Spare Room Tycoon: The Seventy Lessons of Sane Self-Employment [Hardcover]

James Chan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2000

Chan offers an intimate portrait of a new way of working and a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to find peace, satisfaction and fulfillment as an independent entrepreneur.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A light-hearted but no-nonsense approach to being an entrepreneur...Filled with ways to creatively survive and succeed as an independent businessperson." -- Today's Librarian, September 2000

"If you have ever had the faintest notion of going it alone, your enthusiasm will be renewed and you will have the knowledge and skills to really make it work." -- Wyvern Publication Business Centre, March 2000

...the list of 70 lessons could easily become a mantra for all self-employed professionals. -- Shannon Belew, Huntsville Times Business Columnist, February 8, 2001

A book of wisdom about self-employment, a heads-up for those considering self-employment and for "captains of industry" in home-based businesses. -- Knight Ridder Newspapers, October 9, 2000 by Claude Crowley

A book that offers a positive, joyful, whinning-free outlook for today's home-based self-employer person... in enjoyable, gracious and guru-like prose. -- Asian Fortune, Washington, D.C., February 2001 by Mercedes Tira Andrei, p. 19.

Equipping the inner entrepreneur: Eye-opening work...Wise and witty. -- Publishers Weekly, May 15, 2000

Recommended reading for any self-employed person thinking about going back "inside," as well as thinking of going "outside." -- Denver Business Journal, August 21, 2000 by Jodi Torpey

Written from direct experience...with a light, folksy touch, it's a useful and supportive read for anyone who works from home. -- Alex Benady, Amazon.co.uk, May 2000

From the Inside Flap

Spare room tycoons, says author James Chan, rule their own domain. They successfully invent independent careers and autonomous lives. "I am a captain of industry myself," Chan writes, "though my craft is more like a rowboat than an ocean liner. My empire is small, but I do rule it. And I would rather be captain of my dinghy than a junior officer on the Titanic."

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Nicholas Brealey Publishing (May 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857882474
• ISBN-13: 978-1857882476
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #384,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Chan, Ph.D., is founder and president of Asia Marketing and Management (AMM), a Philadelphia-based consultancy specialized in advising U.S. firms on doing business in China.

In addition to his book, Spare Room Tycoon, he is the author of "Secrets of Business Success in China" DVD published by Malvern Press. He created the term, "the C.H.I.N.A. formula" that summarizes his insights on how to sell Western-made products and services in the China market.

Since he founded his practice in 1983, James Chan has consulted with more than 100 U.S. companies in expanding their businesses in Asia. An experienced, animated public speaker in three languages--English, Mandarin Chinese, and the Cantonese dialect--James Chan offers customized seminars designed to help companies export their products and services to China and other Asian markets.

Born in Guangzhou (Canton), China in 1949, Dr. Chan received his Ph.D. in Chinese geography in 1977 from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; M.A. in 1973 from the University of Chicago, and B.A. in 1970 from the University of Hong Kong. A naturalized U.S. citizen, James Chan lives and works in Philadelphia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy This Book!, August 18, 2000

By 

J. A. Billington "know it all" (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spare Room Tycoon: The Seventy Lessons of Sane Self-Employment (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book. Like one of the reviews states, it is mostly philosophizing. However, I think that is a good thing. You can find a million books that tell you the individual steps required to start a business, but how many books tell you how to remain sane when the phone doesn't ring? And, trust me, it will not in the beginning. Think of this book as having your very own guru to go to for inspiration when you're really depressed and questioning yourself for taking the entrepeneurial path.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THE JOY OF SELF-EMPLOYMENT, October 19, 2000

By 

Dorothy Weiss (ORLANDO, FLORIDA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spare Room Tycoon: The Seventy Lessons of Sane Self-Employment (Hardcover)

This book is for self-employed people who work from their homes. and for those considering this adventurous step. It is not a how-to book. It provides good information but is more philosopical. For instance, Mr Chan offers four main benefits of self-employment: personal satisfaction, autonomy, deliverance from office politics, and freedom to make your own mistakes instead of being forced to carry out the misjudgments of others. He writes, "I'm a captain of industry myself, though my craft is more like a rowboat than an ocean liner. My empire is small, but I do rule it." He does acknowledge that working for an organization provides many benefits that one should consider before leaving to experience the joys of self-employment. The book offers food for thought and options for the courageous and daring wannabe entrepreneurs.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A highly useful book on self-employment, July 12, 2001

By 

Steve Stroh (Woodinville, Washington USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spare Room Tycoon: The Seventy Lessons of Sane Self-Employment (Hardcover)

It should be mentioned up front that although the title leads you to believe that it's a book about working from your home, it's far more about being a "Tycoon" (a master of your own fate) than it is about working from a "Spare Room".

When I transitioned my career from freelance writer to publishing a newsletter, I prepared myself by reading a number of books that I considered appropriate to the subject. Spare Room Tycoon was the best of them. James Chan tackles some of the thorniest issues of self-employment, including self-confidence and realistic pricing of your services. I found the section on how to price your services extremely valuable.

The entire book is full of insights like this. James Chan's tone throughout the book is of having met an interesting new acquaintance and choosing the spend the weekend together getting to know one another.

After reading the book, you'll have a much more realistic view of how well you're likely to do as a "Spare Room Tycoon". I highly recommend this book.