete in a few years, but the authors have anticipated that and offer readers access to an online list of links that can be updated at any time.
This is a great resource, and I recommend it to anyone who finds themselves needing guidance in the business arena. You’ll find yourself turning to it over and over again.
4 Stars Good Book.
Awesome. A very complete and detailed book with all the information you need to plan and start a business. As an occasional internet seller, I can tell you that a lot of the technical details in this book, such as where to find cheap contractors and software products are spot on. Another good thing is that you can definitely use the book as a reference guide as you go through various phases of your company’s growth - from formation, to financing, to handling taxes. These guys know their stuff and they also provide a wealth of advice and insight based on personal experience and business know how.
I loved the introduction and first few chapters of the book as they give a good overview of the book and it’s writers then launched into the first steps of planning your new business. As an IT lover, I enjoyed the technical sections in the latter portions of the book but the earlier sections provide me with a good reference on handling the legal and financial aspects of handling a business, and also a glimpse of the authors credentials. I definitely agree with the open source and freelance outsourcing sections.
5 Stars Your Step By Step Guide To Business
I’ve been a freelance writer on a part time basis for some time and am considering making it a full time career in the New Year. I really only needed information about the financial aspect of working for myself, or I thought I did, but this book literally has everything. It covers aspects that I didn’t even think about let alone plan for. Take outsourcing for example. I didn’t even consider what I would do if I had too much work and not enough time in terms of client retention. That section is outstanding because it deals with everything I need to know in a straightforward and yet comprehensive manner. In fact, every section is. I would like to see more on blogging in future editions though as that’s a key part of my plan
The Startup Bible is everything that is promises to be and will certainly be a fixture on my desk in the years to come. I’ve tried other business books and got bored but this one is well laid out so it acts as a practical how to book rather than a complex and useless book by a self indulgent and arrogant businessman!
4 Stars A Must-Have Resource
The Shoestring Venture: The Startup Bible is well developed, well thought out, well organized. It provides a wealth of information for those looking start their own small, medium, or large business venture.
Hooker and Monas provide websites appropriate for learning about incorporation, choosing a domain name, marketing strategies, finances, taxes and anything else anyone ever wanted to know about starting their own business.
This is an invaluable resource that has opened my eyes to all the resources available. Hooker and Monas have also established a website where all the links they mention in the book are listed and accessible by a click of the mouse, without having to retype all the links in a browser to find the information wanted. What a great idea!
This is certainly one resource I am glad to have on my bookshelf.
4 Stars A Must-Have Resource
The Shoestring Venture: The Startup Bible is well developed, well thought out, well organized. It provides a wealth of information for those looking start their own small, medium, or large business venture.
Hooker and Monas provide websites appropriate for learning about incorporation, choosing a domain name, marketing strategies, finances, taxes and anything else anyone ever wanted to know about starting their own business.
This is an invaluable resource that has opened my eyes to all the resources available. Hooker and Monas have also established a website where all the links they mention in the book are listed and accessible by a click of the mouse, without having to retype all the links in a browser to find the information wanted. What a great idea!
This is certainly one resource I am glad to have on my bookshelf.
How To Start Your Own Coaching and Consulting Business
April 30, 2009 by Work From Home · Leave a Comment
How To Start Your Own Coaching and Consulting Business
Secrets of starting a fast-paced, freedom filled career in the consulting/coaching business!
You Are A Smarty-Pants On Any Topic, You May Find Yourself With Money, Freedom and A Great Career… Hundreds of thousands of people make a living doing one thing and one thing only…telling other people what to do.
Right now, you get up early every day. You survive the commute to your work. You take orders from someone else - and then you get a paycheck. One that’s probably a lot smaller than your boss’ check - even if you know a lot more about what’s going on than he or she does.
But you know what? If you’ve taken the time to learn your trade… If you’ve gained experience in the real world… You may be able to find people who will PAY YOU to tell them what to do. In fact, they probably need your help, badly!
Consultants and coaches are everywhere. And there may be nothing stopping you from starting your new life as one. You just need to know where to start. Stop looking, because I’ve found it for you.
Life Prep for Homeschooled Teenagers A Parent Friendly Curriculum for Teaching Teens to Handle Money Live Moral Lives and Get Ready for Adulthood 2nd Edition
April 28, 2009 by Work From Home · Leave a Comment
…..by using this book as it is intended you will save your children much future grief…. — Eclectic Homeschool Online, June 2004
High school students will likely find these projects meaningful and relevant… — Cindy Prechtel’s Homeschooling from the Heart, April 2004
I highly recommend this book for anyone with older children.
Terri Miller, Staff Writer — The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, Spring 2004
Life Prep for Homeschooled Teenagers is an amazing resource designed for those preparing to leave home. — The Virginia Home Educator, Spring 2004
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Make this a Required Course
Barbara Frank says that, Life Prep for Homeschooled Teenagers is a “parent-friendly curriculum for teaching teenagers to live as morally and financially responsible adults.” That is exactly what it is; and, how I wish it had been available for my own children!
