Customer Reviews

Entrepreneurship.Com

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

 

 

As I write this, the Nasdaq has fallen below 2200. This would be a horrible time to come out with one of those arrogant, jargon-filled, air-headed books celebrating Internet mania.

Fortunately, Tim Burns instead takes a back-to-basics approach to Internet entrepreneurship. He correctly identifies the genuine characteristics of the New Economy, e.g., "The new organizational wealth no longer centers around physical capital but around intellectual capital." (p. 22) But he advocates traditional business discipline rather than throwing the rulebook out the window.

In theory, a book about starting an Internet business might have to cover economic theory, business strategy, accounting, law, and finance, as well as describe the technical features and business implications of the Internet. In practice, an author has to pick and choose.

Burns puts emphasis on

--analysis of business opportunities (particularly in chapter 2, where he contrasts ten fallacies of Internet entrepreneurship with he calls the "reality-based Internet business model.")

--advice about creating a business plan

--principles of accounting (Burns' background is particularly strong here)

On the other hand, the discussions of Internet marketing tactics tend to be few and far between. Someone seeking advice on designing and promoting a web site or on email marketing would have to look elsewhere.

I think that this book best serves someone who never went to business school and who wants to fill in some knowledge gaps before launching a new enterprise. It's a lot less expensive than going back for your MBA.

Finally, someone who really knows what it's like to raise investment capital for these dot coms has written a book that tells it like it is. This book is extremely easy to read and understand. Although I would consider this book a quick read (meaning it was written with the reader in mind), it is chock full of great information. Having spent my past 15 years assisting startup and emerging growth companies with their capital raising efforts as a profession, I've literally read all the books on raising investment capital to keep up-to-date on areas that perhaps I had overlooked. Quite frankly, with very, very few exceptions, the books are boring and offer no real valuable insight. I found Tim's book to be extremely valuable and as a matter of course all of our clients will receive a copy. Although the content of Entrepreneurship.Com is focused on dotcoms I would recommend this book for anyone who is trying to raise investment capital or attract a strategic partner, regardless of the industry. The blueprint that Tim has set forth is solid for any business model or industry and his "E-Plan" approach is excellent for the dotcom business models. Great book and this is one customer who highly recommends it.

What an insightful book on starting a business in the New Economy. I found the book easy to read and full of interesting examples. Most of all, I liked the logical flow of the information presented. If you want to avoid some of the mistakes of the dot com failures, then I would recommend that you buy this book.

As a practicing CPA with a number of technology companies as clients, I find this book an excellent overview of starting and running a technology business. The discussion on accounting was very useful, particularly as Internet firms are struggling to achieve profitability. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to succeed in the competitive environment of the new economy.

Entrepreneurship.com is full of information about how to create, fund and run a successful dot.com company. It has the obvious information about venture capitalists as well as lesser known but more likely funding sources. Further, the book provides useful and understandable information on how to write a successful business plan, a prerequisite to doing business whether as a traditional brick and mortar company or a newer dot.com. East to read, and full of great information!Dot.coms aren't dead... they just need to read this book to learn how to succeed.

I rented this book in Library, its contents were excellent. Author gives a detail explanation about How to create business plan. I like this book, am ordering for my own copy in Amazon!!

I got duped into buying this one based on the rave reviews here and elsewhere. It is very superficial in its treatment of the subject and there are errors - For eg., one of the earlier chapters talks about Valuation Analysis and how it will be covered in a later chapter. There is no such coverage of Valuation later in the book.
To summarize: Dont waste your precious dollars on this one.

There should exist a higher rating for this introductory book on setting up an ebusiness. The author explains the basics of starting a business, and integrates setting up an ebusiness. I've read other books but most are not as well-written, concise, with a no-nonsense approach to giving the reader exactly what he needs to know to set up an ebusiness. For the novice, or the experienced business person, wanting to set up an ebusiness, this is the best book I've seen. Easy, quick reading, and excellent advice.

Internet based businesses and business with a significant Internet component to their commercial activities are with us to stay. As with any other major revolution in how goods and services are generated, marketed, distributed, and provided, there is a critical need for a comprehensive, authoritative, "user friendly" introduction and guide for the aspiring entrepreneur as to how best to prepare for, and take advantage, of what the new technologies have to offer and can best be utilized. Tim Burns' Entrepreneurship.com is precisely that kind of "how to" manual deftly showing how to identify, evaluate, and capitalize on the new opportunities the computer age of the Internet has to offer; how to create an effective "Dot.com" business plan; the acquisition of financing (including venture capital); and transforming an existing "bricks and mortar" company into an "E-business".

There needs to be more books like Mr Burns book. There are many individuals in this society who are well educated and are reluctant to get involved with the technology of today. Making this book available to them would be a great step in breaking down this barrier. He has an excellent grasp of his subject matter and I would appreciate being notified if there is a sequel.