Customer Reviews

Built to Sell: Turn Your Business Into One You Can Sell

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Built to Sell
by John Warrillow
flipjetmedia, 2010
160 pages, $25.95

THE GOOD
This is a book every entrepreneur must read, whether or not they are going to sell their business. Years ago I read a book stating that there are people good at starting an enterprise, those who can make it profitable, others who excel at sustaining it and finally, a unique few individuals who can figure out how to profitably get out from under it. A business needs all four. This book dramatizes how one person can accomplish each of these steps. As someone who ran a small ad agency for ten years like the one used as an example, I didn't see the slightest misstep in this examination of the ups and downs of owning a business. We all need a light at the end of the tunnel.

THE BAD
According to the author the secret to business success seems to be to move from a service provider to providing a unique product (or product-like service). Two problems: 1) There are businesses that don't follow this model that are successful, 2) Things change and the context in which these products are offered is variable.

& WHAT BUGS ME
Oh, how I wish I could have had this book back then! These are the elements a business owner needs to come to terms with (and some of the reasons why he or she has a hard time doing that). $[...] is expensive for a little book, but it is the best business investment you will ever make.

Buy It: X Library: Skip It:

John Lehman, [...]

Every business owner should read this book twice - once before they start their business plan and once after they finish it. Not every business is started with the intent of being sold, but if you grow a business to the point where it pays the bills and you want it to be more than a job, you've got some things to consider as you evolve. Doing the things right now that can make your business built to sell is just smart business and I think this is one of the first books I've read that presents the right way to look at your business and the simple, practical steps you can take to get the most when it's time to move on or retire.

John Jantsch author of The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself

Built to Sell is a simple and practical must read for anyone who is building a business. It summed up a lot of issues and challenges that many business onwers grapple with. It is a great blueprint to follow. It was easy to read, easy to understand and easy to describe to someone else. This is exactly what makes a great story. Forgot theory and 100,000 foot thinking - this is a hands-on action plan told in an entertaining way.

Great read. Simply laid out. Thankfully not a textbook style. 1 year or 10 years into owning a business - you will see something of yourself in the characters.

The information contained within this book is easily worth the cost of the book itself. This book is definitely a must for any aspiring entrepreneur or even current business owners who have always wanted "freedom."

I read Built to Sell right after it was released and have since read it three more times (something I have never done before with a business book - it's that good and actually enjoyable to read). Anyone who owns a "typical" services firm should read this to understand how to turn your business into one that is valuable. The lessons in the book made me completely rethink the products and services my business offers.

I saw that one reviewer was critical of the story format for the book. I couldn't disagree more. I think this format is so much more compelling than your typical business book that it makes me wonder why more business books aren't written this way. I've found that I get all the way through other business books and remember almost nothing afterward, whereas the story approach made the lessons more memorable and "sticky."

My only small critique is I would have liked a little more clarification or examples on the client value/ease of teaching chart at the end of the book, but can see why this would be difficult to do since it varies so much from business-to-business. Other than that, it's great...

On a side note, I would recommend going to the book's website ([...]) and signing up for the email updates. Many of his articles and interviews are just as valuable as what is outlined in the book, especially posts like the recent interview with Jason Fried of 37signals.

Over the years I have read many business books, some OK, some that bear little relevance to my situation as a small business owner, and almost all of them, very, very dry.

"Built to Sell" is not only the most useful book I have read in terms of building our business, it is a very easy and entertaining read. The author clearly understands the pressures, the worries and the joys of running a small business and it is easy to feel connected in the characters portrayed.

And as for the advice given, it works.

In 6 months we have grown and become more viable than we have been in our 14 years in business, despite these difficult economic times. We are now confident that we really are moving in the right direction in terms of building a business we really can sell, and the numbers are proving that we are on the right track.

I've been recommending this book to pretty much everyone I know in business and that is not something I have ever done before.

Thank you John Warrillow!

Good book that is very easy to read....Recommend it to small business leaders with a service based business to help them see the light of the exit.

Key take-aways:
- Always sell a product, NOT a service
- Focus on your core specialty with the courage to say NO for non-core work
- Sell the vision of a bigger and better business with the acquirer and that you want to be part of ride....

As an entrepreneur, you want to build something bigger than yourself...NOT build yourself a job!

I love books where people teach you how they learned from their own mistakes. Not every business can be sold, but if you grow a business to the point where it is generating real revenue with a signature product, process or service, you will want to have things in place so that it can be sold. The kinds of things you need to have in place are laid out in excellent detail in this short book by John Warrillow. He uses a fictional character in the book to illustrate his points. Doing the right things up front will make your business built to sell. Follow the simple, practical steps in Built to Sell, so that you can get the most when it's time to move on, pass it down ,or retire

Melinda Emerson " Smallbizlady"
Author Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business that Works

As an entrepreneur, consultant and business owner, I know I will look back at this book as a defining moment for my business. To date, the work we do needs me to do it. It seemed the only way to grow the business was to work harder. This book provides a blueprint for turning a service into a product that can be scaled and duplicated, and I have begun the process. Thanks you to the authors for the story format. I was able to internalize the lessons from a practical rather than theoretical perspective. Whether I sell the business one day or not, I have learned some very practical strategies for business growth.I highly recommend this book to entrepreneurs.