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Lessons from the Edge:  Survival Skills for Starting and Growing a Company
 
 
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Lessons from the Edge: Survival Skills for Starting and Growing a Company [Hardcover]

Jana Matthews (Author), Jeff Dennis (Author), Peter Economy (Contributor)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Book Description

0195168259 978-0195168259 July 2003
Entrepreneurs often struggle with many aspects of business: planning and financing company growth, creating a company vision, recruiting, leading, and managing people, as well as personal costs. In Lessons from the Edge, more than 50 business owners and entrepreneurs offer a wealth of real-life stories--in their own words--that provide rare insights about keeping a company healthy and growing.
Here is a unique collection of first-person accounts by entrepreneurs who describe their mistakes in business and the lessons they have learned as a result. The stories cover a wide range of experiences from the trials and tribulations of partnerships, to the loss of key customers, theft, finding and retaining employees, and the personal cost of living on the edge. The authors have drawn on interviews with more than 50 entrepreneurs, all of whom are under 45 years of age and are founders or presidents of companies with revenues over $1 million and growing rapidly. They volunteered to share their stories, describing why they lost or almost lost their companies, what they did wrong, and the lessons they have learned. Their narratives are full of mistakes, failure, courage, moments of realization, and timely moves that saved the day. Every company owner will find these accounts insightful, compelling, and occasionally gut wrenching, especially because most face similar challenges and live with the reality that they too could fall off the edge.
This instructive and inspiring book brims with lessons for all business owners about courage, persistence, and survival. Lessons from the Edge is an essential read for both established and prospective entrepreneurs.

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Customers buy this book with The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything $18.45

Lessons from the Edge:  Survival Skills for Starting and Growing a Company + The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything


Editorial Reviews

Review


"Successes inspire us, but we learn and grow from failure. Lessons From the Edge is a wonderful opportunity to walk in the shoes of entrepreneurs who learned from their mistakes so they could help us avoid them!"--Kathleen Allen, Entrepreneur, and Director, USC Technology Commercialization Alliance


"As an entrepreneur, at times I thought I was reading about myself. At other times, I learned something new and what not to do. And in the end it reinvigorates me about entrepreneurship the risks, rewards and ability to come back. A must read!"--Keith Alper, Founder & CEO, Creative Producers Group and Companies, and Past Intl President, YEO International


"No one said it would be easy. Matthews, Dennis, and Economy share the lessons learned through difficult experience so that other entrepreneurs can avoid disaster or survive it."--Rob Johnston, President, Leader to Leader Institute


"This book captures the spirit, vision, and tenacity of the entrepreneur. Lessons worth noting and using!"--Paul and Sarah Edwards, authors of the best-selling Working From Home


"Lessons from the Edge, told by real entrepreneurs who have faced disaster, provides powerful insights for navigating the edges and increasing the probability of success."--Mark P. Rice, Murata Dean, F. W. Olin Graduate School of Business, Babson College


About the Author


Jana Matthews, an international expert on company growth, founded Boulder Quantum Ventures to help CEOs, entrepreneurs, and their top teams unlock their growth potential. She frequently works with the Young Entrepreneurs Organization, Babson College, the Kauffman Center and the Edward Lowe Foundation. She is the co-author of Leading at the Speed of Growth, Building the Awesome Organization, and five other books. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.
Jeff Dennis is a life-long entrepreneur. As the co-founder of Flagship Capital Partners, he has been involved in start-ups, acquisitions and financings for a variety of businesses. His current entrepreneurial project is Secutor Capital Management Corporation. Through his association with YEO and the Kauffman Center, he has created a series of "Lessons from the Edge" seminars. He lives in Toronto.
Peter Economy is Associate Editor of Leader to Leader magazine and co-author of Leadership Ensemble: Lessons in Collaborative Management from the World's Only Conductorless Orchestra and the best-selling Managing For Dummies among others. He lives in La Jolla, California.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 268 pages
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press (July 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0195168259
  • ISBN-13: 978-0195168259
  • Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #714,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Lessons from the Edge Review, April 1, 2004
By 
John (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Lessons from the Edge: Survival Skills for Starting and Growing a Company (Hardcover)
Having read many business books, Lessons from the Edge offers a different prospective for entrepreneurs. It is not so much a "how to" book but rather one that highlights the negative consequences of bad decisions. These are life lessons that can be learned from others rather than yourself. I've heard it said that good men learn from their own mistakes but great men learn from the mistakes of others. This is a perfect opportunity to do that kind of learning.

Each chapter is a fast read. At the end of each section, there is a summary of important lessons learned.

In running my own business, I found some that some chapters were too familiar from my own experience. This is a great book to help you stay away from the "Edge".

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars There's nothing like learning from the mistakes of others, September 10, 2003
By 
K. Daum (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Lessons from the Edge: Survival Skills for Starting and Growing a Company (Hardcover)
Jana, Jeff and Peter have done an amazing job of compiling real business mistakes and difficulties into an easy to read, must have reference for the entrepreneur. I for one would much rather learn from the challenges of others before forcing myself to learn the hard way out of ignorance. This book provided over 40 opportunities to do just that. This book goes a long way in filling the gaps in my experience and I would suggest it to every would be and current entrepreneur
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5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for entrepreneur's starting their own business, October 19, 2011
By 
Conor Nicholson (Sterling, VA, US) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lessons from the Edge: Survival Skills for Starting and Growing a Company (Hardcover)
I read this book about a year ago, right before I left a consulting position and decided to pursue my dream of running my own business. I read it a second time recently and learned even more the second time around. This book is clear, concise and very insightful when it comes to the various pitfalls of running an organization. Whether you want to learn about how to find the right employees, find the right partner or get the right type of financing, this is a great read.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Few entrepreneurs starting their first company really understand what they need to do as leaders of their companies. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
lessons from the edge, timecard fraud, bum rate, share your values
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Type of Business, Annual Revenue, Factsheet Name, New York, Top Ten Lessons, Peter Davies, Bill Kimberlin, Damon Gersh, Paul Hickey, United States, Craig Pollard, Frank Nemiroff, Kirsten Knight, Marx Acosta-Rubio, Michael Beirne, Robert Kulhawy, Sam Boyer, Alex Rusch, Doug Mellinger, Greg Levin, Howard Getson, Joshua Schecter, Mike Meek, Bill Lee, Chris Rosica
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