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 Customer Reviews
Really interesting, 20 Nov 2008
I really enjoyed this book - especially the chapters on the better known brands like Pizza Express and Cobra Beer. It's really inspiring to find out how these huge businesses started. Inspired me to think more about my dreams to start a business myself. Would agree with the other review though - not all are household names, but the stories are equally as interesting.
I guess the main message of the book is: if you've got an idea, go for it. You never know where it'll lead.
superficial, 30 Aug 2008
I think another reviewer here said that this looked like a cut and paste job. That pretty much sums it up. Appears to be little or no original research. The analysis of the secret of their success, whether in the approach they took, their innate character or their ideas seems very superficial.
Clearly some of the individuals profiled had no time for the author or just had absolutely nothing insightful to say. A real pity, because it would have been great to have found inspiration, hope and ideas from great entrepreneurs.
Plenty of good ideas , 01 May 2008
How they started How 30 good ideas became great businesses BY David Lester
I devour business books but this one looks like a cut an paste job. It is trying to appeal to a large audience but it is set out like a reference book.
A good business book should mix facts with anecdotes and personal stories. It claims that their criteria for choosing was they were started by individuals, they are successful and they are a household name. Perhaps I hadn't been paying attention but they were a few I had not heard of . Out of 30 there were nineteen I had really heard of.
The good ones have been well covered elsewhere such as Dyson, Friends Reunited and Moneysupermarket .com.
People who think about starting businesses but ever get round to it cite two reasons ! I need a good idea 2 someone will steal my good idea. Perhaps there are no new ideas just variations on a theme. Even modern phenomena like Bebo never claimed to be the first just one of the more successful. Very rarely if ever does someone come up with a world beating new idea. even Dyson was just developing a better vacuum cleaner.
Another reviewer has commented on the section on what we can learn from these businesses as a group? that is 1 The X Factor 2 Minimal personal reward financially 4 Do what it says on the tin 5 Keep it simple 6 Work hard than you might think possible 7 Kept trying and believing 8 Who needs money? 8 Ambition 9 So what?
Can I make a plea for business book writers and journalist to stop telling us that X ! Quit the rat race" to start his own business. It is rubbish and boring.
Maybe a book for people who do not read the business pages but there are better books out there on ideas and how to start your own business. Business appears to have become the new Rock and Roll but on The Apprentice we see it is a lot harder than you think. Perfectly bright intelligent hard working people do not seem to be able to get it right.
They are uplifting stories but like the apprentices you should try just a basic business to start with to see if you have the staying power. The vast majority of the population will not make it in business because they are not hard working enough, do not have enough ambition and have an inability to work consistently every day.
A reasonable enough book but it did not inspire me to read it from cover to cover. I dipped into the ones that I liked.
Anyone can do it ....., 18 Feb 2008
Persistence is omnipotent, if you overcome the obstacles you will succeed in the end. The quantity of success stories in this book proves this.
It is possible to start with very little and then, through great endeavour, build a successful business.
Unfortunately, I found the book rather boring. You will learn and take away a little from those businesses that are similar to yours (or perhaps what you intend or hope to do), but with 30 chapters covering 30 businesses it becomes a little samey.
There are wise words in the introduction and a fair summary of what you will learn from the book on pages 3-5; the author effectively puts his conclusions at the beginning of the book:
What can we learn from these businesses as a group?
The X Factor - no single X-factor, but a collection of traits which drive people to succeed.
Minimal personal reward initially - most are not able to, or choose not to, take much money from the business at first.
Do what it says on the tin - focus on one idea - normal for startups.
Keep It Simple (Stupid) - stick to your knitting - focus on the one idea - and, of course, your customers.
Work harder than you might think possible - startup entrepreneurs tend to put in a lot of hours.
Keep trying and believing - it takes time - persistence is omnipotent.
Who needs money? - most start with minimal funding.
Ambition - you need passion and commitment to become successful - a desire to earn loads of money will probably not engender sufficient drive for the long-term.
So what? - "they needed extraordinary levels of passion, energy, self belief and stamina, the ability and desire to focus, and a good measure of judgement."
After that, I don't think that the next 235 pages are worth the effort.
Feeling of inspiration, 19 Jun 2007
I actually felt quite inspired after reading this book. It's so depressing reading how people have made millions from having started with quite a lot of money in the first place, but all these people seem to have done it just by persistence, self-belief and hard work.
Most people don't have a raft of multi-millionaire contacts in their back pocket, they've just got a really good idea and it's the getting started that the most difficult - these people all did it differently, but it's given me renewed hope and another blast of adrenaline.
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Customer Reviews
Really interesting, 20 Nov 2008
I really enjoyed this book - especially the chapters on the better known brands like Pizza Express and Cobra Beer. It's really inspiring to find out how these huge businesses started. Inspired me to think more about my dreams to start a business myself. Would agree with the other review though - not all are household names, but the stories are equally as interesting.
I guess the main message of the book is: if you've got an idea, go for it. You never know where it'll lead.
superficial, 30 Aug 2008
I think another reviewer here said that this looked like a cut and paste job. That pretty much sums it up. Appears to be little or no original research. The analysis of the secret of their success, whether in the approach they took, their innate character or their ideas seems very superficial.
Clearly some of the individuals profiled had no time for the author or just had absolutely nothing insightful to say. A real pity, because it would have been great to have found inspiration, hope and ideas from great entrepreneurs.
Plenty of good ideas , 01 May 2008
How they started How 30 good ideas became great businesses BY David Lester
I devour business books but this one looks like a cut an paste job. It is trying to appeal to a large audience but it is set out like a reference book.
A good business book should mix facts with anecdotes and personal stories. It claims that their criteria for choosing was they were started by individuals, they are successful and they are a household name. Perhaps I hadn't been paying attention but they were a few I had not heard of . Out of 30 there were nineteen I had really heard of.
The good ones have been well covered elsewhere such as Dyson, Friends Reunited and Moneysupermarket .com.
People who think about starting businesses but ever get round to it cite two reasons ! I need a good idea 2 someone will steal my good idea. Perhaps there are no new ideas just variations on a theme. Even modern phenomena like Bebo never claimed to be the first just one of the more successful. Very rarely if ever does someone come up with a world beating new idea. even Dyson was just developing a better vacuum cleaner.
Another reviewer has commented on the section on what we can learn from these businesses as a group? that is 1 The X Factor 2 Minimal personal reward financially 4 Do what it says on the tin 5 Keep it simple 6 Work hard than you might think possible 7 Kept trying and believing 8 Who needs money? 8 Ambition 9 So what?
Can I make a plea for business book writers and journalist to stop telling us that X ! Quit the rat race" to start his own business. It is rubbish and boring.
Maybe a book for people who do not read the business pages but there are better books out there on ideas and how to start your own business. Business appears to have become the new Rock and Roll but on The Apprentice we see it is a lot harder than you think. Perfectly bright intelligent hard working people do not seem to be able to get it right.
They are uplifting stories but like the apprentices you should try just a basic business to start with to see if you have the staying power. The vast majority of the population will not make it in business because they are not hard working enough, do not have enough ambition and have an inability to work consistently every day.
A reasonable enough book but it did not inspire me to read it from cover to cover. I dipped into the ones that I liked.
Anyone can do it ....., 18 Feb 2008
Persistence is omnipotent, if you overcome the obstacles you will succeed in the end. The quantity of success stories in this book proves this.
It is possible to start with very little and then, through great endeavour, build a successful business.
Unfortunately, I found the book rather boring. You will learn and take away a little from those businesses that are similar to yours (or perhaps what you intend or hope to do), but with 30 chapters covering 30 businesses it becomes a little samey.
There are wise words in the introduction and a fair summary of what you will learn from the book on pages 3-5; the author effectively puts his conclusions at the beginning of the book:
What can we learn from these businesses as a group?
The X Factor - no single X-factor, but a collection of traits which drive people to succeed.
Minimal personal reward initially - most are not able to, or choose not to, take much money from the business at first.
Do what it says on the tin - focus on one idea - normal for startups.
Keep It Simple (Stupid) - stick to your knitting - focus on the one idea - and, of course, your customers.
Work harder than you might think possible - startup entrepreneurs tend to put in a lot of hours.
Keep trying and believing - it takes time - persistence is omnipotent.
Who needs money? - most start with minimal funding.
Ambition - you need passion and commitment to become successful - a desire to earn loads of money will probably not engender sufficient drive for the long-term.
So what? - "they needed extraordinary levels of passion, energy, self belief and stamina, the ability and desire to focus, and a good measure of judgement."
After that, I don't think that the next 235 pages are worth the effort.
Feeling of inspiration, 19 Jun 2007
I actually felt quite inspired after reading this book. It's so depressing reading how people have made millions from having started with quite a lot of money in the first place, but all these people seem to have done it just by persistence, self-belief and hard work.
Most people don't have a raft of multi-millionaire contacts in their back pocket, they've just got a really good idea and it's the getting started that the most difficult - these people all did it differently, but it's given me renewed hope and another blast of adrenaline.
