Six-Week Start-Up: A Step-by-Step Program for Starting Your Business, Making Money, and Achieving Your Goals! (Paperback)

by Rhonda Abrams (Author) "CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'RE NOW OFFICIALLY STARTING your new business..." (more)
Key Phrases: business underway, successful business plan, elevator pitch, The Planning Shop, Census Bureau, Week Five (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Six-Week Start-Up offers entrepreneurs a fast, proven formula for organizing the difficult details of a new business and getting it up-and-running. Designed by America's foremost small-business advice guru Rhonda Abrams as a personal workbook filled with worksheets, checklists, and planning tools, this handy guide takes the reader week-by-week through the entire process of getting a business started - from figuring out a business concept to dealing with red tape to finding and keeping customers.

In just six weeks, readers learn to identify their competitive edge, determine how much money they'll need and where to get it, choose effective marketing techniques, and much more. Unlike other books that merely provide advice, Six-Week Start-Up is a true business planning program that allows readers to succeed, step-by-step, in whatever business they choose.

From the Publisher
Is This Book for You?

This book is a step-by-step guide for getting a successful business up and running fast. It covers all aspects of launching a business, from licenses, to bookkeeping to marketing to setting up shop. Everything is presented in a step-by-step format with checklists, worksheets, and top-notch advice from one of America’s most highly regarded business writers.

This book is for you if:
* You’re currently in the process of starting your own business and want to get things done as efficiently as possible, yet still do them right.
* You want to make certain you take care of all the details of getting a business underway, organize the process, and get some good advice.
* You’re going to start a business soon and need a plan on how to go about it.
* You have an idea for a business but don’t know where to start.
* You already run a business but would like to improve operations, marketing, and/or take care of essential aspects of growing a company.
* You’re a student in an entrepreneurship or small business class and need to launch a complete business in a limited time period.

You probably do not need this book if:
* You’ve been in business many years, and you’re not expanding or changing your business significantly.
* You’ve started many businesses successfully before and are starting another one; while this book may be a good organizing tool, it’s likely to cover information you’ve already learned from experience.
* You have no idea whatsoever of what business you want to start. If that’s the case, consider "What Business Should I Start?" also published by The Planning Shop.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 283 pages
• Publisher: The Planning Shop; First Edition edition (June 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966963598
• ISBN-13: 978-0966963595
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,713 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Streamlines the startup process, June 15, 2004

By A Customer

So, can you get a business started in six weeks? I think the answer is yes, but it's going to depend on the type of business you want to start. If you're planning on starting an amusement park or oil refinery, it's going to take longer. But Abrams says in the introduction that this book is for more typical entrepreneurs who are planning to start a small business (retail or service company).

There are certainly plenty of other books on the market about starting a business (I've read many of them, and looked at many more in the bookstore), but what led me to buy this one was the week-by-week approach. Abrams starts each week with a checklist of things to get finished in that week. The first week focuses on business concept-oriented tasks (defining goals for the business, strategic position, etc.) and developing an "identity" (name, logo, etc.).

The later weeks go into things like setting up an accounting system, incorporating, finding office space, doing market research, and hiring employees.

The book has a lot of worksheets you can use to handle issues such as developing a marketing plan or personnel policies. Many of the worksheets are useful, although I wish I hadn't written in the book itself (tip: xerox the worksheets, and write on those! that way you'll have "backups" if you need to start over! Wish I had!).

So, after six weeks will I have my doors open for business? Yes--no question. But since I'm starting a consulting company and setting up a home office, I don't have huge organizational issues to worry about (like building a warehouse or something similar). And I think the premise of this book will work for most people who are starting a similar *small* business. I give it five stars, though, because even if it takes more than six weeks, the information here is solid.

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical guide to starting a small business, June 21, 2004

By A Customer

This book is a fantastic resource for anyone who's ready to take the plunge in to entrepreneurship! Starting a business seems like such a huge undertaking, and it can be so difficult to know where you should begin. Six-Week Start-Up guides you through every single step of starting a business, from designing a logo to having a grand opening sale! All of the steps are practical and very straightforward--it's like having an operations manual with detailed, step-by-step instructions for so many elements of starting and running a business. This book has been instrumental in keeping me motivated and feeling empowered throughout this (sometimes difficult) process.

Many of us know the common sense aspects of going into business for ourselves, things as simple as make sure you talk to a lawyer. Make sure you talk to an accountant. But what, exactly, are we supposed to ask this lawyer, or accoutant, or investor? This book thoroughly addresses exactly these types of things, making it so much easier to start your business correctly from the beginning. You don't have to spend all of your time later back-tracking and fixing the things you did incorrectly to start with.

The bottom line: Six-Week Start-Up gives you everything you need to know and do in order to start your small business quickly, and to avoid costly and time consuming mistakes in the process. It's a great book for new entrepreneurs who are ready to turn their business-owning dreams into reality!

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful and clear, June 15, 2004

By A Customer

I was already in the process of starting my business when I found this book, so I didn't really need the first chapter to help me figure out my business concept (though the info on trademarks was helpful). But so far, I'm finding it to be a big help in getting -- and keeping -- me organized. I like the way the book is laid out -- each week I've sort of got my "assignments" -- the author calls them "Accomplishments" -- and then each task is broken down into easily do-able steps. Its a bit like having a start-up business coach. I doubt that any one would use all the worksheets, but I was trying to figure out how to distribut my products, and the checklist in this book helped me figure out how to compare the distributors I was talking to. That one worksheet alone was worth the price of the book and more. Clearly the author has started businesses because the information and advice is just so practical. Like the "Questions to Ask" lists -- all those people who told me I had to see a lawyer or accountant or whatever never told me what I was supposed to talk to them about when I finally made the appointment. This book does. Even if you're already underway in your business, it's worth owning.