The spiral-bound, 100-page book includes lessons for the work-bound as well as the college-bound teenager. It teaches them life skills by having your teen read, research, and complete real-life projects that are related to the concept being studied. By the time your teen completes the curriculum, he will have had hands-on practice in buying a car, getting a loan, purchasing car insurance, learning about credit cards (the good, bad, and ugly!), purchasing health insurance, renting an apartment, grocery shopping, paying utilities, buying a home, paying taxes, and keeping a budget. For college-bound teens, there is also a project on college applications and writing the college essay.
Here’s an example of one of the projects. For the Rent Project, you child has to look up rentals in the newspaper, but not just in your own town, but also in several other areas. After your child completes his research on rent, deposits, late fees, amenities, etc., then he must create a comparison chart of his findings and discover for himself what the best deal is. I love how Barbara not only requires the student to research the information, but the student must also create lists, charts, graphs, etc. to discover where and how to get the best deal.
An excellent reading list of books recommended for teenagers is included, along with ways to evaluate your student’s reading assignments. The books on the list cover dating, personal living, money, investing, and the working world. If you have a slow reader and/or a child who does not plan on attending college, I recommend using Barbara’s reading list as your child’s literature requirement, rather than having them read Shakespeare and the like. It will be much more beneficial to his life.
If I had had this book when my children were a teenagers, it would have saved hours of time locating resources and planning curriculum to teach these topics. Your child needs this type of real-life education in order to be successful, whether he goes to college or not, and Barbara provides an easy way to get it. I highly recommend Life Prep for Homeschooled Teenagers for every homeschool family.
5 Stars So helpful!
I am a homeschooling mother of 5. My oldest just recently started high school. Before reading this, I was overwhelmed at trying to figure out how to prepare them for all the real life situations that would be staring in their faces after high school! This book has helped me to stay focused on teaching them what they needed to learn. My 15 year old loves it and my 14 year takes a great interest in the topics as well. My 15 year old (a girl) is already saving her money for a car. I highly recommend this book to anyone considering homeschooling their teenagers thru high school, and even if you are already almost done schooling them, it will still be helpful!
The Virtual Office Survival Handbook What Telecommuters and Entrepreneurs Need to Succeed in Todays Nontraditional Workplace
April 28, 2009 by Work From Home · Leave a Comment
Bredin, who writes the syndicated newspaper column “Working at Home,” offers a step-by-step guide to setting up a home office or a virtual office. With an estimated 40% of all U.S. employees expected to work in nontraditional offices by the year 2000, even the cubicle-bound might want to know about these new arrangements and how to make them work best for employers as well as workers. A major reason for resisting these novel work settings is the difficulty of effective interaction between employees and their colleagues or supervisors. Bredin starts by describing the professions and industries most suited to virtual or home offices and the employee personality and temperament that will thrive in the situation. Then she offers first-rate nitty-gritty advice on setting up an office, from choosing computer systems, legal and tax requirements for home business, time management and more. Especially helpful are her strategies for coping with real life-handling rejection, managing child-care crises, keeping up with office gossip and how to avoid nonstop eating. This is an excellent guide for freelancers, small business owners and employees of large corporations who want a flexible work situation.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Office in Cyberspace
I’ve only read a few chapters but what I’ve read impresses me. It’s fresh and innovative and something I hadn’t really thought about using. I’m just starting my own business and this has given me tons of ideas for an office in cyberspace with no rent!
3 Stars Ahead of its time in 1996. Somewhat dated now. Well done.
Even with the explosion in home based technology in the last three years the basics in the book are well researched and well written. I was really hopeing to find an updated version of this pioneer work. Having many employees now living the vision Ms. Bredin wrote about I require this book to be read and kept/used as reference. It’s almost part of the employee manual. I know when they see the 1996 copyright date, and they think they are doing something new, it seems a chore to have to read the book. In the end all have been happy they did. Looking forward to the update.
The Crafts Business Answer Book and Resource Guide Answers to Hundreds of Troublesome Questions About Starting Marketing and Managing a Homebased Business Efficiently Legally and Profitably
April 27, 2009 by Work From Home · Leave a Comment
Now qualifying as a bona fide crafts business guru, Brabec begins her fifth opus by recollecting questions she herself posed as a novice homeworker. That type of reminiscence means that Brabec does indeed understand the just plain puzzlements of everyday self-employed business life–whether related to crafts or not. In alphabetical order, starting with the subject of accountants, topics are handled either straightforwardly or with a question or two. The information is truly a boon to even the experienced; the author, for instance, explains the occupation of enrolled agent, a tax professional licensed by the U.S. Treasury Department, who usually charges less than a CPA or accountant. One hundred percent serious? Not quite. Brabec gleefully reports useful “from the front” stories, and she doesn’t hesitate to express some rather strong opinions. Barbara Jacobs
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Duplicate information
This is a very good resource. It is easy to understand and use. However, don’t make the mistake of also purchasing “The Craft Business Answer Book”, by the same author. The description makes it sound like the book contains different information, but it doesn’t. The covers are different, but the books are basically the same.
2 Stars outdated and not so helpful
i found this book to be dry and not helpful for my home craft business purposes. It is now very much out of date also.
5 Stars great for the truly green
I have not been in the crafts business long, and I must say I found this book far more informative than others offered online. Highly recommended for newcomers like myself.