SPARE ROOM START UP, 18 Aug 2008
Reviewed by serial entrepreneur Valerie Dwyer, founder of My Wonderful Life(tm) Coach and other enterprises. Gripping as any thriller, for an entrepreneur that is, this is the book to take you from rags to riches quicker than Cinderella - when you take the lessons. Oh! that this book had been around when I started my first enterprise at 18. I have met some of the featured entrepreneurs from these Case Studies and had the privilege to work with a number of home business start up entrepreneurs, including the late Dame Anita Roddick, and Emma Jones. This book gets the message across that they are just like us. Speaking from experience, starting a business from home is life changing but EASY! - when you know how. Spare Room Start Up is excellent not only for helping people to make that start, but it is a call to stand up and take pride that a home based business is the most sensible and cost-effective way for many people to test, launch and grow their business idea in a safe environment. This applies perhaps especially for people with illnesses, disabilities, children or caring responsibilities - And let's be clear, the lessons in this book also apply equally to all businesses.
Full of practical business and personal stuff; lots of brilliant Case Studies; easy to follow hints, tips and ideas; useful website links plus templates that you can use straight away for everything from sorting out your marketing plan to getting the pages of publicity that every business needs.
Spare Room Start Up fascinating, educational, practical, easy to read and understand, with valuable lessons taking you through the process step by step, it is also a very tactile book, lovely texture, packed with beautiful colour photographs - it its unputdownable! A present (Christmas is coming) for students, this book should be in all libraries and a recommended text for schools, colleges and universities. Make it available in crèches for the new generation of Mumpreneurs! Spare Room Start Up should be the handbook of all business advisers and business support agencies and organisations, including Business Links.
What's more, this is an excellent coffee table book for every home and reception area even doctor's surgeries - because it is great medicine. But watch out - it's just the right size to pop into your bag and walk away with! mywonderfullife@btinternet.com
The Perfect Business Springboard, 14 Jun 2008
Finally a book people can relate to, it's tough enough contemplating starting your own business but when most books are stuffy or written by larger corporate organisations in corporate speak, it makes it even harder. It's about time we had a perfect stepping stone to getting started in business. Lot's of time later for the heavy volumes, which still have a vital role, but not as your first read! This book guides you into the all important foundations, builds personal & business confidence, and explains the pro's and con's without scaring you off the idea. Having been a business owner for years I know that starting out is a giant step so congratulations to Emma Jones for being bold and breaking out of the world of old fashioned business books - let's hope there is more to follow! I will be recommending this book to my client's and friends as a helpful first step.
A Refreshing Change to the norm!!!, 02 Jun 2008
Just finished reading Spare Room Start Up and really enjoyed it. Having read a number of business start up books before setting up my own business I have to say what a breath of fresh air! The layout and pictures make it a really different type of book. I have really enjoyed it and find myself keeping it on my desk to flick through during the course of the day. The pictures and style is inspiring.
Well done!!
everything you need to know, 28 May 2008
I bought this book yesterday and read it in one night. I have been on a few business link start up courses and this covered absolutely everything I had been told and more. E.Jones backs up everything she says with website details and examples of other home business owners which is encouraging as they also so why they did it and the positive difference it has made to their lives.Easy to read and informally written, I also found that every question I had was answered. The author mentions a follow up , that Im sure will be just as good.
great read for any new business, 20 May 2008
Emmas book is both logical and practical (with nice photos which always helps). By following this book i am sure many spare room start up would have an easier start - i wish i had a chance to read this when we started The Baby Gurus, me from my back bedroom and Emma in her dining room - this book is ideal for any new start company looking to gain focus on the task ahead.
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Customer Reviews
Really interesting, 20 Nov 2008
I really enjoyed this book - especially the chapters on the better known brands like Pizza Express and Cobra Beer. It's really inspiring to find out how these huge businesses started. Inspired me to think more about my dreams to start a business myself. Would agree with the other review though - not all are household names, but the stories are equally as interesting.
I guess the main message of the book is: if you've got an idea, go for it. You never know where it'll lead.
superficial, 30 Aug 2008
I think another reviewer here said that this looked like a cut and paste job. That pretty much sums it up. Appears to be little or no original research. The analysis of the secret of their success, whether in the approach they took, their innate character or their ideas seems very superficial.
Clearly some of the individuals profiled had no time for the author or just had absolutely nothing insightful to say. A real pity, because it would have been great to have found inspiration, hope and ideas from great entrepreneurs.
Plenty of good ideas , 01 May 2008
How they started How 30 good ideas became great businesses BY David Lester
I devour business books but this one looks like a cut an paste job. It is trying to appeal to a large audience but it is set out like a reference book.
A good business book should mix facts with anecdotes and personal stories. It claims that their criteria for choosing was they were started by individuals, they are successful and they are a household name. Perhaps I hadn't been paying attention but they were a few I had not heard of . Out of 30 there were nineteen I had really heard of.
The good ones have been well covered elsewhere such as Dyson, Friends Reunited and Moneysupermarket .com.
People who think about starting businesses but ever get round to it cite two reasons ! I need a good idea 2 someone will steal my good idea. Perhaps there are no new ideas just variations on a theme. Even modern phenomena like Bebo never claimed to be the first just one of the more successful. Very rarely if ever does someone come up with a world beating new idea. even Dyson was just developing a better vacuum cleaner.
Another reviewer has commented on the section on what we can learn from these businesses as a group? that is 1 The X Factor 2 Minimal personal reward financially 4 Do what it says on the tin 5 Keep it simple 6 Work hard than you might think possible 7 Kept trying and believing 8 Who needs money? 8 Ambition 9 So what?
Can I make a plea for business book writers and journalist to stop telling us that X ! Quit the rat race" to start his own business. It is rubbish and boring.
Maybe a book for people who do not read the business pages but there are better books out there on ideas and how to start your own business. Business appears to have become the new Rock and Roll but on The Apprentice we see it is a lot harder than you think. Perfectly bright intelligent hard working people do not seem to be able to get it right.
They are uplifting stories but like the apprentices you should try just a basic business to start with to see if you have the staying power. The vast majority of the population will not make it in business because they are not hard working enough, do not have enough ambition and have an inability to work consistently every day.
A reasonable enough book but it did not inspire me to read it from cover to cover. I dipped into the ones that I liked.
Anyone can do it ....., 18 Feb 2008
Persistence is omnipotent, if you overcome the obstacles you will succeed in the end. The quantity of success stories in this book proves this.
It is possible to start with very little and then, through great endeavour, build a successful business.
Unfortunately, I found the book rather boring. You will learn and take away a little from those businesses that are similar to yours (or perhaps what you intend or hope to do), but with 30 chapters covering 30 businesses it becomes a little samey.
There are wise words in the introduction and a fair summary of what you will learn from the book on pages 3-5; the author effectively puts his conclusions at the beginning of the book:
What can we learn from these businesses as a group?
The X Factor - no single X-factor, but a collection of traits which drive people to succeed.
Minimal personal reward initially - most are not able to, or choose not to, take much money from the business at first.
Do what it says on the tin - focus on one idea - normal for startups.
Keep It Simple (Stupid) - stick to your knitting - focus on the one idea - and, of course, your customers.
Work harder than you might think possible - startup entrepreneurs tend to put in a lot of hours.
Keep trying and believing - it takes time - persistence is omnipotent.
Who needs money? - most start with minimal funding.
Ambition - you need passion and commitment to become successful - a desire to earn loads of money will probably not engender sufficient drive for the long-term.
So what? - "they needed extraordinary levels of passion, energy, self belief and stamina, the ability and desire to focus, and a good measure of judgement."
After that, I don't think that the next 235 pages are worth the effort.
Feeling of inspiration, 19 Jun 2007
I actually felt quite inspired after reading this book. It's so depressing reading how people have made millions from having started with quite a lot of money in the first place, but all these people seem to have done it just by persistence, self-belief and hard work.
Most people don't have a raft of multi-millionaire contacts in their back pocket, they've just got a really good idea and it's the getting started that the most difficult - these people all did it differently, but it's given me renewed hope and another blast of adrenaline.
SPARE ROOM START UP, 18 Aug 2008
Reviewed by serial entrepreneur Valerie Dwyer, founder of My Wonderful Life(tm) Coach and other enterprises. Gripping as any thriller, for an entrepreneur that is, this is the book to take you from rags to riches quicker than Cinderella - when you take the lessons. Oh! that this book had been around when I started my first enterprise at 18. I have met some of the featured entrepreneurs from these Case Studies and had the privilege to work with a number of home business start up entrepreneurs, including the late Dame Anita Roddick, and Emma Jones. This book gets the message across that they are just like us. Speaking from experience, starting a business from home is life changing but EASY! - when you know how. Spare Room Start Up is excellent not only for helping people to make that start, but it is a call to stand up and take pride that a home based business is the most sensible and cost-effective way for many people to test, launch and grow their business idea in a safe environment. This applies perhaps especially for people with illnesses, disabilities, children or caring responsibilities - And let's be clear, the lessons in this book also apply equally to all businesses.
