Making the Jump into Small Business Ownership [Paperback]

David Nilssen (Author), Jeff Levy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 17, 2011

Making the Jump into Small Business Ownership will provide the information, encouragement, and insight you need to go from dream to reality. As successful businessmen who have helped thousands of individuals begin small businesses, authors Jeff Levy and David Nilssen share their expertise in the following areas:
How to identify your strengths and use them in your new venture

How to identify a business opportunity

Overcoming your limitations, fears, and trepidations

The business fundamentals every entrepreneur should know in the areas of planning, market research, legal structure, financing, support team, and other matters

Woven throughout are bits of practical advice based on the authors' years of experience, as well as stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things through small business ownership. With this book as your guide, you can "Make the Jump" and begin creating your own success story.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeff Levy is an entrepreneur, coach, and mentor who helps individuals clarify their goals and values so they can properly evaluate self-employment career options. Through his coaching business, which he undertook after a successful career as a corporate executive, he has helped countless individuals begin their road to self-employment and has participated in more than 100 franchise start-ups.

David Nilssen is a serial entrepreneur and leading expert on small business and franchise finance. His company made Inc Magazine's list of the fastest growing companied in America from 2008-2010 and has helped more than 5,000 people in all fifty states fund a business. In 2007, the Small Business Administration named Nilssen the National Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Book Publishers Network; First edition (June 17, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1935359835
• ISBN-13: 978-1935359838
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #871,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A concise book that covers many points in starting up a business July 1, 2011

By Tom S. in Indiana

Format:Paperback

Making the Jump Into Small Business Ownership is great resource and a must read for entrepreneurs, particularly budding ones. The book is concise and filled with a lot of useful, practical information for individuals who are thinking about starting a new business and becoming an entrepreneur. Before making a huge investment in time and money, this book will help individuals understand what it takes to get a business started on a solid foundation.

The book contains a wealth of information and ideas on starting a small business to help the entrepreneur become a viable and successful business owner. The authors of the book cover a wide range of topics including - the entrepreneur verses the employee - do you have what it takes to run a business (understanding your skill sets) - your motivation for starting a business - choosing a business - developing a business plan - and financing for the business among other things.

The book is great in covering the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and addresses the challenges that most new entrepreneurs face when starting a business. I promise that this book will give you a great overview of what you're getting yourself into! The better educated you are the higher your success rate!

As a business coach myself, I will be recommending this book to all of my clients who have an interest in pursuing small business ownership opportunities. The book is well written, easy to follow, easy to comprehend, and it's interesting to read.

Making the Jump is a very handy reference book. I could see entrepreneurs regularly reaching for this book off of their bookshelf for help in brushing up on the basics.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Primer on the Self-Employment Option July 14, 2011

By Matthew B. Youngquist

Format:Paperback

As a career coach, I meet hundreds of people a year who have dreamed about -- at least to some level -- the possibility of self-employment. As a small business owner myself, however, I quickly realize how little many of these people understand about the true pros and cons of working in an entrepreneurial capacity or how to go about taking this idea to the next level and exploring it. For these folks, however, this book is a perfect companion. It provides a very wise and structured set of advice on the topic, ranging from discussing the initial emotional dynamics involved in "taking the plunge" to walking through a series of tactical steps involved in writing a business plan, arranging financing, staying motivated, the like. Granted, there are many books out there that go into far MORE depth on each of these topics, in isolation, but few books I've seen that provide such a generally-useful sweep through the key questions, topics, and issues that most would-be entrepreneurs initially are concerned about. I'd highly recommend it to anybody seeking to break away from Corporate America and be their own boss!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars So much more than another "how to" business book! July 10, 2011

By Jim Frank

Format:Paperback

So much more than another "how to" business book!

Before "making the jump" into starting your own small business, there is so much that needs to thought about and understood. This book moves front and center as a must read "text book" before that journey begins! This book feels as though it was written with the intent of educating you on the numerous issues that must be thoroughly understood prior to making a major lifetime decision - owning and operating your own business.

The logical fears of entering into a new business can be a very daunting - especially if you have little history in the entrepreneurial world (which is most of us). This book softens those fears through solid, basic information, presented in a logical, linear and comforting manner. I was left with the feeling that if I had reasonable personal tenacity and could work in a focused, disciplined manner, I would absolutely succeed!

This book eases you into the transition of business ownership, by describing both the challenges and the joys of owning your own business, taking the big surprises out of the equation. You could read a collection of many other business books, assembling parts from each to help you understand your business ownership journey, or just read this one book and get it all!

Jim F.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Practical Handbook for Aspiring Entrepreneurs July 6, 2011

By U2 Tassoula

Format:Paperback

If you're on the fence about whether or not you've got what it takes to start a business, you'll want to read this book.

Chapters like "Do You Have What it Takes to Run a Business?" and "Entrepreneur Flaws and Weaknesses" will allow you to explore your potential as a future business owner. "Choosing a Business" and "Financing Your Small Business" offer nuts and bolts information about getting your venture up and running.

If you decide that "Making the Jump" into small business ownership is truly for you, authors Nilssen and Levy offer comprehensive information to get you started, plus anecdotal stories from their personal experiences to support their advice.

It's a concise, thoughtful read - don't pass it by!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Short List for Those Contemplating Entrepreneurship July 5, 2011

By Jeff S

Format:Paperback

Making the Jump Into Small Business Ownership is a great resource. Jeff and David have concisely provided a robust and frank look into business ownership through their years of experience and unique perspectives. I would recommend the investment in your time to read this book. It allows you to "jump into business" with your eyes wide open. Experience is usually the thing you gain right after you need it. The authors provide the opportunity to be better prepared in those instances.