The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Home-based business is drawing more attention than an elephant in a shopping mall..." (more)
Key Phrases: separate business policy, merchant authorization, turnkey business, Homegrown Tip, Home Hazard, Business Buzzword (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Alpha Books (January 1, 1997)
• ISBN-10: 0028615395
• ISBN-13: 978-0028615394
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,698,781 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

117 of 121 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A casual and informative presentation of a serious topic, March 7, 1999

By	Gregory McMahan (Tottori, Japan) - See all my reviews

The three (3) most important areas of any book are its content, writing style, and organization. Weltman's book is superb on all three counts. It is a detailed, succinct, point-by-point introduction to a growing and popular topic in today's fast-paced, changing society.

Each chapter begins by explaining what you will learn, then explains key concepts at least twice in the middle, and finally summarizes the least you need to know about each aspect of the home business.

The book itself is divided into six useful parts, plus appendices filled with helpful information. Each part focuses on a particular aspect of running a home business, such as: your reasons for wanting your own business, the types of businesses you can run (franchises, ready-made businesses, existing businesses, or your own pet project), financing the home business, setting up the home office, running the home office, and finally common personal issues unique to running the home office and scaling up.

Broadly speaking, Weltman devotes an equal amount of space to each topic. However, some topics, such as taxation (any advanced student should keep a copy of that particular info very close by) receive a lot of attention, while others, such as planning and budgeting the start-up, are clearly de-emphasized. The book also includes a lot of useful information in little boxes on every other page such as entrepreneurial statistics, key business terminology, added information (based on experience) to help perform a particular aspect of your business better, and things to avoid while in business.

In terms of content, the book is packed with plenty of information to get you started. Though the book is very comprehensive, more advanced readers may find it to be a bit redundant at times. Key terms, concepts, and absolutely need to know information are repeated often ( for the quick learner, ad nauseum) in each chapter. This use of repetition, however, does not weaken the book, as repetition is a proven method of learning new concepts.

The book is heavily laden with useful contact information and resources. Weltman presents the essentials, the absolute bare bones structural framework for the typical home-based business. The book's major strength is its presentation of key issues in very general, easy to understand terms. You are not inundated with a lot of excess, useless resources and you are slowly and casually guided through each phase of your start-up. Weltman also thoughtfully includes good federal and state resources one can actually use.

For the initiate, everything is discussed simply and clearly, as if the author is sitting right in front of you chatting over a delicious cup of Seattle's Best Coffee (sorry folks, but Starbuck's just doesn't cut it), but the more clever may find the book a slow and plodding read (this is a thick book, folks). Now, the book's major weaknesses lie in its utter lack of information on selling methods, management techniques (classic, coordinator, or craftsman), structuring employment contracts (especially for independent contractors), scheduling, getting and keeping customers, and operating a global business (my personal interest) from home.

Weltman skillfully introduces all the things one should consider when starting a home based business. It is the approach I would take with those who want to start a business but have no idea as to how to start. Those who are really serious about starting their own home business should not stop with Weltman's book. Look to other books to present you with the meat on such topics as contracts, selling, and managing employees. More advanced readers can skip this book and start with Karen Cheney and Lesley Alderman's How to Start a Successful Home Business.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I liked it!, February 18, 2005

By	Otto (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business (Paperback)

I found this book to be highly informative, and well put together. Like most Idiot's Guides, it was easy to read, just full of great information. I'd recommend this book to anyone.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good... but dated, January 19, 2009

By	collageart "Glenda" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

The internet has completely transformed the world since 1997, and this book (understandably) contains only cursory information on the subject. That's why this version is out of print and cheap. Spend the extra $$ and get the updated version (2007) of this book!