48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insight into the world of Martha and the world of business, November 24, 2005
There's nothing amazing or breakthrough about the Martha Rules...except that you won't find this advice put together in just this way. For instance, Martha Stewart emphasizes the importance of identifying a target market that will buy what you offer. She talks about geographic mismatches: pick a location where your product will be welcomed.
Sounds obvious? Maybe. But I've met dozens of wannabe Internet marketers who chose products and services that won't work on the web. And I know many coaches who cheerfully advise their clients, "If you dream it you can do it." Or even, "If you have an idea, there must be a market."
Martha has made a career out of understanding her market. She has astounded publishers and investors who underestimated her broad appeal to women. At least one biographer has disparaged her affiliation with K-Market, but Martha understands those shoppers. Another Barnard College alum, Joan Rivers, wrote in her own biography something to the effect that, "If you appeal to the masses you dine with the classes. And if you reach for the classes you dine with the masses." Martha could say the same.
On page 26, Martha writes, "Out of frustration often comes a good idea." She's echoing ideas from Marsha Sinetar and James Judson - and she's right. Often the best way to create a good business idea is to recognize that you can't find something you'd be happy to pay for.
The section on idea size - too big or too small - makes sense too. It happens all the time. Why not start a pet-sitting business, I'll suggest. And a client begins to dream big. "Maybe an upscale service for wealthy pet owners. In a great neighborhood across town. And boarding services with luxury touches." Never mind that she's renting a studio apartment and needs to start a small business on a tight budget.
And finally you have to recognize that creativity may not always be an asset. You have a juice store, Martha suggests. Employees have to follow a formula, exactly. No room for independence.
You'll find these ideas elsewhere but they're worth hearing again. Sure, she uses examples from her own business. But let's face it: readers buy the book to get glimpses of the author. She doesn't shy away from mention of her prison time at Alderson. I believe she handled the whole messy situation with grace. And for those who dismiss her as a "convicted felon," the label of "felon" and the determination of "convicted" often depend on being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Martha's not warm and fuzzy...but not many billionaires are.
But for Martha Stewart fans, the Martha Rules offers insights into the woman as well as the business.
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51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Guidelines for both the new and the experienced, October 30, 2005
No matter what you may think of her personally, you cannot deny that Martha Stewart knows how to succeed in the business world. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia continues to grow and to create new products to meet consumer needs. These days, the format may be a printed magazine, a television show, or a Sirius radio broadcast -- whatever it takes to get the message across. Who else, then, could be better suited for providing tips for budding entrepreneurs than Martha Stewart? In this book, she outlines her 10 business rules -- guidelines for the newbies, reminders for those of us who have been around a while. She says this book grew out of her prison experience, as other inmates approached her with questions about starting their own businesses. Her rules cover the basics of any business venture: being passionate, coming up with the Big Idea, hiring good people to work with you, doing quality work, taking risks and not chances, etc. She uses examples from her own beginnings and from those of other individuals as well. The result is indeed an introduction that could inspire anyone to start a new company and have an inkling of how to go about it. (I wouldn't rely just on this book for all the answers, though; that's why I gave it four stars.)
While "The Martha Rules" is a promotion for entrepreneurialism, the book also includes insights into Martha's past and into her daily life. It's therefore a good autobiographical introduction for anyone wanting to know more about Ms. Stewart and how she got to where she is today. Readers get the impression that spending five months away from the business was simply one more challenge that Martha not only met, but took on and surmounted. How much more inspirational can a person be?
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book as much for men as for women, October 21, 2005
Martha's passion really comes through in this book, and it's a very good read. It's inspiring for those who have ever dreamed of owning their own business or starting something new. The thing that surprised me the most was that I could see myself in her writing, and I could picture myself in a lot of the scenarios Martha chose. I've always been a fan of Martha, but found her in the past to be very woman-oriented and a lot of her shows/books to be primarily for women. This book is unique in that it is for everyone... male and female, young and old alike. If you want to be the best you can be, want to dream about new beginnings and want the inspiration and clues about where to begin, this is a perfect book for you. I couldn't put the book down after I started reading it. Martha's knowledge and ideas have been put to great use here.
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