Full of practical business and personal stuff; lots of brilliant Case Studies; easy to follow hints, tips and ideas; useful website links plus templates that you can use straight away for everything from sorting out your marketing plan to getting the pages of publicity that every business needs.
Spare Room Start Up fascinating, educational, practical, easy to read and understand, with valuable lessons taking you through the process step by step, it is also a very tactile book, lovely texture, packed with beautiful colour photographs - it its unputdownable! A present (Christmas is coming) for students, this book should be in all libraries and a recommended text for schools, colleges and universities. Make it available in crèches for the new generation of Mumpreneurs! Spare Room Start Up should be the handbook of all business advisers and business support agencies and organisations, including Business Links.
What's more, this is an excellent coffee table book for every home and reception area even doctor's surgeries - because it is great medicine. But watch out - it's just the right size to pop into your bag and walk away with! mywonderfullife@btinternet.com
The Perfect Business Springboard, 14 Jun 2008
Finally a book people can relate to, it's tough enough contemplating starting your own business but when most books are stuffy or written by larger corporate organisations in corporate speak, it makes it even harder. It's about time we had a perfect stepping stone to getting started in business. Lot's of time later for the heavy volumes, which still have a vital role, but not as your first read! This book guides you into the all important foundations, builds personal & business confidence, and explains the pro's and con's without scaring you off the idea. Having been a business owner for years I know that starting out is a giant step so congratulations to Emma Jones for being bold and breaking out of the world of old fashioned business books - let's hope there is more to follow! I will be recommending this book to my client's and friends as a helpful first step.
A Refreshing Change to the norm!!!, 02 Jun 2008
Just finished reading Spare Room Start Up and really enjoyed it. Having read a number of business start up books before setting up my own business I have to say what a breath of fresh air! The layout and pictures make it a really different type of book. I have really enjoyed it and find myself keeping it on my desk to flick through during the course of the day. The pictures and style is inspiring.
Well done!!
everything you need to know, 28 May 2008
I bought this book yesterday and read it in one night. I have been on a few business link start up courses and this covered absolutely everything I had been told and more. E.Jones backs up everything she says with website details and examples of other home business owners which is encouraging as they also so why they did it and the positive difference it has made to their lives.Easy to read and informally written, I also found that every question I had was answered. The author mentions a follow up , that Im sure will be just as good.
great read for any new business, 20 May 2008
Emmas book is both logical and practical (with nice photos which always helps). By following this book i am sure many spare room start up would have an easier start - i wish i had a chance to read this when we started The Baby Gurus, me from my back bedroom and Emma in her dining room - this book is ideal for any new start company looking to gain focus on the task ahead.
I would be lost without this book, 21 Apr 2008
Recently I started working for myself and last year I had to fill in a UK self-assessment tax return for the first time. When I got the tax form from the Tax Office my heart sank - there were so many things I had to fill that I didn't understand. Furthermore the guidance notes that came with the form seemed to assume a level of understanding that was far greater than mine. Luckily I found this book on Amazon - there is no way I could have filled in my tax return accurately without it!
It is packed with information on tax matters for small businesses and it is clearly written with loads of examples to help explain the various calculations. I found the sections on expenses, capital allowances and working from home especially helpful as I was previously uncertain what things were tax-deductible. For those with bigger operations there is plenty of information on employees, VAT, and buying or renting business premises as well as what to do if you are closing or selling your business.
JUST WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!, 30 Nov 2006
Having recently set up a small business and being useless with "tax things" I really had to get to grips with tax. This book's straight-talking, non-nonsense style told me exactly what I needed to do. I have only owned the book a few days but I am already more confident about tax.
What I liked about this book was the fact that I didn't have to read it all - but I read more than I thought I would.
The first three chapters got me started. I then read chapter 5 to see if I was working out my business profits correctly, chapter 7 to see how much tax I would save by buying equipment and chapter 10 because I was wondering whether to register for VAT. Excellent - Thanks sooooo much!
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Customer Reviews
Really interesting, 20 Nov 2008
I really enjoyed this book - especially the chapters on the better known brands like Pizza Express and Cobra Beer. It's really inspiring to find out how these huge businesses started. Inspired me to think more about my dreams to start a business myself. Would agree with the other review though - not all are household names, but the stories are equally as interesting.
I guess the main message of the book is: if you've got an idea, go for it. You never know where it'll lead.
superficial, 30 Aug 2008
I think another reviewer here said that this looked like a cut and paste job. That pretty much sums it up. Appears to be little or no original research. The analysis of the secret of their success, whether in the approach they took, their innate character or their ideas seems very superficial.
Clearly some of the individuals profiled had no time for the author or just had absolutely nothing insightful to say. A real pity, because it would have been great to have found inspiration, hope and ideas from great entrepreneurs.
Plenty of good ideas , 01 May 2008
How they started How 30 good ideas became great businesses BY David Lester
I devour business books but this one looks like a cut an paste job. It is trying to appeal to a large audience but it is set out like a reference book.
A good business book should mix facts with anecdotes and personal stories. It claims that their criteria for choosing was they were started by individuals, they are successful and they are a household name. Perhaps I hadn't been paying attention but they were a few I had not heard of . Out of 30 there were nineteen I had really heard of.
The good ones have been well covered elsewhere such as Dyson, Friends Reunited and Moneysupermarket .com.
People who think about starting businesses but ever get round to it cite two reasons ! I need a good idea 2 someone will steal my good idea. Perhaps there are no new ideas just variations on a theme. Even modern phenomena like Bebo never claimed to be the first just one of the more successful. Very rarely if ever does someone come up with a world beating new idea. even Dyson was just developing a better vacuum cleaner.
Another reviewer has commented on the section on what we can learn from these businesses as a group? that is 1 The X Factor 2 Minimal personal reward financially 4 Do what it says on the tin 5 Keep it simple 6 Work hard than you might think possible 7 Kept trying and believing 8 Who needs money? 8 Ambition 9 So what?
Can I make a plea for business book writers and journalist to stop telling us that X ! Quit the rat race" to start his own business. It is rubbish and boring.
Maybe a book for people who do not read the business pages but there are better books out there on ideas and how to start your own business. Business appears to have become the new Rock and Roll but on The Apprentice we see it is a lot harder than you think. Perfectly bright intelligent hard working people do not seem to be able to get it right.
They are uplifting stories but like the apprentices you should try just a basic business to start with to see if you have the staying power. The vast majority of the population will not make it in business because they are not hard working enough, do not have enough ambition and have an inability to work consistently every day.
A reasonable enough book but it did not inspire me to read it from cover to cover. I dipped into the ones that I liked.
Anyone can do it ....., 18 Feb 2008
Persistence is omnipotent, if you overcome the obstacles you will succeed in the end. The quantity of success stories in this book proves this.
It is possible to start with very little and then, through great endeavour, build a successful business.
Unfortunately, I found the book rather boring. You will learn and take away a little from those businesses that are similar to yours (or perhaps what you intend or hope to do), but with 30 chapters covering 30 businesses it becomes a little samey.
There are wise words in the introduction and a fair summary of what you will learn from the book on pages 3-5; the author effectively puts his conclusions at the beginning of the book:
What can we learn from these businesses as a group?
The X Factor - no single X-factor, but a collection of traits which drive people to succeed.
Minimal personal reward initially - most are not able to, or choose not to, take much money from the business at first.
Do what it says on the tin - focus on one idea - normal for startups.
Keep It Simple (Stupid) - stick to your knitting - focus on the one idea - and, of course, your customers.
Work harder than you might think possible - startup entrepreneurs tend to put in a lot of hours.
Keep trying and believing - it takes time - persistence is omnipotent.
Who needs money? - most start with minimal funding.
Ambition - you need passion and commitment to become successful - a desire to earn loads of money will probably not engender sufficient drive for the long-term.
So what? - "they needed extraordinary levels of passion, energy, self belief and stamina, the ability and desire to focus, and a good measure of judgement."
After that, I don't think that the next 235 pages are worth the effort.
Feeling of inspiration, 19 Jun 2007
I actually felt quite inspired after reading this book. It's so depressing reading how people have made millions from having started with quite a lot of money in the first place, but all these people seem to have done it just by persistence, self-belief and hard work.
Most people don't have a raft of multi-millionaire contacts in their back pocket, they've just got a really good idea and it's the getting started that the most difficult - these people all did it differently, but it's given me renewed hope and another blast of adrenaline.
