Product Description

"Starting a business is possibly one of the most exciting, exhilarating and rewarding experiences available to mankind (except possibly winning GBP15 million on the Lottery!). But it is not easy-it comes with a huge risk to your finances, your friendships and possibly even your health. More and more start-ups are not surviving beyond the first twelve months of operations and for some, the failure of the business leads to bankruptcy. So, with all of the odds apparently stacked against you should your idea remain just that- an idea? No! New businesses can be incredibly successful. Like anything, you have to use the tricks of the trade and ensure your idea stands the greatest chance of success. "Smarter Business Start-ups" will show you how to plan effectively to create the business you want, help kick your competition into touch and fund the right sources of finance. But just as important as this, it will show you how to sustain your passion for the business and have fun! Enjoy!" - Jon Smith. Here are 52 proven brilliant ideas to make sure your business gets off to the right start and stays on track. Jon will show you how to: raise the right finance; budget and forecast; assess and understand your competitors' strengths (and weaknesses!); take the right advice; market your business creatively; manage cash; cope with setbacks; and much much more!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39453 in Books
• Published on: 2004-12-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

The Bookseller, January 2005
"Part of the 52 Brilliant Ideas series I was so keen on in my last review. This title underlines everything that's so right about it"

From the Inside Flap
HAVE AN IDEA ON US…
Invite a former colleague, or even better, your former boss out to dinner. It could be that you really do need some advice on a certain aspect of your new business, and you will be surprised at how willing people are to help. Within an hour you will be up to speed with everything that has happened since your departure, what’s new, who’s new and who’s in the firing line. Information like this is priceless and will help you gain you new clients and avoid potential mistakes.

About the Author
Jon Smith was part of the start-up team for Amazon.co.uk, Kitbag.com and The Florist Exchange. As a consultant for the venture capital firm Chase Episode 1, he was tasked with improving and researching business plans submitted by companies looking for investment. In 2002 he and his wife launched Toytopia an online specialist toyshop and since 2003 Jon has been managing director of Inpress, an organisation set up to providing sales, marketing and technical support to independent poetry publishers for which he received three years funding from Arts Council England. He lives with his wife and daughter in Bedford, England.

Customer Reviews

52 tips from someone who's been there
The book is very well written, and is an easy read. It contains "52 brilliant ideas", each idea being presented in a 4-page chapter, the final page of each chapter being the presentation of questions that might arise about that idea.

It covers everything that you'll need to consider in starting your own business, with each topic getting a chapter of its own; naming the company, premises, staff, accountants, solicitors, the business plan, funding, banks, legal status, computers, software, branding, sales, marketing, stationery, websites, the launch party, customer care, the exit strategy, and so on to a total of 52 ideas.

Lots of useful information.

Although the book was actually first published in 2005 the only chapter where I noticed this was in the IT detail (for megabytes now read gigabytes!), this is inevitable and in no way detracts from the usefulness of the book.

The style of writing is quite humorous throughout and helps to make it an enjoyable read. The text is punctuated with plenty of photos, thoughts, quotations, and useful nuggets of information which give it a very contemporary, high quality look & feel. It's worth a final flick-through just to admire the excellent use of photos to support the themes.

Plenty of useful information, lots of turned corners, and definitely a book I'll be referring back to in the future. All in all, very well put together.