I really enjoyed this book because of the easy reading and the organization. In addition, it truly does apply for the small to mid-sized business. Even as a solopreneur, I can easily apply the concepts and ideas to what I do. (Granted, my business can probably fit on a single sheet of paper!)
Here are some of my thoughts...
=>There are six areas and then smaller areas with those six. I've always been a fan of the step approach: three ways to, five do's and don'ts, etc. This has a solid hierarchy of main ideas, sub ideas, and so on. This makes for much easier reading as you can move past the sections that really aren't a fit for you particular situation.
=>Each chapter starts with a few bullet points - graphically set out - for the chapter. I have generally only seen this type of information formatting in training materials; I was excited to see it used here. It allowed me to understand exactly what I should plan to "take away" from the chapter, as well as have the light bulb go off in my head to say, "this is really important for me."
=>While I am a big fan of having appendices and indexes, I am pleased this book has both. Another reader might be daunted at the length of both Appendix A and B (which is close to 50 pages), but don't let this scare you away. If you're 100% committed to making money, the questions and checklists in these sections cover all the bases and are a tremendous help. You can easily read the lists, and see what applies to you. Here are two examples:
==>In Appendix A under "Covering All the Bases," there is a great list of questions -e.g., do I have a marketing plan, social media presence, etc. These are all important questions that apply to what my business is doing: it's great to have them all in one place.
==>In Appendix B under "Decreasing Expenses," a few of the items apply to someone who manufactures a product (which I do not); thus, the items about price checking with distributors/manufacturers, etc., is applicable for me.
All you need to know before reading this book is (a) what your business truly is as the core (and that sounds easier than it appears on the surface), and (b) that you are willing to *invest* in your business to make it profitable (and this book is well worth the investment)!