SPARE ROOM START UP, 18 Aug 2008
Reviewed by serial entrepreneur Valerie Dwyer, founder of My Wonderful Life(tm) Coach and other enterprises. Gripping as any thriller, for an entrepreneur that is, this is the book to take you from rags to riches quicker than Cinderella - when you take the lessons. Oh! that this book had been around when I started my first enterprise at 18. I have met some of the featured entrepreneurs from these Case Studies and had the privilege to work with a number of home business start up entrepreneurs, including the late Dame Anita Roddick, and Emma Jones. This book gets the message across that they are just like us. Speaking from experience, starting a business from home is life changing but EASY! - when you know how. Spare Room Start Up is excellent not only for helping people to make that start, but it is a call to stand up and take pride that a home based business is the most sensible and cost-effective way for many people to test, launch and grow their business idea in a safe environment. This applies perhaps especially for people with illnesses, disabilities, children or caring responsibilities - And let's be clear, the lessons in this book also apply equally to all businesses.
Full of practical business and personal stuff; lots of brilliant Case Studies; easy to follow hints, tips and ideas; useful website links plus templates that you can use straight away for everything from sorting out your marketing plan to getting the pages of publicity that every business needs.
Spare Room Start Up fascinating, educational, practical, easy to read and understand, with valuable lessons taking you through the process step by step, it is also a very tactile book, lovely texture, packed with beautiful colour photographs - it its unputdownable! A present (Christmas is coming) for students, this book should be in all libraries and a recommended text for schools, colleges and universities. Make it available in crèches for the new generation of Mumpreneurs! Spare Room Start Up should be the handbook of all business advisers and business support agencies and organisations, including Business Links.
What's more, this is an excellent coffee table book for every home and reception area even doctor's surgeries - because it is great medicine. But watch out - it's just the right size to pop into your bag and walk away with! mywonderfullife@btinternet.com
The Perfect Business Springboard, 14 Jun 2008
Finally a book people can relate to, it's tough enough contemplating starting your own business but when most books are stuffy or written by larger corporate organisations in corporate speak, it makes it even harder. It's about time we had a perfect stepping stone to getting started in business. Lot's of time later for the heavy volumes, which still have a vital role, but not as your first read! This book guides you into the all important foundations, builds personal & business confidence, and explains the pro's and con's without scaring you off the idea. Having been a business owner for years I know that starting out is a giant step so congratulations to Emma Jones for being bold and breaking out of the world of old fashioned business books - let's hope there is more to follow! I will be recommending this book to my client's and friends as a helpful first step.
A Refreshing Change to the norm!!!, 02 Jun 2008
Just finished reading Spare Room Start Up and really enjoyed it. Having read a number of business start up books before setting up my own business I have to say what a breath of fresh air! The layout and pictures make it a really different type of book. I have really enjoyed it and find myself keeping it on my desk to flick through during the course of the day. The pictures and style is inspiring.
Well done!!
everything you need to know, 28 May 2008
I bought this book yesterday and read it in one night. I have been on a few business link start up courses and this covered absolutely everything I had been told and more. E.Jones backs up everything she says with website details and examples of other home business owners which is encouraging as they also so why they did it and the positive difference it has made to their lives.Easy to read and informally written, I also found that every question I had was answered. The author mentions a follow up , that Im sure will be just as good.
great read for any new business, 20 May 2008
Emmas book is both logical and practical (with nice photos which always helps). By following this book i am sure many spare room start up would have an easier start - i wish i had a chance to read this when we started The Baby Gurus, me from my back bedroom and Emma in her dining room - this book is ideal for any new start company looking to gain focus on the task ahead.
I would be lost without this book, 21 Apr 2008
Recently I started working for myself and last year I had to fill in a UK self-assessment tax return for the first time. When I got the tax form from the Tax Office my heart sank - there were so many things I had to fill that I didn't understand. Furthermore the guidance notes that came with the form seemed to assume a level of understanding that was far greater than mine. Luckily I found this book on Amazon - there is no way I could have filled in my tax return accurately without it!
It is packed with information on tax matters for small businesses and it is clearly written with loads of examples to help explain the various calculations. I found the sections on expenses, capital allowances and working from home especially helpful as I was previously uncertain what things were tax-deductible. For those with bigger operations there is plenty of information on employees, VAT, and buying or renting business premises as well as what to do if you are closing or selling your business.
JUST WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!, 30 Nov 2006
Having recently set up a small business and being useless with "tax things" I really had to get to grips with tax. This book's straight-talking, non-nonsense style told me exactly what I needed to do. I have only owned the book a few days but I am already more confident about tax.
What I liked about this book was the fact that I didn't have to read it all - but I read more than I thought I would.
The first three chapters got me started. I then read chapter 5 to see if I was working out my business profits correctly, chapter 7 to see how much tax I would save by buying equipment and chapter 10 because I was wondering whether to register for VAT. Excellent - Thanks sooooo much!
Highly effective ideas, 12 Mar 2008
I'm not quite sure what the previous reviewers problem with this book is. Although obviously you can't be all things to all people one of the great aspects to this book is that it HAS lots of anecdotes in it. Most of the "52 ways" are accompanied with an anecdote that explains how they have either used the tip in their own businesses or with other peoples. For me that was the big benefit. In other words it's not just theory. It's lots of great ideas and concrete examples of how they actually work in real life.
I was given the book by my coffee supplier who challenged me to take just one or two concepts and apply them to my business. Needless to say, since we don't value anything that we don't pay for, it sat around unopened until he asked me what I had applied. Somewhat sheepishly I replied that I hadn't even read it yet! I then read it in one evening and have now changed several aspects of my business and plan to apply many more. I created a couple of star products and got all my team on board to explain to customers why we are so proud of them. Sales of these items have dramatically increased. I totally changed the customer flow within my business and had a enlightening meeting with my staff where I did the "muffin test" and discovered that most of them thought I was keeping approximately £500 out of every £1000 that goes in the till!
Highly recommended.
This book is my little "friend"., 08 Feb 2008
A little story (and stories sell as you'll find out from Hugh and Johnnie)
I decided, like so many wage-slave dreamers, to finally take the big step and set up my own coffee bar about two years ago. I bought all the slightly tedious books that were out there about setting up coffee shops and worked my way through them. I also pored through the various bits of "set up a business" guff from the banks and then read a few "Go on, you can do it..." motivational books.
Armed with a remortgage, a nervous wife, our savings and a healthy slice of naiveté I opened my coffee bar. None of the books that I read or indeed none of the advice I received was wrong - it just wasn't enough. It just didn't fully prepare me for how bloody hard it is to make money out there and how far from being the idyllic lifestyle and dream it actually is.
I lost a clean fortune in the first two years (well a fortune to me anyway) and gradually realised that this is pretty much exactly what everyone does. I then chanced upon this book by the Ireland's "Coffee Boys" after seeing them speak at a conference. It may not be filled with lots of plans or tedious checklists but these guys really, really know their stuff.
Suddenly it felt like it was all "okay". It felt like here were people who really knew what they were talking about. They had either personally owned or advised dozens of businesses. They hadn't just written a book based on one personal example or because they'd been to business school. They'd made all the mistakes and come out the other side battered and bruised but capable of knowing exactly what it takes to make money in this type of business - even if you have a Starbucks or a Costa opening up right beside you. And they wrote in a refreshingly honest and entertaining way.
So armed with my new "friend" I have set about restructuring my little business in a number of crucial ways. I have finally understood that it is "about the money" and not about ego as they keep emphasising. I have finally understood the importance of stars on the menu, telling stories, keeping my eyes on the costs (every pound isn't equal don't forget) and indeed how to avoid "sour faced hags" and the "Grannie rule".
I walk the shop every day like a customer and have my staff do the same. I now have spotless toilets and have totally changed my customer flow. It's all common sense really but you sometimes need a book like this to keep the common sense at the forefront of your mind and keep some perspective from the madness and claustrophobia of running a coffee bar.
So what's wrong with it? Well I wish it was longer and I wish they had maybe shown a couple of physical examples in the direct marketing section. I also wish they'd give a little more information on recruiting and retaining staff. That continues to be a huge issue for me. But I'm nitpicking really.
So if you currently own or are vaguely thinking of opening a coffee bar or any type of coffee shop you really should buy this. It could save you a lot of money. I only wish it had been out when I was first opening my shop.
Coffe Bar King and Golf Star?, 15 Oct 2007
I found John Richardson through his scratch2scratch blog. He accomplished something I, and many many
other golfers only dream of, to shoot a perfect round of golf. I have been reading his golf blog for some
time now and have been deeply affected by his insights and advice regarding not only golf, but life in
general. I read his coffee shop book, because living in Hollywood, California, I am also a driven coffeeholic! This is the land of the quadruple (and larger) espresso and we take coffee consumption VERY
seriously.
I read this book hoping to learn more about one of my favorite subjects (coffee) with no intention of
actually starting a coffee shop. What I found was a wealth of information about the coffee shop business
and SO much more! I am an entrepreneur and record producer and have had some pretty reasonable
success on MTV and in films and television. In the age of digital downloads and changing technology
there is one thing that is more important than most everything else - HAPPY CUSTOMERS! John
Richardson has (yet again) made it very clear that the basics to most ANY business is customer
satisfaction, and the tools and attitdue he puts forth in in Wake Up and Smell The Profit are the
fundametntal building blocks of ANY successful business. Not only is it a good read, but it could be
considered a handbook for any entrepreneur that needs a refresher course or a wake up call.
