Customer Reviews

201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business

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

 

 

A great book for any business owner. 201 ideas from successful entrepeneurs across the country. Each idea is between 1/2 to 1 1/2 pages long. This makes it easy reading and good for reference (mine is full of bookmarks). The format makes it easy to skip ideas that don't apply to you. This is a no-brainer for every entrepeneur. I bought 100 to give out as gifts!

I've been familiar with Jane's work for years on both Bloomberg and CNBC and well as other places. This book really puts the whole subject of small business into perspective and spells out the do's and don'ts...including an excellent resource section.

Jane Applegate's book is an idea journal for the budding entrepreneur. No one business can use all these ideas, every business owner will be able to use a few of the ideas Applegate mentions. Some of her great ideas are specific to a single type of business. Other ideas sound fine, but deal with areas that are difficult for an entrepreneur to control. The book's big drawback is that it lacks an over-reaching strategy. It is a set of disconnected ideas, which makes it more useful as a brainstorming tool than as anything you would use as the basis of a business. It doesn't tell you how to create a marketing plan, but it gives you marketing ideas you can incorporate into the plan you develop. We at getAbstract.com recommend this book to owners of relatively new, small businesses who are hungry for a few ideas to move it further along. [Note: many of the ideas are specific to the United States.]

Some of the ideas are a little off the wall, but for the most part, it is stuff you might be able to use...

I think every small business owner should read this book -- full of excellent, and often basic (but overlooked) ideas and tips for making the most of your business.

The new edition of Jane Applegate's "201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business" provided me with some great inspiration for my own small business. I particularly enjoyed reading the examples of real-life small business owners who took their great ideas and ran with them...to the bank! While not every tip would work for every entrepreneur, I've gotten enough ideas from this book that it easily pay for itself (and then some!). I recommend it to any business owner looking for some new and fresh ideas.

As a small-biz owner (graphic design, web design, and branding) I was surprised to find tips in this book that were fresh, insightful, and relevant. It's a fun read, and my copy has many dog-eared pages that I refer to again & again. One I particularly like is Tip #5 - Ask for a Quick "Yes" or "No". Sometimes it's hard to get prospects to commit to a business relationship and actually get them to sign on the bottom line for the services I offer. I need to remind myself to 'set a deadline for response", because I "believe a "no" is as important as a "yes"'.

Jane's book is perfect for busy small business owners who perhaps lack expertise in a given area. More wide than deep, Applegate covers hiring, technology, marketing, and a bevy of other subjects. Should an area not appeal to you, it's easy to skip around. Also, she provides many examples throughout the book. Many authors don't do this--and this is a big pet peeve of mine. Highly recommended.

I couldn't wait for this book to come out. It has so many great ideas for small businesses. I would recommend that any small business owner take a look. There is something for everyone!

Linda Denny

I've known Jane Applegate a long time. We're practically the founding mothers of small-business journalism.

Save yourself a ton of money and buy "201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business". Owning this book is like having a team of consultants sitting in your office. This book not only educates and inspires, but the ideas will help you save time and money as well.

The book offers sound, well-researched advice. Whether you're just starting out, or a seasoned business owner, you're guaranteed to find something in this book that is useful, applicable, and important to your growing business.