Reading Reflection Week 5

As I wrapped up the final section of The $100 Start Up, I realized that I've kind of been reading a book I din't have to read.  Of course, I'm happy I read it, and it was a fascinating book.  However, I'm starting to recognize that outsiders can only give broad advice, while only you really know how to move the business forward.  Chris made a point of understanding this too.  He articulated that, as the owner of a business, it is your job to understand what you want to get out of this.  Chris, again, stated that some just want to sell their business, some want to keep it small, and some want to manufacture it to a global industry.  That decision has to be made by you, not some author who doesn't even know the name of your business.  Although Chris devalued himself, I think this actually made this work stronger and more true.  Chris basically changed the novel from a rule book to an advice column.  His message was to figure out your aspirations, and than to use this as a helping tool.  It's kind of like saying, here's all this advice, make of it what you want.  If I were to ever build a business, I would want to stay local.  I would want to be in touch with the community, and not solely concerned with the numbers and profitability of the business.  Thus, I'm happy that Chris acknowledged that there were other options than to build a franchise.

I found this book extremely interesting, and I would recommend it to all future students who take this class.  It's truly an easy read.  Chris takes the most complex ideas and condenses them into something understandable and even relatable.  It makes starting a business seem much more feasible and far less scary.  All in all, I'm very happy I chose this book, and it's broad audience makes it a good read for anybody.