Thanks again to my favorite golf writer for more valuable information on business, life and of
course coffee! Make mine a quadruple!
Coffee....and the rest., 12 Oct 2007
If you have a business, any business, and you're not rich, and you don't know why, or if you have ever thought, "I'm really good at what I do, why am I not more successful"..... this book was written for you. I come at this from a slightly odd angle. I have nothing to do with the cafe business. I'm a photographer. I was looking for marketing books when I came across this gem. What this book spells out is that the ability to make the best coffee in the world and the ability to run a successful coffee business are two distinct things. I have concentrated for years on taking better photographs and assumed the business would run itself....afterall I am a photographer. Not so. What this book lays out in the simplest forms is that so many of think the normal "rules" don't apply to us as we're busy doing what we do best. It is the wake up call. This book is more relevant to me than a lot of books written specifically for photographers. A lot of it may seem painfully obvious, but it works. I wish it had been written years ago.
Good read, 09 Oct 2007
Great, easy to understand, advice from people who really understand the business. Some of their "true stories" had me laughing out loud since they so clearly mirror the mistakes I have made too. There is some really invaluable advice for people starting out but also dozens of great tips for wizened veterans like myself who think we know it all but seem to have forgotten a lot of it!
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Starting Your Own Business
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Customer Reviews
Really interesting, 20 Nov 2008
I really enjoyed this book - especially the chapters on the better known brands like Pizza Express and Cobra Beer. It's really inspiring to find out how these huge businesses started. Inspired me to think more about my dreams to start a business myself. Would agree with the other review though - not all are household names, but the stories are equally as interesting.
I guess the main message of the book is: if you've got an idea, go for it. You never know where it'll lead.
superficial, 30 Aug 2008
I think another reviewer here said that this looked like a cut and paste job. That pretty much sums it up. Appears to be little or no original research. The analysis of the secret of their success, whether in the approach they took, their innate character or their ideas seems very superficial.
Clearly some of the individuals profiled had no time for the author or just had absolutely nothing insightful to say. A real pity, because it would have been great to have found inspiration, hope and ideas from great entrepreneurs.
Plenty of good ideas , 01 May 2008
How they started How 30 good ideas became great businesses BY David Lester
I devour business books but this one looks like a cut an paste job. It is trying to appeal to a large audience but it is set out like a reference book.
A good business book should mix facts with anecdotes and personal stories. It claims that their criteria for choosing was they were started by individuals, they are successful and they are a household name. Perhaps I hadn't been paying attention but they were a few I had not heard of . Out of 30 there were nineteen I had really heard of.
The good ones have been well covered elsewhere such as Dyson, Friends Reunited and Moneysupermarket .com.
People who think about starting businesses but ever get round to it cite two reasons ! I need a good idea 2 someone will steal my good idea. Perhaps there are no new ideas just variations on a theme. Even modern phenomena like Bebo never claimed to be the first just one of the more successful. Very rarely if ever does someone come up with a world beating new idea. even Dyson was just developing a better vacuum cleaner.
Another reviewer has commented on the section on what we can learn from these businesses as a group? that is 1 The X Factor 2 Minimal personal reward financially 4 Do what it says on the tin 5 Keep it simple 6 Work hard than you might think possible 7 Kept trying and believing 8 Who needs money? 8 Ambition 9 So what?
Can I make a plea for business book writers and journalist to stop telling us that X ! Quit the rat race" to start his own business. It is rubbish and boring.
Maybe a book for people who do not read the business pages but there are better books out there on ideas and how to start your own business. Business appears to have become the new Rock and Roll but on The Apprentice we see it is a lot harder than you think. Perfectly bright intelligent hard working people do not seem to be able to get it right.
They are uplifting stories but like the apprentices you should try just a basic business to start with to see if you have the staying power. The vast majority of the population will not make it in business because they are not hard working enough, do not have enough ambition and have an inability to work consistently every day.
A reasonable enough book but it did not inspire me to read it from cover to cover. I dipped into the ones that I liked.
Anyone can do it ....., 18 Feb 2008
Persistence is omnipotent, if you overcome the obstacles you will succeed in the end. The quantity of success stories in this book proves this.
It is possible to start with very little and then, through great endeavour, build a successful business.
Unfortunately, I found the book rather boring. You will learn and take away a little from those businesses that are similar to yours (or perhaps what you intend or hope to do), but with 30 chapters covering 30 businesses it becomes a little samey.
There are wise words in the introduction and a fair summary of what you will learn from the book on pages 3-5; the author effectively puts his conclusions at the beginning of the book:
What can we learn from these businesses as a group?
The X Factor - no single X-factor, but a collection of traits which drive people to succeed.
Minimal personal reward initially - most are not able to, or choose not to, take much money from the business at first.
Do what it says on the tin - focus on one idea - normal for startups.
Keep It Simple (Stupid) - stick to your knitting - focus on the one idea - and, of course, your customers.
Work harder than you might think possible - startup entrepreneurs tend to put in a lot of hours.
Keep trying and believing - it takes time - persistence is omnipotent.
Who needs money? - most start with minimal funding.
Ambition - you need passion and commitment to become successful - a desire to earn loads of money will probably not engender sufficient drive for the long-term.
So what? - "they needed extraordinary levels of passion, energy, self belief and stamina, the ability and desire to focus, and a good measure of judgement."
After that, I don't think that the next 235 pages are worth the effort.
Feeling of inspiration, 19 Jun 2007
I actually felt quite inspired after reading this book. It's so depressing reading how people have made millions from having started with quite a lot of money in the first place, but all these people seem to have done it just by persistence, self-belief and hard work.
Most people don't have a raft of multi-millionaire contacts in their back pocket, they've just got a really good idea and it's the getting started that the most difficult - these people all did it differently, but it's given me renewed hope and another blast of adrenaline.
SPARE ROOM START UP, 18 Aug 2008
Reviewed by serial entrepreneur Valerie Dwyer, founder of My Wonderful Life(tm) Coach and other enterprises. Gripping as any thriller, for an entrepreneur that is, this is the book to take you from rags to riches quicker than Cinderella - when you take the lessons. Oh! that this book had been around when I started my first enterprise at 18. I have met some of the featured entrepreneurs from these Case Studies and had the privilege to work with a number of home business start up entrepreneurs, including the late Dame Anita Roddick, and Emma Jones. This book gets the message across that they are just like us. Speaking from experience, starting a business from home is life changing but EASY! - when you know how. Spare Room Start Up is excellent not only for helping people to make that start, but it is a call to stand up and take pride that a home based business is the most sensible and cost-effective way for many people to test, launch and grow their business idea in a safe environment. This applies perhaps especially for people with illnesses, disabilities, children or caring responsibilities - And let's be clear, the lessons in this book also apply equally to all businesses.
Full of practical business and personal stuff; lots of brilliant Case Studies; easy to follow hints, tips and ideas; useful website links plus templates that you can use straight away for everything from sorting out your marketing plan to getting the pages of publicity that every business needs.
Spare Room Start Up fascinating, educational, practical, easy to read and understand, with valuable lessons taking you through the process step by step, it is also a very tactile book, lovely texture, packed with beautiful colour photographs - it its unputdownable! A present (Christmas is coming) for students, this book should be in all libraries and a recommended text for schools, colleges and universities. Make it available in crèches for the new generation of Mumpreneurs! Spare Room Start Up should be the handbook of all business advisers and business support agencies and organisations, including Business Links.
What's more, this is an excellent coffee table book for every home and reception area even doctor's surgeries - because it is great medicine. But watch out - it's just the right size to pop into your bag and walk away with! mywonderfullife@btinternet.com
The Perfect Business Springboard, 14 Jun 2008
Finally a book people can relate to, it's tough enough contemplating starting your own business but when most books are stuffy or written by larger corporate organisations in corporate speak, it makes it even harder. It's about time we had a perfect stepping stone to getting started in business. Lot's of time later for the heavy volumes, which still have a vital role, but not as your first read! This book guides you into the all important foundations, builds personal & business confidence, and explains the pro's and con's without scaring you off the idea. Having been a business owner for years I know that starting out is a giant step so congratulations to Emma Jones for being bold and breaking out of the world of old fashioned business books - let's hope there is more to follow! I will be recommending this book to my client's and friends as a helpful first step.
A Refreshing Change to the norm!!!, 02 Jun 2008
Just finished reading Spare Room Start Up and really enjoyed it. Having read a number of business start up books before setting up my own business I have to say what a breath of fresh air! The layout and pictures make it a really different type of book. I have really enjoyed it and find myself keeping it on my desk to flick through during the course of the day. The pictures and style is inspiring.
