The new business road test: What entrepreneurs and executives should do before writing a business plan (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

John Mullins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0273708058 | ISBN-13: 978-0273708056 | Edition: 2

'You may have capital and a talented management team, but if you are fundamentally in a lousy business, you won't get the kind of results you would in a good business. All businesses aren't created equal.' William P.Egan II, veteran US venture capitalist No matter how talented you are, no matter how much capital you have, no matter how good your business plan is, if you're pursuing a lousy business' i.e. a fundamentally flawed opportunity you're on the fast-track to failure. The New Business Road Test shows you how to avoid the obvious mistakes that everyone else makes. It shows you how to assess market opportunities. It also shows entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial teams how to assess honestly the capabilities they themselves bring to the table. The new edition of this best-selling book will help you to road test your idea, making sure that the business you build is based on a winning concept. It will enable you to invest your time wisely and pitch to investors and customers with confidence. Building on lessons learned by real entrepreneurs some in start-ups, others in established firms, some who got it right and others who got it wrong, Mullins addresses the seven domains that characterize attractive, compelling opportunities. Mullins presents a model that helps you answer the live-or-die questions in assessing any new business opportunity. Road test your business idea first and get ahead of the game.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Aims to give would-be entrepreneurs a reality check." - New Business

'What a "Eureka" moment I had- we are a start-up here in Ontario Canada. Your comments and 7 domains just sharpened up our thinking several very large notches.  So I am contacting you to let you know how helpful your insights are ! very helpful work! Oh yes - I bought a copy ! Dave Sutherland, Retrievall Inc

From the Back Cover

Give your business the chance to be one of those that make it.

 

Got an idea for a new business? Take it for a road test to make sure it works before you invest valuable time and money in it. Most new businesses fail. Why? Because no matter how talented you are, no matter how much capital you have, no matter how good your business plan is, if you’re pursuing a ‘lousy business’ – a fundamentally flawed opportunity – you’re on the fast-track to failure. The new edition of this best-selling book will help you to road test your idea, making sure that the business you build is based on a winning concept. It will enable you to invest your time and money wisely and pitch to investors and customers with confidence.

 

“Mullins has hit the nail on the head. The New Business Road Test for the first time successfully defines the starting point for a business. He delivers a clear and concise road map for anyone wondering whether they have a good business idea and what to do about it. I wish it had been given to every entrepreneur who appeared before me on Dragon’s Den.”

Doug Richard, Dragon on Dragon’s Den

 

“Mullins’ New Business Road Test provides the entrepreneurial equivalent to the proverbial ‘sleeping policeman’ on the Sunday drive: the necessary jolt of reality for those hanging on to the belief that value is created on a computer spreadsheet or a fancy PowerPoint presentation. The business plan is the road map between idea and sustainable business, and John offers the most valuable journey planner available.”

Benoit Leleux, Professor of Entrepreneurship & Finance, IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland

 

“We work with hundreds of CEOs reviewing their investor pitches. The truth is that all businesses, even those already funded, can improve their business models and their road show presentation to investors or strategic partners. Good entrepreneurs understand that their emerging business remains ‘work in progress’. Even on the road, they work the map. We recommend that all new entrepreneurs look at John's excellent new business road maps before hitting the ground.”

William Stevens, E-Unlimited

 

 

No budding entrepreneur should leave the day job or face an investor without having read this book.

 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: FT Press; 2 edition (January 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0273708058
• ISBN-13: 978-0273708056
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #431,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Mullins, a veteran of several entrepreneurial ventures, teaches and studies entrepreneurship and the management and financing of rapidly growing businesses at the London Business School, where he is Associate Professor of Management Practice and Chair in Entrepreneurship. He holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Minnesota. Mullins formerly served as Walter K. Koch Chair in Entrepreneurship, and Director of Programs in Entrepreneurship and Venture Management at Daniels College of Business, University of Denver. He is also author of Getting to Plan.