Product Description

Written by a successful entrepreneur and experienced coach, Think like an Entrepreneur takes you through the practical and the psychological issues that arise at different points in the 'start up' cycle.  It is a rare mix of ‘been there, done that’ advice and powerful tools for personal and organizational change. 

By arming you with all the tools you need to face the challenges of starting a business Think like an Entrepreneur, will help you to develop the mindset of a successful entrepreneur.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #102027 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

From the Back Cover

Being an entrepreneur isn’t just a job, it’s a state of mind.

You want to be an entrepreneur, a successful entrepreneur. You know what you have to do to get your business off the ground, but do you know how to face the mental challenges of starting, running and eventually selling a business?

The entrepreneurial mindset is unique – entrepreneurs embrace problems, think on their feet and aren’t afraid to take risks. They persevere through good and bad times and are adept at spotting talent and opportunities. WithThink Like An Entrepreneur you too can get this mindset.

Drawing on powerful psychological techniques from neuro-linguistic programming and transactional analysis, you’ll be taken through the life cycle of a business and coached into thinking and behaving as a successful entrepreneur. You’ll build a rock solid foundation of self belief, learn to be open to the wealth of opportunities around you, gain a positive forward thinking ‘can-do’ approach and much much more.

Think your way to success!

'... a wonderful guidebook for anyone who is ready to start their own business and begin living their dreams.'
Robert Dilts, Founder of NLP University and leading contributor to the field of NLP since the 1990s

'Robbie combines the best commercial acumen with some of the most cutting-edge personal development tools on the planet.'
Kimberley Hare, Co-Founder and CEO, Kaizen Training Limited

‘An authoritative and sharply written guide to the psychology of success in business.’

Al Alvarez, Novelist, Poet, Critic and author of many highly praised non-fiction books including The Biggest Game in Town

About the Author

Robbie Steinhouse is a successful serial entrepreneur.  Over the last twenty years, he has founded and built businesses in the recruitment, property and insurance sectors.  He is also head of training at NLP School Europe and a certified NLP trainer.  Robbie is an ICF certified coach and managing director of the Coaching Consultancy.

Chris West is a professional writer.  He is co-author of The Beermat Entrepreneur and sole author of Marketing on a Beermat.  He has also written crime fiction, including the award-nominated Death of a Blue Lantern, travel and other non-fiction.  Chris is an NLP practitioner and an experienced co-counsellor.

Customer Reviews

Finally, a user friendly self-help book
When I purchased this book on the recommendation of several unconnected acquaintances, I was hoping for some insight into the reasons why some businessmen serially fail and others just seem to make it. So, although I opened it expecting another fact drenched tome full of dry cliches and jargon, what I actually got was a wittily written user-friendly guide to success in business. By the end of the book, I felt as though I knew the authors and that they genuinely wished for their readers to benefit from their extensive knowledge of the subject. Ten out of ten.

Useful tools and commentary on the 'inner game' of success in business
I liked this book. Firstly it provides a straightforward summary (handbook) of dos and don'ts involved in building a business, though with some personal slants and stories on the subject which add colour to an otherwise well-worn path. Secondly and much more interestingly it focuses on the psychological 'inner game' of setting up and running a business.

The handbook side covers a number of aspects, for example: `Capability sets' - leadership, operations, finance & legal and sales & marketing. Nothing here is new, though the authors emphasise that the entrepreneur needs to become at least competent in each of these areas in order to know enough - eventually - to hire or partner with others who are at least as good - and if necessary better - in each discipline; somewhat different to the cornerstones idea recommended in the Beermat books, for example. The authors also touched on the delegation model in this context, referencing Stephen Covey's hierarchy model of levels (wait till told, ask, recommend, do it and report immediately, do it an report routinely). There is also a (very) short section on raising money, which does not add much, presumably because the authors felt they had to include this element. One piece of advice the authors offer, which I thought was great, was to keep earning a salary for as long as possible whilst developing the ideas, networks and expertise for your own venture. The authors also make the case for balancing the `ready-fire-aim' approach to starting and building a business with the more systematic textbook `exhaustive business plan' approach - advising, in essence, to start with the one-page business plan, start working to it, but with a view to the big picture business plan and vision. And always to take calculated - and not reckless risks. All in all, sound advice and a decent run through on the left-brain aspects of starting a business.

The more interesting parts of this book are the ones that introduce the right brain and subconscious aspects of the human psyche and how they can be applied well or badly to business. A short book like this cannot go into a lot of detail, but there is enough there to whet the appetite of those who want an overview before investigating further into selected areas. Fortunately, the authors downplay the various `schools' that claim different techniques as their own and concentrate on explaining the techniques, the underpinning background where necessary, and how to use them. In order of my personal preference, here are the three techniques that I found interesting: (i) Permission Pattern. A potentially powerful model, but difficult to explain via a book, I think. (ii) Logical Levels: The idea that we think, feel and operate through a hierarchy of needs and goals and that these need to be in harmony. On the surface, this appears similar to Maslow's hierarchy, but is in fact very different. (iii) IDEAS: Use of different perspectives (linkages to De Bono and his `six hats thinking') to test and advance a particular idea or course of action: Innovator, Doer, External Advisor, Stakeholder. A useful tool.

There is a fair amount taken from Transactional Analysis, developed in the sixties and Seventies by Eric Berne and popularised in his "Games People Play" book and others. I particularly like the sections on Parent-Adult-Child and Rescuer-Persecutor-Victim `games'.

There also is a piece at the end of the book, again taken from TA, about "Healing the Adapted Child" talking about inner problems relating to self-worth brought from childhood and how to deal with them. The authors use an exercise for this called `re-scripting', though maybe this subject is a little too deep and complex for a short 'business book' (!)

In conclusion, there is a lot of inner game ideas in this book, and the authors make a good hand at explaining them. One point I would make though is that these can be difficult concepts to really understand in isolation on a single reading. I continue to delve.

Think Like an Entrepreneur - Robbie Steinhouse and Chris West
It was the statement on the cover that grabbed my attention. It said,'Being an entrepreneur isn't just a job, it's a state of mind'. 'Of course!' I thought, as I picked the book up and opened it. I was quickly swept up in a cheerfully straightforward account of how we can all learn to 'Think like an entrepreneur'. Don't believe it? You should! Robbie Steinhouse is uniquely placed to write this book, since he is, himself, a successful entrepreneur, as well as psychologist, writer, teacher and business coach. He has analysed the structure of entrepreneurial thought, and in this book, he sets it out as a model for the learner, with a working method and exercises. This is a practical handbook, designed to conduct the learner from one clear proposition to another in easy steps. What's remarkable is the disciplined economy of each section. This is clearly a deeply considered work, but the author has achieved a light, uncluttered and purposeful style. I especially enjoyed the range of well-chosen quotes and examples from Robbie Steinhouse's own gallery of heroes, mentors and clients.The author's voice comes through as kind, funny, irreverent and wise. This is a companionable book. I've just read it once, with great pleasure. Now I'm going to read it again - more slowly!