Well done!!
everything you need to know, 28 May 2008
I bought this book yesterday and read it in one night. I have been on a few business link start up courses and this covered absolutely everything I had been told and more. E.Jones backs up everything she says with website details and examples of other home business owners which is encouraging as they also so why they did it and the positive difference it has made to their lives.Easy to read and informally written, I also found that every question I had was answered. The author mentions a follow up , that Im sure will be just as good.
great read for any new business, 20 May 2008
Emmas book is both logical and practical (with nice photos which always helps). By following this book i am sure many spare room start up would have an easier start - i wish i had a chance to read this when we started The Baby Gurus, me from my back bedroom and Emma in her dining room - this book is ideal for any new start company looking to gain focus on the task ahead.
I would be lost without this book, 21 Apr 2008
Recently I started working for myself and last year I had to fill in a UK self-assessment tax return for the first time. When I got the tax form from the Tax Office my heart sank - there were so many things I had to fill that I didn't understand. Furthermore the guidance notes that came with the form seemed to assume a level of understanding that was far greater than mine. Luckily I found this book on Amazon - there is no way I could have filled in my tax return accurately without it!
It is packed with information on tax matters for small businesses and it is clearly written with loads of examples to help explain the various calculations. I found the sections on expenses, capital allowances and working from home especially helpful as I was previously uncertain what things were tax-deductible. For those with bigger operations there is plenty of information on employees, VAT, and buying or renting business premises as well as what to do if you are closing or selling your business.
JUST WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!, 30 Nov 2006
Having recently set up a small business and being useless with "tax things" I really had to get to grips with tax. This book's straight-talking, non-nonsense style told me exactly what I needed to do. I have only owned the book a few days but I am already more confident about tax.
What I liked about this book was the fact that I didn't have to read it all - but I read more than I thought I would.
The first three chapters got me started. I then read chapter 5 to see if I was working out my business profits correctly, chapter 7 to see how much tax I would save by buying equipment and chapter 10 because I was wondering whether to register for VAT. Excellent - Thanks sooooo much!
Highly effective ideas, 12 Mar 2008
I'm not quite sure what the previous reviewers problem with this book is. Although obviously you can't be all things to all people one of the great aspects to this book is that it HAS lots of anecdotes in it. Most of the "52 ways" are accompanied with an anecdote that explains how they have either used the tip in their own businesses or with other peoples. For me that was the big benefit. In other words it's not just theory. It's lots of great ideas and concrete examples of how they actually work in real life.
I was given the book by my coffee supplier who challenged me to take just one or two concepts and apply them to my business. Needless to say, since we don't value anything that we don't pay for, it sat around unopened until he asked me what I had applied. Somewhat sheepishly I replied that I hadn't even read it yet! I then read it in one evening and have now changed several aspects of my business and plan to apply many more. I created a couple of star products and got all my team on board to explain to customers why we are so proud of them. Sales of these items have dramatically increased. I totally changed the customer flow within my business and had a enlightening meeting with my staff where I did the "muffin test" and discovered that most of them thought I was keeping approximately £500 out of every £1000 that goes in the till!
Highly recommended.
This book is my little "friend"., 08 Feb 2008
A little story (and stories sell as you'll find out from Hugh and Johnnie)
I decided, like so many wage-slave dreamers, to finally take the big step and set up my own coffee bar about two years ago. I bought all the slightly tedious books that were out there about setting up coffee shops and worked my way through them. I also pored through the various bits of "set up a business" guff from the banks and then read a few "Go on, you can do it..." motivational books.
Armed with a remortgage, a nervous wife, our savings and a healthy slice of naiveté I opened my coffee bar. None of the books that I read or indeed none of the advice I received was wrong - it just wasn't enough. It just didn't fully prepare me for how bloody hard it is to make money out there and how far from being the idyllic lifestyle and dream it actually is.
I lost a clean fortune in the first two years (well a fortune to me anyway) and gradually realised that this is pretty much exactly what everyone does. I then chanced upon this book by the Ireland's "Coffee Boys" after seeing them speak at a conference. It may not be filled with lots of plans or tedious checklists but these guys really, really know their stuff.
Suddenly it felt like it was all "okay". It felt like here were people who really knew what they were talking about. They had either personally owned or advised dozens of businesses. They hadn't just written a book based on one personal example or because they'd been to business school. They'd made all the mistakes and come out the other side battered and bruised but capable of knowing exactly what it takes to make money in this type of business - even if you have a Starbucks or a Costa opening up right beside you. And they wrote in a refreshingly honest and entertaining way.
So armed with my new "friend" I have set about restructuring my little business in a number of crucial ways. I have finally understood that it is "about the money" and not about ego as they keep emphasising. I have finally understood the importance of stars on the menu, telling stories, keeping my eyes on the costs (every pound isn't equal don't forget) and indeed how to avoid "sour faced hags" and the "Grannie rule".
I walk the shop every day like a customer and have my staff do the same. I now have spotless toilets and have totally changed my customer flow. It's all common sense really but you sometimes need a book like this to keep the common sense at the forefront of your mind and keep some perspective from the madness and claustrophobia of running a coffee bar.
So what's wrong with it? Well I wish it was longer and I wish they had maybe shown a couple of physical examples in the direct marketing section. I also wish they'd give a little more information on recruiting and retaining staff. That continues to be a huge issue for me. But I'm nitpicking really.
So if you currently own or are vaguely thinking of opening a coffee bar or any type of coffee shop you really should buy this. It could save you a lot of money. I only wish it had been out when I was first opening my shop.
Coffe Bar King and Golf Star?, 15 Oct 2007
I found John Richardson through his scratch2scratch blog. He accomplished something I, and many many
other golfers only dream of, to shoot a perfect round of golf. I have been reading his golf blog for some
time now and have been deeply affected by his insights and advice regarding not only golf, but life in
general. I read his coffee shop book, because living in Hollywood, California, I am also a driven coffeeholic! This is the land of the quadruple (and larger) espresso and we take coffee consumption VERY
seriously.
I read this book hoping to learn more about one of my favorite subjects (coffee) with no intention of
actually starting a coffee shop. What I found was a wealth of information about the coffee shop business
and SO much more! I am an entrepreneur and record producer and have had some pretty reasonable
success on MTV and in films and television. In the age of digital downloads and changing technology
there is one thing that is more important than most everything else - HAPPY CUSTOMERS! John
Richardson has (yet again) made it very clear that the basics to most ANY business is customer
satisfaction, and the tools and attitdue he puts forth in in Wake Up and Smell The Profit are the
fundametntal building blocks of ANY successful business. Not only is it a good read, but it could be
considered a handbook for any entrepreneur that needs a refresher course or a wake up call.
Thanks again to my favorite golf writer for more valuable information on business, life and of
course coffee! Make mine a quadruple!
Coffee....and the rest., 12 Oct 2007
If you have a business, any business, and you're not rich, and you don't know why, or if you have ever thought, "I'm really good at what I do, why am I not more successful"..... this book was written for you. I come at this from a slightly odd angle. I have nothing to do with the cafe business. I'm a photographer. I was looking for marketing books when I came across this gem. What this book spells out is that the ability to make the best coffee in the world and the ability to run a successful coffee business are two distinct things. I have concentrated for years on taking better photographs and assumed the business would run itself....afterall I am a photographer. Not so. What this book lays out in the simplest forms is that so many of think the normal "rules" don't apply to us as we're busy doing what we do best. It is the wake up call. This book is more relevant to me than a lot of books written specifically for photographers. A lot of it may seem painfully obvious, but it works. I wish it had been written years ago.
Good read, 09 Oct 2007
Great, easy to understand, advice from people who really understand the business. Some of their "true stories" had me laughing out loud since they so clearly mirror the mistakes I have made too. There is some really invaluable advice for people starting out but also dozens of great tips for wizened veterans like myself who think we know it all but seem to have forgotten a lot of it!
A genuinely helpful guide to starting a business, 29 Jan 2008
I was pleasantlY surprised at how useful this book really is. As a new business owner i've found that the advice and tips the author gives are sensible and realistic. He also tells what not to do and how to deal with problems when they arise. I'd thoroughly recommend anyone who is starting a new business to buy this book. The chapter at the end about the author's business journey is a really good read too!
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Customer Reviews
Really interesting, 20 Nov 2008
I really enjoyed this book - especially the chapters on the better known brands like Pizza Express and Cobra Beer. It's really inspiring to find out how these huge businesses started. Inspired me to think more about my dreams to start a business myself. Would agree with the other review though - not all are household names, but the stories are equally as interesting.
I guess the main message of the book is: if you've got an idea, go for it. You never know where it'll lead.
superficial, 30 Aug 2008
I think another reviewer here said that this looked like a cut and paste job. That pretty much sums it up. Appears to be little or no original research. The analysis of the secret of their success, whether in the approach they took, their innate character or their ideas seems very superficial.
Clearly some of the individuals profiled had no time for the author or just had absolutely nothing insightful to say. A real pity, because it would have been great to have found inspiration, hope and ideas from great entrepreneurs.
