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Book Description

Millions of employees parked in cubicles dream about starting their own businesses. And in today’s economy, countless unemployed professionals are becoming entrepreneurs out of necessity. They may have good skills and ideas, but do they really understand what it takes to build a profitable venture? As owner and co-founder of the award-winning It’sYourBiz.com (formerly SBTV.com, or Small Business Television), Susan Solovic has years of experience in the small business trenches. In It’s Your Biz she shows prospective entrepreneurs how to sidestep the pitfalls that doom more than half of all new businesses while dramatically improving their odds of success. The book strips away the usual dreamy calls to “pursue your passion,” supplying the kind of candid, real-world advice readers truly need, such as how to: • Gauge whether you have the qualities required to succeed • Prepare for drastic culture shock • Build a business plan that works • Focus on providing market solutions • Choose partners, advisers, and employees wisely • Promote your business on a shoestring budget • Protect your company and yourself • Make the most of bootstrap financing. From planning and funding to promotion and pricing, It’s Your Biz is packed with the practical, honest, expert guidance that budding entrepreneurs need before they set out on their own.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Foreword
  7. Introduction
  8. Part I So You Want to Own a Business: The Real Truth Behind What It Takes to Succeed
    1. 1 Starting a Business Is Personal
    2. 2 Make Smart Choices: Consider Your Options
    3. 3 Beat the Odds: Get It Right from the Beginning
    4. 4 Build a Powerful Business Strategy
  9. Part II Open for Business: The Strategic and Tactical Keys to Business Success
    1. 5 Purpose, Promise, and Principles: The Cornerstones of Your Business
    2. 6 Marketing and Sales Strategy
    3. 7 People Matter
    4. 8 Protecting Your Business, Your Ideas, and Yourself
    5. 9 Where Will You Locate Your Business?
    6. 10 From Humble Beginnings to Great Enterprises
    7. 11 Pricing and Process
    8. 12 Words of Wisdom from the Trenches
  10. Appendix: Resources for Start-Ups and Expanding Businesses
  11. Index
  12. About the Authors
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