This week I have been reading Start Your Own Business by Entrepreneur Media. It's a fascinating book, and it seems to be touching on very similar issues as the book I read last quarter, $100 Startup. Interestingly, although they touch on the same topics, they pick different viewpoints. While the whole motto of $100 Startup is to simply go out there and start your own business, the members of Entrepreneur Media caution careful advance and a lot of planning. They literally advise that you make a chart about how the business is going to impact every single area of your life. It's incredibly meticulous, and frankly it makes being an Entrepreneur seem tedious, demanding and stressful. This is an odd approach for people trying to sell books that provide aid to up and coming entrepreneurs. The authors even say that you should talk to several failing entrepreneurs before you start your own business, so that you are aware of the possible consequences coming your way. However, at the same time, they advise that you stay optimistic at all times. They appear to believe in some idealistic combination of optimism and realism, and although they present several good points, their argument feels contradictory at times.
One aspect of the book that I found particularly insightful was the analysis on part time businesses. The authors viewed it as both a "cushy support system" and "the straw that breaks a camel's back". Again, this appears like they are contradicting themselves, but I can see how this is true. Running a part time business while having a job means that you are experimenting while maintaining some financial security. However, the stress of two things at once may simply be too much for people. Thus, it is best for the more worrisome people to pick which ever one they prefer. Personally, I would rather focus on one task, so part-time businesses aren't for me. Either way, I'm glad the authors discussed it so thoroughly so I know that I wouldn't be particularly happy pursuing that field of action.
Great that you can compare this with your previous book. These DO seem to be the two different schools of thought when it comes to starting a business: those who plan and those who dive in. I'm sure that it requires a bit of each...but you're right that the planners sound like an uninspiring group. See what you can take away from this book, even if the approach doesn't have much appeal.
ReplyDelete