Plenty of good ideas , 01 May 2008
How they started How 30 good ideas became great businesses BY David Lester
I devour business books but this one looks like a cut an paste job. It is trying to appeal to a large audience but it is set out like a reference book.
A good business book should mix facts with anecdotes and personal stories. It claims that their criteria for choosing was they were started by individuals, they are successful and they are a household name. Perhaps I hadn't been paying attention but they were a few I had not heard of . Out of 30 there were nineteen I had really heard of.
The good ones have been well covered elsewhere such as Dyson, Friends Reunited and Moneysupermarket .com.
People who think about starting businesses but ever get round to it cite two reasons ! I need a good idea 2 someone will steal my good idea. Perhaps there are no new ideas just variations on a theme. Even modern phenomena like Bebo never claimed to be the first just one of the more successful. Very rarely if ever does someone come up with a world beating new idea. even Dyson was just developing a better vacuum cleaner.
Another reviewer has commented on the section on what we can learn from these businesses as a group? that is 1 The X Factor 2 Minimal personal reward financially 4 Do what it says on the tin 5 Keep it simple 6 Work hard than you might think possible 7 Kept trying and believing 8 Who needs money? 8 Ambition 9 So what?
Can I make a plea for business book writers and journalist to stop telling us that X ! Quit the rat race" to start his own business. It is rubbish and boring.
Maybe a book for people who do not read the business pages but there are better books out there on ideas and how to start your own business. Business appears to have become the new Rock and Roll but on The Apprentice we see it is a lot harder than you think. Perfectly bright intelligent hard working people do not seem to be able to get it right.
They are uplifting stories but like the apprentices you should try just a basic business to start with to see if you have the staying power. The vast majority of the population will not make it in business because they are not hard working enough, do not have enough ambition and have an inability to work consistently every day.
A reasonable enough book but it did not inspire me to read it from cover to cover. I dipped into the ones that I liked.
Anyone can do it ....., 18 Feb 2008
Persistence is omnipotent, if you overcome the obstacles you will succeed in the end. The quantity of success stories in this book proves this.
It is possible to start with very little and then, through great endeavour, build a successful business.
Unfortunately, I found the book rather boring. You will learn and take away a little from those businesses that are similar to yours (or perhaps what you intend or hope to do), but with 30 chapters covering 30 businesses it becomes a little samey.
There are wise words in the introduction and a fair summary of what you will learn from the book on pages 3-5; the author effectively puts his conclusions at the beginning of the book:
What can we learn from these businesses as a group?
The X Factor - no single X-factor, but a collection of traits which drive people to succeed.
Minimal personal reward initially - most are not able to, or choose not to, take much money from the business at first.
Do what it says on the tin - focus on one idea - normal for startups.
Keep It Simple (Stupid) - stick to your knitting - focus on the one idea - and, of course, your customers.
Work harder than you might think possible - startup entrepreneurs tend to put in a lot of hours.
Keep trying and believing - it takes time - persistence is omnipotent.
Who needs money? - most start with minimal funding.
Ambition - you need passion and commitment to become successful - a desire to earn loads of money will probably not engender sufficient drive for the long-term.
So what? - "they needed extraordinary levels of passion, energy, self belief and stamina, the ability and desire to focus, and a good measure of judgement."
After that, I don't think that the next 235 pages are worth the effort.
Feeling of inspiration, 19 Jun 2007
I actually felt quite inspired after reading this book. It's so depressing reading how people have made millions from having started with quite a lot of money in the first place, but all these people seem to have done it just by persistence, self-belief and hard work.
Most people don't have a raft of multi-millionaire contacts in their back pocket, they've just got a really good idea and it's the getting started that the most difficult - these people all did it differently, but it's given me renewed hope and another blast of adrenaline.
SPARE ROOM START UP, 18 Aug 2008
Reviewed by serial entrepreneur Valerie Dwyer, founder of My Wonderful Life(tm) Coach and other enterprises. Gripping as any thriller, for an entrepreneur that is, this is the book to take you from rags to riches quicker than Cinderella - when you take the lessons. Oh! that this book had been around when I started my first enterprise at 18. I have met some of the featured entrepreneurs from these Case Studies and had the privilege to work with a number of home business start up entrepreneurs, including the late Dame Anita Roddick, and Emma Jones. This book gets the message across that they are just like us. Speaking from experience, starting a business from home is life changing but EASY! - when you know how. Spare Room Start Up is excellent not only for helping people to make that start, but it is a call to stand up and take pride that a home based business is the most sensible and cost-effective way for many people to test, launch and grow their business idea in a safe environment. This applies perhaps especially for people with illnesses, disabilities, children or caring responsibilities - And let's be clear, the lessons in this book also apply equally to all businesses.
Full of practical business and personal stuff; lots of brilliant Case Studies; easy to follow hints, tips and ideas; useful website links plus templates that you can use straight away for everything from sorting out your marketing plan to getting the pages of publicity that every business needs.
Spare Room Start Up fascinating, educational, practical, easy to read and understand, with valuable lessons taking you through the process step by step, it is also a very tactile book, lovely texture, packed with beautiful colour photographs - it its unputdownable! A present (Christmas is coming) for students, this book should be in all libraries and a recommended text for schools, colleges and universities. Make it available in crèches for the new generation of Mumpreneurs! Spare Room Start Up should be the handbook of all business advisers and business support agencies and organisations, including Business Links.
What's more, this is an excellent coffee table book for every home and reception area even doctor's surgeries - because it is great medicine. But watch out - it's just the right size to pop into your bag and walk away with! mywonderfullife@btinternet.com
The Perfect Business Springboard, 14 Jun 2008
Finally a book people can relate to, it's tough enough contemplating starting your own business but when most books are stuffy or written by larger corporate organisations in corporate speak, it makes it even harder. It's about time we had a perfect stepping stone to getting started in business. Lot's of time later for the heavy volumes, which still have a vital role, but not as your first read! This book guides you into the all important foundations, builds personal & business confidence, and explains the pro's and con's without scaring you off the idea. Having been a business owner for years I know that starting out is a giant step so congratulations to Emma Jones for being bold and breaking out of the world of old fashioned business books - let's hope there is more to follow! I will be recommending this book to my client's and friends as a helpful first step.
A Refreshing Change to the norm!!!, 02 Jun 2008
Just finished reading Spare Room Start Up and really enjoyed it. Having read a number of business start up books before setting up my own business I have to say what a breath of fresh air! The layout and pictures make it a really different type of book. I have really enjoyed it and find myself keeping it on my desk to flick through during the course of the day. The pictures and style is inspiring.
Well done!!
everything you need to know, 28 May 2008
I bought this book yesterday and read it in one night. I have been on a few business link start up courses and this covered absolutely everything I had been told and more. E.Jones backs up everything she says with website details and examples of other home business owners which is encouraging as they also so why they did it and the positive difference it has made to their lives.Easy to read and informally written, I also found that every question I had was answered. The author mentions a follow up , that Im sure will be just as good.
great read for any new business, 20 May 2008
Emmas book is both logical and practical (with nice photos which always helps). By following this book i am sure many spare room start up would have an easier start - i wish i had a chance to read this when we started The Baby Gurus, me from my back bedroom and Emma in her dining room - this book is ideal for any new start company looking to gain focus on the task ahead.
I would be lost without this book, 21 Apr 2008
Recently I started working for myself and last year I had to fill in a UK self-assessment tax return for the first time. When I got the tax form from the Tax Office my heart sank - there were so many things I had to fill that I didn't understand. Furthermore the guidance notes that came with the form seemed to assume a level of understanding that was far greater than mine. Luckily I found this book on Amazon - there is no way I could have filled in my tax return accurately without it!
It is packed with information on tax matters for small businesses and it is clearly written with loads of examples to help explain the various calculations. I found the sections on expenses, capital allowances and working from home especially helpful as I was previously uncertain what things were tax-deductible. For those with bigger operations there is plenty of information on employees, VAT, and buying or renting business premises as well as what to do if you are closing or selling your business.
JUST WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!, 30 Nov 2006
Having recently set up a small business and being useless with "tax things" I really had to get to grips with tax. This book's straight-talking, non-nonsense style told me exactly what I needed to do. I have only owned the book a few days but I am already more confident about tax.
What I liked about this book was the fact that I didn't have to read it all - but I read more than I thought I would.
The first three chapters got me started. I then read chapter 5 to see if I was working out my business profits correctly, chapter 7 to see how much tax I would save by buying equipment and chapter 10 because I was wondering whether to register for VAT. Excellent - Thanks sooooo much!
Highly effective ideas, 12 Mar 2008
I'm not quite sure what the previous reviewers problem with this book is. Although obviously you can't be all things to all people one of the great aspects to this book is that it HAS lots of anecdotes in it. Most of the "52 ways" are accompanied with an anecdote that explains how they have either used the tip in their own businesses or with other peoples. For me that was the big benefit. In other words it's not just theory. It's lots of great ideas and concrete examples of how they actually work in real life.
