Customer Reviews

The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business: Candid Advice, Frank Talk, and True Stories for the Successful Entrepreneur

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read this book with the question, "Would I have benefited from this book when I started my own business?"

The answer is, "In some ways, yes." The authors create an energetic spirit through their upbeat, easy-to-read style. You find yourself saying, "Sure -- I can do this!" And, although increasing numbers of women are opening their own businesses, many identify with gender-based guides.

The authors focus as much on product as service businesses, and they discuss businesses with employees as well as solo acts. As a result, they offer a broad base, recognizing that readers must go elsewhere to achieve depth on any one topic.

The usefulness of specific guidance varies a great deal. The authors are best when dealing with matters of spirit and attitude. For example: "Keep emotions at home," "employees are not friends," and "recite these ten mantras regularly."

However, the section on mentoring can be misleading to a newbie. As a former academic, I had to chuckle when I read (p. 227): "Maybe the dean of the business school is a generous and knowledgeable soul who likes nothing more than to give advice to female entrepreneurs." In my experience, deans give free advice only to those outsiders who are likely to become large-scale donors. And I haven't met too many business school deans who are "generous and knowledgeable souls." These days, you have to expect to pay for mentors unless you are very, very lucky.

So bottom line, I'd recommend reading this book for energy and a "let's get going" mentality. You can get the specific how-tos elsewhere.

I love this book. This is aimed for women who want to start their own business. It's the only business book that I've read and its pretty easy to follow, the girls breakdown what you need to know, how to go about doing your own business, they're very inspiring and encouraging. They give you advice on how to deal with a lot of stuff when it comes to having your own business. Everything about having a plan to starting and keeping your business. Its so wonderful. There are lots of books out there about having your own business, and this is the one to buy if you're just starting out.

The book covers subjects like: if you're ready to own your own business, which business is right for you, legalities like licenses, permits, financials, funding, a business plan, promoting your business or product, what to do when you're the boss, acting like a professional, technology for your business, they also cover proposals, presentations and other business writing, at the end they give websites and other advice to finish off the book.

I'm glad that this book has been published, the advice in this book is very realistic. You can apply this advice in your life. These girls know what they're talking about.

The Girl's Guide is an inspirational how-to book for women entrepreneurs, sprinkled with stories of actual women business owners, self-quizes, and lists of movies/music/books. But in giving a big overview, it is short in details and specific how-to's. And, by trying to be everything to everyone, it is not specific to any particular kind of business ... traditional brick-and-mortar vs internet, service vs. product, solopreneur vs employee-based, etc.

Pros:
-Written for women, addressing unique issues, such as dressing for business meetings and the problems of being "nice"
-Give a big, high-level overview of the opening of a business

Cons:
-Assumes that to grow you will need employees (not true in the age of virtual assistants and outsourcing) and a long business plan (not true in the age of the one page business plan)
-Assumes your web designer will know about web/email marketing and sales (many web designers are graphic designers, not marketing gurus)
-Assumes you will want a brick-and-mortar type-business, not an internet-only home business (and that if you start out working from home, it's a way to save money, not a business style)
-Gives some financial, legal, internet, and marketing advice that is out of date (i.e., states now permit one-person LLCs)

If you want a book specific to your new business, or that gives you a step by step, specific guide, this is not the book for you.

If you want a book to inspire you to open your own business (especially if you want a traditional, brick-and-mortar, employee-based, consulting business that you want to grow to be big), buy this book.

I absolutely love this book! I have wanted to start my own company for some time now; however, I have been taking many baby steps due to ignorance on many subjects that deal with small business ownership.

After reading this book, I feel that I have an excellent grasp of the process and the way that I need to tackle each and every aspect of my company. The authors do an wonderful job of putting everything in laymens terms for complete understanding. It is fun, informative, motivational, sassy and covers just about every aspect of the process.

To all women entreprenuers... please purchase this book before looking at another reference. It will give you the foundation that you need in order to move in the right direction!

This is a wonderful book for both beginners and established business owners. Covers all you need to know about starting your own business. It didn't leave me with too many questions at the end. I also had a hard time putting it down. Very well written! This book easily gets 5 stars!

The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business is a great addition to the entrepreneur bookshelf. The tone is direct and clear - and amusing. It provides what you need to know in the order you need to know it. I am starting a business, and found reading the book informative and inspiring. I especially appreciated their point of balancing knowing about business nuts and bolts (legal, accounting, et al) and keeping focus on your business.

I enjoyed the testimonials from actual business owners, but that's where the enjoyment stopped.

This book was filled with fluff. I had a hard time finding information that was able to be applied to my new business.

The majority of the "great advice" can be summed up in one statement, "Hire a professional."

This was the girls' advice on almost every subject.

Sure, "Write a business plan" is good advice, but I was looking for tips and tricks to make the process easier and more effective for lenders.

Readers looking for details and practical tips will be disappointed.

Might be good to get you thinking about the very beginning stages of planning.

Good book for entrepreneur newbies. Easy read. Helpful guidelines and resources. A lot of practical information suited for all types of business ventures.

I have really enjoyed this book. The information is notable and it contains lots of common sense advice that you may not have thought of to get your feet wet and be your own boss! Highly recommend this one for the smart, business women out there.

at the beginning of each year, i always contemplate "my next big move". i just bought this book and though i'm only halfway through it, the advice has been really practical, sensible, and most importantly, achievable for the average woman, like me. and it's written with great style and personality. thank god someone has finally written this book! if i ever do start my own business, this book will be my Gospel.