Customer Reviews

The Entrepreneur Next Door : Discover the Secrets to Financial Independence

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Wagner's book delivers a clear-cut, no BS, analysis that helps you determine your personality type with a free on-line assessment. He then relates the personality types and their strengths and weaknesses to those of successful entrepreneurs. This is the most hard hitting and helpful of any of these tests I have seen. And the book's ability to help you interpret the results in a way that has immediate meaning for you is unique.

Wagner explains how the elements of each of 7 personality types relate to the roles and demands involved in being a successful entrepreneur. He describes in detail how those who want to be entrepreneurs, but are not natural leaders, can select businesses best suited for their strengths and work around their weaknesses.

If everyone interested in owning a business would read this book, some would keep their day jobs, and the others would be much more likely to be happy and successful because they chose a role and business that "fits" them.

As a long-time enterepreneur and multiple business owner, I find the book full of extraordinarily valuable insights. I just wish I had known them earlier.

WOW! I couldn't put it down. I read the entire thing in one sitting and it is full of notes and stars and underlines. It is like having Bill Wagner in a Book! I've known something about the science of psychometrics for years now, and this work makes it more understandable and user friendly, but more importantly, it reflects compassion and a balance for using it in a way to grow people and organizations using Bill's four tier process. This is a complete tour de force on unveiling the secrets of getting the right people on the bus. (And making sure you are prepared to drive) I will be recommending it as required reading to my CEO clients.

The Entrepreneur Next Door is a must read for anyone contemplating becoming an entrepreneur. The book provides valuable insight into the personal traits of successful entrepreneurs. The findings are based on research and empirical evidence from over 1500 entrepreneurs. The book goes into detail about the different personality factors that influence whether a person is an entrepreneur or what Bill calls a "wantapreneur." The book provides insight into each factor and what each factor means in terms of your ability to be a successful entrepreneur. It is an easy read and highly informative.

The diagnostic tool can help you quickly determine your personality profile. The personal action plan guides you through a process of looking at your strengths and those areas where you may need to make some changes. Through these exercises you get a better perspective on the challenges and opportunities of being a successful entrepreneur. Before you decide to take the leap I recommend you read The Entrepreneur Next Door. As an experienced entrepreneur and intrapreneur this book helped me see why some entrepreneurs are successful and why others are not.

This is one one of the best best books I have ever read on how our inherrent personality affects our behaviors and influences the actions we take (or don't) to achieve our goals. This is a great read and I enjoyed taking the online test (Trailblazer). In a world full of self help books, this book is enormously helpful in it's recommendations on how we can mitigate negative entreprenurial behaviors by understanding our basic personality. This is tranformative stuff. No matter what you aspire to do, this book should help you stay on track and reach your potential. A must read.

Excellent book that gave me helpful insight for my own career and that of managing others.

This book is very insightful. At the beginning I wasn't sure if Bill Wagner was accurate in the assessment of my personality, but as I continued to read it was evident that he was right on. I now know why self help books in the past have not worked for me. This book is a must read for anyone that wants to succeed.

The Entrepreneur next door explains just what makes up the entrepreneurial spirit and how it is different from others. This book will help you to understand why entrepreneurs can start a business while others can't seem to get past dreaming, take a test to find out if you have what it takes to start your own business, be succesful and make more money.

Great business books not only tell you how it is - but also call you to action. Read it and act!

Reviewed by Stephanie Rollins for Reader Views (8/06)


"The Entrepreneur Next Door" by Jeffrey Gitomer explains in detail what we entrepreneurs already know--we are different than most people. Gitomer discusses the different entrepreneur personalities, from trailblazers to collaborators. He gives examples of how each personality type handles different situations, their strengths, and their weaknesses. It describes how each personality leads and conducts business, what kinds of businesses they may have, and what motivates them. It also details the selling style of each personality.

There are many quotations from entrepreneurs throughout the book that others will relate to. "The Entrepreneur Next Door" has large font and is easy-to-read.

Throughout the book, I kept asking myself, "What is the point?" If you already are an entrepreneur, you already know that you are different than those who work for others. If the book was condensed to the quotations and tangents, it would have been both enjoyable and efficient. There were several points in the book that were specific for salespeople; however, not all entrepreneurs are into sales. This book may be a tool for those taking an entrepreneurial class, but for real-world guidance, it will not be an asset. Real entrepreneurs do not have time to read such a wordy book.

Received book free of charge.

I couldn't put this book down. Once you start reading it you have to finish it - that day! This book is straight forward, informative, and will help you with any business endeavor. If you have your own business, or have ever considered it, this book will be a true asset for you.