I was given the book by my coffee supplier who challenged me to take just one or two concepts and apply them to my business. Needless to say, since we don't value anything that we don't pay for, it sat around unopened until he asked me what I had applied. Somewhat sheepishly I replied that I hadn't even read it yet! I then read it in one evening and have now changed several aspects of my business and plan to apply many more. I created a couple of star products and got all my team on board to explain to customers why we are so proud of them. Sales of these items have dramatically increased. I totally changed the customer flow within my business and had a enlightening meeting with my staff where I did the "muffin test" and discovered that most of them thought I was keeping approximately £500 out of every £1000 that goes in the till!
Highly recommended.
This book is my little "friend"., 08 Feb 2008
A little story (and stories sell as you'll find out from Hugh and Johnnie)
I decided, like so many wage-slave dreamers, to finally take the big step and set up my own coffee bar about two years ago. I bought all the slightly tedious books that were out there about setting up coffee shops and worked my way through them. I also pored through the various bits of "set up a business" guff from the banks and then read a few "Go on, you can do it..." motivational books.
Armed with a remortgage, a nervous wife, our savings and a healthy slice of naiveté I opened my coffee bar. None of the books that I read or indeed none of the advice I received was wrong - it just wasn't enough. It just didn't fully prepare me for how bloody hard it is to make money out there and how far from being the idyllic lifestyle and dream it actually is.
I lost a clean fortune in the first two years (well a fortune to me anyway) and gradually realised that this is pretty much exactly what everyone does. I then chanced upon this book by the Ireland's "Coffee Boys" after seeing them speak at a conference. It may not be filled with lots of plans or tedious checklists but these guys really, really know their stuff.
Suddenly it felt like it was all "okay". It felt like here were people who really knew what they were talking about. They had either personally owned or advised dozens of businesses. They hadn't just written a book based on one personal example or because they'd been to business school. They'd made all the mistakes and come out the other side battered and bruised but capable of knowing exactly what it takes to make money in this type of business - even if you have a Starbucks or a Costa opening up right beside you. And they wrote in a refreshingly honest and entertaining way.
So armed with my new "friend" I have set about restructuring my little business in a number of crucial ways. I have finally understood that it is "about the money" and not about ego as they keep emphasising. I have finally understood the importance of stars on the menu, telling stories, keeping my eyes on the costs (every pound isn't equal don't forget) and indeed how to avoid "sour faced hags" and the "Grannie rule".
I walk the shop every day like a customer and have my staff do the same. I now have spotless toilets and have totally changed my customer flow. It's all common sense really but you sometimes need a book like this to keep the common sense at the forefront of your mind and keep some perspective from the madness and claustrophobia of running a coffee bar.
So what's wrong with it? Well I wish it was longer and I wish they had maybe shown a couple of physical examples in the direct marketing section. I also wish they'd give a little more information on recruiting and retaining staff. That continues to be a huge issue for me. But I'm nitpicking really.
So if you currently own or are vaguely thinking of opening a coffee bar or any type of coffee shop you really should buy this. It could save you a lot of money. I only wish it had been out when I was first opening my shop.
Coffe Bar King and Golf Star?, 15 Oct 2007
I found John Richardson through his scratch2scratch blog. He accomplished something I, and many many
other golfers only dream of, to shoot a perfect round of golf. I have been reading his golf blog for some
time now and have been deeply affected by his insights and advice regarding not only golf, but life in
general. I read his coffee shop book, because living in Hollywood, California, I am also a driven coffeeholic! This is the land of the quadruple (and larger) espresso and we take coffee consumption VERY
seriously.
I read this book hoping to learn more about one of my favorite subjects (coffee) with no intention of
actually starting a coffee shop. What I found was a wealth of information about the coffee shop business
and SO much more! I am an entrepreneur and record producer and have had some pretty reasonable
success on MTV and in films and television. In the age of digital downloads and changing technology
there is one thing that is more important than most everything else - HAPPY CUSTOMERS! John
Richardson has (yet again) made it very clear that the basics to most ANY business is customer
satisfaction, and the tools and attitdue he puts forth in in Wake Up and Smell The Profit are the
fundametntal building blocks of ANY successful business. Not only is it a good read, but it could be
considered a handbook for any entrepreneur that needs a refresher course or a wake up call.
Thanks again to my favorite golf writer for more valuable information on business, life and of
course coffee! Make mine a quadruple!
Coffee....and the rest., 12 Oct 2007
If you have a business, any business, and you're not rich, and you don't know why, or if you have ever thought, "I'm really good at what I do, why am I not more successful"..... this book was written for you. I come at this from a slightly odd angle. I have nothing to do with the cafe business. I'm a photographer. I was looking for marketing books when I came across this gem. What this book spells out is that the ability to make the best coffee in the world and the ability to run a successful coffee business are two distinct things. I have concentrated for years on taking better photographs and assumed the business would run itself....afterall I am a photographer. Not so. What this book lays out in the simplest forms is that so many of think the normal "rules" don't apply to us as we're busy doing what we do best. It is the wake up call. This book is more relevant to me than a lot of books written specifically for photographers. A lot of it may seem painfully obvious, but it works. I wish it had been written years ago.
Good read, 09 Oct 2007
Great, easy to understand, advice from people who really understand the business. Some of their "true stories" had me laughing out loud since they so clearly mirror the mistakes I have made too. There is some really invaluable advice for people starting out but also dozens of great tips for wizened veterans like myself who think we know it all but seem to have forgotten a lot of it!
A genuinely helpful guide to starting a business, 29 Jan 2008
I was pleasantlY surprised at how useful this book really is. As a new business owner i've found that the advice and tips the author gives are sensible and realistic. He also tells what not to do and how to deal with problems when they arise. I'd thoroughly recommend anyone who is starting a new business to buy this book. The chapter at the end about the author's business journey is a really good read too!
A Godsend...., 07 Nov 2007
I am new to investing in property and found the that book answered many of the questions that I had in relation to investing in the property market.
It is written in a clear and intelligent way with many helpful tips.
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Customer Reviews
Really interesting, 20 Nov 2008
I really enjoyed this book - especially the chapters on the better known brands like Pizza Express and Cobra Beer. It's really inspiring to find out how these huge businesses started. Inspired me to think more about my dreams to start a business myself. Would agree with the other review though - not all are household names, but the stories are equally as interesting.
I guess the main message of the book is: if you've got an idea, go for it. You never know where it'll lead.
superficial, 30 Aug 2008
I think another reviewer here said that this looked like a cut and paste job. That pretty much sums it up. Appears to be little or no original research. The analysis of the secret of their success, whether in the approach they took, their innate character or their ideas seems very superficial.
Clearly some of the individuals profiled had no time for the author or just had absolutely nothing insightful to say. A real pity, because it would have been great to have found inspiration, hope and ideas from great entrepreneurs.
Plenty of good ideas , 01 May 2008
How they started How 30 good ideas became great businesses BY David Lester
I devour business books but this one looks like a cut an paste job. It is trying to appeal to a large audience but it is set out like a reference book.
A good business book should mix facts with anecdotes and personal stories. It claims that their criteria for choosing was they were started by individuals, they are successful and they are a household name. Perhaps I hadn't been paying attention but they were a few I had not heard of . Out of 30 there were nineteen I had really heard of.
The good ones have been well covered elsewhere such as Dyson, Friends Reunited and Moneysupermarket .com.
People who think about starting businesses but ever get round to it cite two reasons ! I need a good idea 2 someone will steal my good idea. Perhaps there are no new ideas just variations on a theme. Even modern phenomena like Bebo never claimed to be the first just one of the more successful. Very rarely if ever does someone come up with a world beating new idea. even Dyson was just developing a better vacuum cleaner.
Another reviewer has commented on the section on what we can learn from these businesses as a group? that is 1 The X Factor 2 Minimal personal reward financially 4 Do what it says on the tin 5 Keep it simple 6 Work hard than you might think possible 7 Kept trying and believing 8 Who needs money? 8 Ambition 9 So what?
Can I make a plea for business book writers and journalist to stop telling us that X ! Quit the rat race" to start his own business. It is rubbish and boring.
Maybe a book for people who do not read the business pages but there are better books out there on ideas and how to start your own business. Business appears to have become the new Rock and Roll but on The Apprentice we see it is a lot harder than you think. Perfectly bright intelligent hard working people do not seem to be able to get it right.
They are uplifting stories but like the apprentices you should try just a basic business to start with to see if you have the staying power. The vast majority of the population will not make it in business because they are not hard working enough, do not have enough ambition and have an inability to work consistently every day.
A reasonable enough book but it did not inspire me to read it from cover to cover. I dipped into the ones that I liked.
Anyone can do it ....., 18 Feb 2008
Persistence is omnipotent, if you overcome the obstacles you will succeed in the end. The quantity of success stories in this book proves this.
It is possible to start with very little and then | | |