Deceptively Simple in Tone and Contents That

¶ … deceptively simple in tone and contents that you wonder if there is actually anything unique or distinctive about the writer or this book. That is exactly the kind of feeling you have when reading Start up: an entrepreneur's guide to launching and managing a new business by William Stolze. The book is composed of small chapters that are highly readable and contain wisdom, which almost appears elementary because it is so basic in nature.

However it is the simplicity of the book that sets it apart from many other business books that beat about the bush and usually leave the reader no wiser. The book opens with some very general questions that the author believes every person desirous of starting his own business asks himself: "One thing that always seems to come as a surprise to a new entrepreneur is the number of decisions that must be made and the questions that must be answered before the business even gets underway.

Among these are: Should I start the business alone or with partners? What product or service should be the basis of the business? What is my market? Is the potential of the business enough to provide an honest living? How can I raise initial capital? The questions go on and on." (p. 13) Now on the surface it might appear that a book that begins with such basic information and such obvious facts is likely to contain little or no true wisdom but that is not entirely true.

It may be true that we are all aware of what the author is saying but it is only when we are truly in the midst of starting a business that we realize just how many things we thought we knew but really didn't. For example we all know that starting a business is likely to start with many important decisions but what exactly is the nature of those decisions is something we learn only when we are actually in that situation.

Stolze's advice and his wisdom actually make sense because the author has the right credentials to write a business book.

Not only is he a successful entrepreneur himself but is also a "Sloan fellow at the Graduate School of Management at MIT; an advisor, investor, and director of numerous start-up companies, and the founder of the Rochester Venture Capital Group." Stolze is certainly not the ultimate word on business start-up but the fact that he has been there and done that helps the author establish an instant connection with the reader.

Stolze has given us a book that is almost a complete and very comprehensive resource for anyone who wants to start his own business. The author has touched upon many important areas including multi-level marketing, financial needs of a business, cash flow and capital generation, why it is better to have small companies at first etc. But the real strength of the book lies in its case studies and analysis of a company's financial needs.

A liked this book because it was very readable and avoided use of industry jargons to keep the language simple and contents accessible to everyone. The one weakness of the book lies in that it tends to become a little too academic at times. The business plans and sample are likely to make every reader feel like a MBA student. I have yet to convince myself that all successful businesses have a sound business plan and this book little to remove my doubts in this connection.

However I do believe that its strength lies in real case studies and some thorough financial analysis including cash flow definition and examination of various sources of capital generation. Low Risk, High Reward" by Bob Reiss on the other hand is a book meant for those who are looking for ways to move ahead with their business plans faster but thought there were too many hurdles in the way.

This book is good because it comes up with some truly original ideas and doesn't hesitate to shatter the myths that must have stopped many brilliant people from starting their own business. The author starts with a list often attributes that he believes an entrepreneur must possess. Reiss goes on to explain why these attributes are important and how they contribute to the success of any business.

He writes: "Entrepreneurship is the recognition and pursuit of opportunity without regard to the resources you currently control, with confidence that you can succeed, with the flexibility to change course as necessary and with the will to rebound from setbacks," This book also comes with case studies however they fail to make the same kind of impact they do in Stolze's book probably because of selection error. The best thing about this book is its some original concepts and sound advice that is applicable in most situations.

The author doesn't hesitate to point out that no one needs a classic product or service to start a business. The product may not be something unique, it is important however to market it in a way that would make people see why it is better than rival product. His chapter on risks and how one can minimize them is very interesting and offers sound advice.

The author maintains that experience can significantly reduce the risk factor as he adds: "I'd sure rather see a young Olympic gymnast on a balance beam than me. The difference, of course, is preparation and ability. Risk is variable, depending on who's taking it." Reiss' list of attribute contains some important things, which every aspiring entrepreneur is likely to find useful. The one I liked was high.