Product Description

'You may have capital and a talented management team, but if you are fundamentally in a lousy business, you won't get the kind of results you would in a good business. All businesses aren't created equal.' William P.Egan II, veteran US venture capitalist

No matter how talented you are, no matter how much capital you have, no matter how good your business plan is, if you’re pursuing a ‘lousy business’ – i.e. a fundamentally flawed opportunity – you’re on the fast-track to failure.

The New Business Road Test shows you how to avoid the obvious mistakes that everyone else makes. It shows you how to assess market opportunities. It also shows entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial teams how to assess honestly the capabilities they themselves bring to the table. The new edition of this best-selling book will help you to road test your idea, making sure that the business you build is based on a winning concept. It will enable you to invest your time wisely and pitch to investors and customers with confidence. 

Building on lessons learned by real entrepreneurs – some in start-ups, others in established firms, some who got it right and others who got it wrong, Mullins addresses the seven domains that characterize attractive, compelling opportunities. Mullins presents a  model that helps you answer the live-or-die questions in assessing any new business opportunity. Road test your business idea first and get ahead of the game.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #56705 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 328 pages

Review

"Aims to give would-be entrepreneurs a reality check." - New Business

'What a "Eureka" moment I had- we are a start-up here in Ontario Canada. Your comments and 7 domains just sharpened up our thinking several very large notches.  So I am contacting you to let you know how helpful your insights are ! very helpful work! Oh yes - I bought a copy ! Dave Sutherland, Retrievall Inc

From the Back Cover

Give your business the chance to be one of those that make it.

Got an idea for a new business? Take it for a road test to make sure it works before you invest valuable time and money in it. Most new businesses fail. Why? Because no matter how talented you are, no matter how much capital you have, no matter how good your business plan is, if you’re pursuing a ‘lousy business’ – a fundamentally flawed opportunity – you’re on the fast-track to failure. The new edition of this best-selling book will help you to road test your idea, making sure that the business you build is based on a winning concept. It will enable you to invest your time and money wisely and pitch to investors and customers with confidence.

“Mullins has hit the nail on the head. The New Business Road Test for the first time successfully defines the starting point for a business. He delivers a clear and concise road map for anyone wondering whether they have a good business idea and what to do about it. I wish it had been given to every entrepreneur who appeared before me on Dragon’s Den.”

Doug Richard, Dragon on Dragon’s Den

“Mullins’ New Business Road Test provides the entrepreneurial equivalent to the proverbial ‘sleeping policeman’ on the Sunday drive: the necessary jolt of reality for those hanging on to the belief that value is created on a computer spreadsheet or a fancy PowerPoint presentation. The business plan is the road map between idea and sustainable business, and John offers the most valuable journey planner available.”

Benoit Leleux, Professor of Entrepreneurship & Finance, IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland

“We work with hundreds of CEOs reviewing their investor pitches. The truth is that all businesses, even those already funded, can improve their business models and their road show presentation to investors or strategic partners. Good entrepreneurs understand that their emerging business remains ‘work in progress’. Even on the road, they work the map. We recommend that all new entrepreneurs look at John's excellent new business road maps before hitting the ground.”

William Stevens, E-Unlimited

No budding entrepreneur should leave the day job or face an investor without having read this book.

About the Author
John Mullins is himself a serial entrepreneur (he describes his business tally as one success, one fail and one draw) and teaches and studies entrepreneurship as a professor at the London Business School, bringing a wealth of experience to the book.

Customer Reviews

Got a business idea? Read this book NOW...
I fully recommend this book to anyone serious about investing time and/or money in a new business. It lays out a method for developing a thorough understanding of any concept, its market and its industry... but more than that... "The New Business Road Test" helps gauge how to give a new business the very best chance of success.

I first met John Mullins a year ago on the Entrepreneurship Summer School at London Business School. As the course's architect and lead tutor, he helped me bring to bear the "7-Domains" framework on what I thought was a winning concept. Were it not for his teaching, I may well have made a huge mistake. As it was, he helped me understand in advance the difficulties I would likely be faced with, and more importantly, his coaching helped me identify a far more achievable opportunity.

The book is thorough but at the same time an easy read. That's not to say answering the questions raised about a new venture is easy. It isn't. But John's messages are always thoughtful and resoundingly practical. He has a great ability to present complex interrelated issues in a logical way, which speaks to his many years of hands-on entrepreneurial experience. Buy the book- it's great. I use it all the time.

A grief saving reality check
I had already written my business plan before reading this book - what a waste of time. It was quite embarrassing to re-read it after reading Mullin's book. It was all about my product without thinking about the market I'd be operating in and the industry I'd be competing in. It actually said, "there is no competition". As Mullin's points out - there's no such thing as no competition - and if there really isn't any there will be soon - so what are you going to do to stay ahead. Fortunately I think I've managed to tweak my idea in light of what the book recommends, and also I've realised that I don't have all the skills needed to make it work - and found someone to employ who can fill the skills gap (there's a really good chapter about making sure management team - i.e. me - is well connected within the industry, with suppliers etc - time to get out and network). The book hasn't made me a millionaire yet but my business has a lot better chance of surviving than it would have if I hadn't read this book. The best twenty odd quid I've spent on my business.

Practical, easy-to-read, sound advice
Mullins has been nominated for, and won, several prestigious teaching awards for many reasons – one of them is empathy. He can deliver a clear message by communicating at his audience’s level better than almost anyone. This skill is incorporated into this book really well. The New Business Road Test is a very readable and practical guide targeted primarily at entrepreneurs or anyone considering a new opportunity – whether they be students, entrepreneurs, middle managers, housewives or executives. All would benefit from the research and underlying principles in this book. And Mullins is not just a sit-behind-a-desk kind of guy… he’s been out there and done it himself.

Ever wonder why so many startups fail? One nice take-away for me was drawing a distinction between two very misused words: “market” and “industry”. They are definitely not the same and this book teaches you to examine each clearly and separately, which immense benefits. Many businesses fail because they only identify a great MARKET but it’s in a lousy industry – or vice versa (internet startups ring a bell?). And what about the person or people who will form the management team? The book will guide you to critically assess the team from several perspectives – most which will be new to most people.

Each chapter in the book concludes with a checklist of practical questions to ask yourself if you’re considering a new venture. The chapters are littered with practical quotations and real-world examples from many sources – including several mini case studies.

If you’re worried or intimidated about writing a business plan, don’t be. I would recommend reading this book and following the underlying principals contained within it. If anything, this book will give you a lot more confidence and a solid understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of your potential business plan, should you decide your idea is worth continuing to write about. I can find no weaknesses, give it a 10 out of 10, and would recommend it to my mother!