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2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
should be required reading Oct 05, 2004
By Patti
There has been a certain mystique surrounding "entrepreneurism".
It has sort of been positioned as something you are - or are not - destined to be. As well, it is more associated with the "started in the garage" -> IPOed on Nasdaq company more than the sole proprietor consultant.
That may be changing. Many folks I know - myself included - entered the workforce out of college with the notion of developing our craft and trading it for a steady paycheck from a company.
We expected to be able to carve out a fulfilling career.
However, in this "global, just-in-time" economy, that premise is not nearly as strong as it once was.
When faced with perpetual job in-security and/or becoming a member of the workforce reduced group, a not insignificant number of folks are opting to start their own business... accidentally.
Typically a small business owner is accomplished at their craft.
That works well when you're employed by a company. But if you are the company, your craft is not your business - your business is your business.
Small business is seldom taught in school - even Business school - and you are certainly not likely to learn it working for a large corporation. If you are a small business owner or a candidate, it is incumbent upon the success of your business to learn and develop small business skills.
The Accidental Entrepreneur does not delve into the theory of business. It is a practical guidebook with tips, tools and exercises that focus on what works and what doesn't work.
Few small business owners start out knowing how to run and grow a business. Many do not even know the questions to ask, much less the answers.
Most of the books out there focus on one particular subject, or are more theory based. This book is very pragmatic and covers the full scope of starting and running a business.
The Accidental Entrepreneur is divided into sections that roughly mimic the phases of a small business:
whether or not being a business owner is right for you,
what you need to do to start a business,
the early business-building phase,
sustaining your business,
taking your business to the next level.
Each chapter is a self-contained subject, easily digestible, pragmatic and actionable. You can read a chapter, you can read an entire section. Whatever is applicable to where you are at on your path.
This book provides an essential roadmap for any small business inspired person.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Found The Accidental Entrepreneur Extremely Helpful! Jul 10, 2006
By James A. Mccraigh
Having become an "accidental entrepreneur" myself at the age of 40, I've found Susan's book both helpful and encouraging. Statistics tell us that 80% of new businesses cease operations within the first 5 years, but with this book as a guide, readers are sure to buck that trend! It was well-organized and easy to read. The book is divided into short sections that make it easy to skip around and quickly find the practical wisdom promised. The quiz alone was worth the price of the book!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Helpful Advice for Those Teetering on the Edge of The Free Agent Nation Nov 05, 2005
By Donald Mitchell
"Jesus Loves You!"
Unless your parents or older siblings have been entrepreneurs, finding yourself facing the choice of starting a business . . . or being unemployed . . . is a dire situation. Relax! You can rely on Susan Urquhart-Brown's advice to sort your way through the psychological brambles and legal barbs of going solo in a business of your own.
Most people who want to become entrepreneurs have been thinking about the subject for years, taking courses, asking questions and toughening up their spirits for the challenging times ahead. When you reach the jumping off point by accident, as more and more entrepreneurs do, you need a quick baptism in the basics. The Accidental Entrepreneur can help.
The book is actually a series of overlapping brief essays with little lists, quizzes and exercises to help you stretch your wings. As a result, you can dabble here and there to get what you need. If you want to go straight through from the beginning, that's all right, too. It's a brief book, and you should finish in an evening.
I have been helping inexperienced start-up entrepreneurs for many decades. Most of them get stuck in the process. They find some step they need to take which they cannot figure out how to do. The Accidental Entrepreneur contains answers to many of those sticking points: Legal requirements, structure, finding allies, raising money, locating customers, hiring that first employee and finding some balance in your life.
No one source is going to do it all for you. This book will be most helpful to someone who plans to work with a coach or consultant to help go through the steps.
The book's main weakness is that it doesn't address important strategy elements like how to craft a superior business model, design cost advantages, adjust prices to make it easier for customers to buy, and add more value for customers. You'll have to read and learn from other books to help you in those areas.
If you do read the book from cover to cover, you may find some of the repetition a little annoying. But it doesn't hurt to see and think through the basics more than once in the same book.
Because of its general focus and examples from Ms. Urquhart-Brown's consulting business, this book will be of the most help to those who are planning a coaching or consulting business.
Buy and read this book! It will be one of your best initial business investments.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Great Help for the One Person Business! Feb 03, 2005
By Rose
"Writer"
The Accidental Entrepreneur: Practical Wisdom for People Who Never Expected to Work for Themselves, by Susan Urquhart-Brown, brought me into the (finally welcome) realization that yes, I am in business for myself (with the emphasis on business). Having thrashed around in the welter of details surrounding what it means to be a small (in my case, one-person) business for many years, never very hopefully or happily, I now find that this book offers me a roadmap to taking myself seriously (and I can take the journey at my own speed, too). Though I still have a lot to learn, thanks to Urquhart-Brown I've moved from being an "accidental" entrepreneur to an "intentional" entrepreneur. This is the only such book I've encountered, and it's (as the subtitle indicates) practical, accessible, and-above all-doable. I recommend this book to anyone starting out or already on the way to being a successful entrepreneur.
-Naomi Rose, Book Developer, Oakland, CA
Timeless help right there when you need it. Dec 17, 2004
By Stephen Capper
"Pond and waterfall builder"
I have been in business for several years and thought I knew it all. Reading Susan's book was a gentle reminder that there is always more to learn. It was full of very readable and full of simply stated and effective advice. I would completely recommed it to anyone who is thinking of going into business for themselves or to someonewho who has decades of experience in business and thought they new it all (like me). There is something for everyone. Having read the book from cover to cover I now carry in my truck ( I am a contractor)and refer to it on a daily basis, much like an oracle. I can usually find some helpful piece of advice to help me navigate through my day a little more easily. Bravo Susan. We need more books like this.
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