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Book Review- THE BOOTSTRAPPER'S BIBLE
The Bootstrapper's Bible is on the Hungry Entrepreneurs must-read business book list. Why? Most people starting business today don't have time to go to business school. But lack of knowledge can be a huge problem when setting up and running your business, whatever it is. For instance, are you a business bootstrapper, entrepreneur or a freelancer? Do you know what the difference is? I didn't have the slightest idea before I read this book. But it does make a difference in your business. If you're interested in getting some valuable business insights, I really recommend that you read this book. The author of The Bootstrapper's Bible, Seth Godin, is one of the “big names” of the business community both online and off. He's written lots of business books that have been bestsellers like Purple Cow, Permission Marketing, The Big Red Fez, and many more. But he does more than just write about business; he's also the founder of the website Squidoo. The Bootstrappers Bible is written in a very conversational and easy-to-read voice. For me that means there's a minimum of jargon. At 276 pages, including lots of pages with interesting business examples, it was a quick read, at least for me. And I found it worth reading because of the information that he shared. As I read, a lot of the information hit very close to home for me. I'm married to someone that I now know is a business “freelancer”. I said “AHA'”and “oh, yeah” a lot while I was reading The Bootstrapper's Bible. And now I understand why an exit strategy in a service business is hard or impossible to set up. Oops, hindsight. I also see why, as an previous retail entrepreneur, I was doomed to failure because of so many of the “9 rules” that I didn't know. Again I remind you to do your homework before starting your business... and reading this book will be time well spent! As a “bootstrapper”, a freelancer and entrepreneur wanna-be, I LOVED his explanations of common business phrases along with the many interesting real-life examples he gave. I have my copy of his "Bootstrapper's Manifesto” taped near my desk where I can look at it often, like he suggested. Does the word Manifesto sounds sort-of radical? Being a business owner is pretty radical. The Manifesto begins, “I am a bootstrapper. I have initiative and insight and guts, but not much money. I will succeed because my efforts and my focus will defeat bigger and better-funded competitors. I am fearless. I keep my focus on growing the business- not on politics, career advancement, or other wasteful distractions.” Wow, I love that. His Manifesto has 12 other affirmations. I won't give any more away... you need to read the book. And that's just the introduction! Chapter 4 is called “Nine Magic Rules Of Successful Bootstrapping.” This chapter talks about money, advertising, people, planning, and more. He gives valuable advice to both entrepreneurs and freelancers. The Bootstrapper's Bible is full of solid, usable information that I sure wish I'd read before I opened my business. Sigh. Do yourself a big favor... read and learn as much as you can. Hope I don't sound like a broken record, and that you do listen to my voice of experience. I borrowed my copy of The Bootstrapper's Bible from my neighbor and need purchase my own copy for my business library. Because I really, really liked this book. The only thing I disliked about this book is that he hasn't done a revision yet. The book has a 1998 copyright, and I'd love to see more current examples. Seth... are you listening? Return from The Bootstrapper's Bible to Business Books
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