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Running a 21st-Century Small Business: The Owner's Guide to Starting and Growing Your Company [Bargain Price] (Paperback)

~ Randy W. Kirk (Author)
Key Phrases: net thirty, freight prepaid, very small business, Building Sales, Preparing the Business Plan, Yellow Pages (more...)

4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Starting a small business and becoming your own boss is appealing to most people, but over 65% of small businesses fail within their first five years. Budding entrepreneurs simply do not have the information they need to be successful. Now, Randy Kirk offers advice on how anyone can survive-and thrive-while starting their own small business. He discusses every aspect of starting a business, from planting the first seeds and getting off the ground to increasing revenue while decreasing costs. Kirk walks readers through each step: assessing whether or not they have what it takes-financially and emotionally-to start a business; the issues of partnership and legally involving family members; selecting vendors; and how to hire, fire, train, and motivate employees. This will be the definitive go-to guide for the millions of people who own-or want to own-a small business and live the American Dream. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Business Plus (February 17, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446696188
ASIN: B000WCNUEE
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,816,535 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!

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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
net thirty, freight prepaid, very small business, enterprise type

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Building Sales, Preparing the Business Plan, Yellow Pages, Almighty Cash, The Grand Opening, Months Two Through Six, Selling Your Business, The Personnel Process, United States, Managing Managers, Trader Joe, Los Angeles, The Partner Issue, Basic Budgeting, Buying Growth, Personal Motivation Techniques, Total January

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	76% buy the item featured on this page: Running a 21st-Century Small Business: The Owner's Guide to Starting and Growing Your Company 4.6 out of 5 stars (22)
	7% buy The Small Business Owner's Manual: Everything You Need To Know To Start Up And Run Your Business 4.4 out of 5 stars (7) $13.59
	6% buy The Small Business Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Succeed in Your Small Business 4.2 out of 5 stars (17) $11.48
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Customer Reviews

22 Reviews

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4.6 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't Judge A Book By It's Title, September 23, 2007

By	Edward Eigerman "edward@eigermanconsulting.com" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Running a 21st-Century Small Business: The Owner's Guide to Starting and Growing Your Company (Paperback)

The title of this book is very misleading. Originally published under the title When Friday Isn't Payday, this "21st Century" book was originally published about 15 years ago and on some fronts may have been out of date even then. Almost all the accounting advice, for instance, is about the manipulation and comparison of paper invoices and hardbound records books. There is a section on on-line marketing, but it's hopelessly out of date, suggesting that your business really should consider getting a web page and saying what an amazing new tool e-mail is.
This is a re-write of the original, but it's clearly not a major overhaul. Little comments about computerized accounting systems are tacked on the end of pages and pages about paper accounting.
Beyond technology, the amounts of money used in examples are confusing, since they are sometimes unrealistically small and sometimes seem more contemporary.
There is certainly nothing in the book that distinguishes it as a "21st Century" work. The title is just plain misleading.
That doesn't make the book at all worthless, of course, it's just disappointing. Part business manual, part self-help book, part self-promotion, it's really quite useful in many ways. It will walk you through preparing yourself emotionally and financially for what lies ahead in starting a small business. It's pretty biased toward businesses that manufacture or sell a physical product, but that's most of them, and what he says is probably true for all businesses, if you use a little imagination.
There's a lot of good stuff in here, particularly when the author reaches into his own experience for examples, but you'll probably want another book that will help more with the mechanics of how a business is run these days.
The author also goes in for a lot of religion, which is certainly his prerogative, but is a little off putting for those whose spiritual beliefs may vary from his. Toward the end of the book he even suggests that, like a twelve step program, you can only succeed in small business if you accept that God will get you through it.
Worth reading. But if you're only going to buy one small business book, look for something more up to date.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best guide I've ever read..., March 14, 2006

By	Donald Speirs "Perfect Impressions Promotions" (Everett, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Running a 21st-Century Small Business: The Owner's Guide to Starting and Growing Your Company (Paperback)

This is the type of book I wish I had when I started my own business two years ago. The discussion of the start up process is concise, but thorough. And the one telling insight for me is two simple sentences early in the book:

"You _will_ fail. Even if your enterprise is a success... you'll endure many failures on the way to success."

No other guide I've read deals up front with that simple fact.

The books is divided into sections dealing with the lifecycle of your business:
Starting up? It's in there.
Dealing with growth? In there.
Dealing with the cause of failure that strangles many business (a hint: are your receipts in a shoebox)? Covered.
Bringing on additional employees? Yes, it's in there too.

He is especially honest about how an entrepreneur with little experience can deal with the various joys and sorrows of the hiring and firing process - again with an honest and easy to understand writing style.

Most guides about starting a small business don't deal with how to stop running it. But this guide is different - talking frankly about exit strategies (How to plan on selling your business).

This book is not just a start-up guide. It's a RUNNING guide - designed to be used over and over as your enterprise moves through phases. It has earned a place on my bookshelf and should be dog earred and well worn before long.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The latest information!, March 21, 2006

By	Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Running a 21st-Century Small Business: The Owner's Guide to Starting and Growing Your Company (Paperback)

This is a revised and updated edition of a book previously published as When Friday Isn't Payday. It could also be titled How to Start Your Own Small Business 101. Kirk over and over again drives home truths that at first seem counter intuitive:

--The real economic power in the U. S. lies with businesses that employ less than ten people.
--Most small business would not be significantly better off by growing larger.
--Just because you have passion doesn't mean you'll make a profit.
--Without passion you can profit, but why put energy into something that you can't be passionate about?

Kirk leads the reader through the A to Z of small business success. He starts with helping the reader analyze whether starting, running, and managing a small business is even something they want to do. He then takes the reader step by step through:

--What it takes to be in business and self-employed--both personally and financially.
--Buying or building a business from the ground up.
--What it takes to open the doors on day one.
--What it takes to create increasing sales in the first three years.
--Managing yourself and others.
--Managing your assets.

For each of these key topics (and their subcomponents) Kirk provides sound advice based on years of experience as well as the needed step-by-step how-tos to move from thought to action. There is enough information to act on, but not so much that you get bogged down in information overload.

Armchair Interviews says: This thoroughly revised update includes the latest information on applying the 21st century technologies of web sites, e-marketing, e-mail, e-zines, etc. to most small businesses.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Not all that applicable for the real 21st century now
It would have been a good read if I had bought it in 2000, but not anymore. It still gives good basic information, but several things have changed since the book was written.

Published on December 21, 2007 by sachinkc

5.0 out of 5 stars Small Business Handbook
Randy Kirk's book is helpful to anyone considering whether or not to take the leap into entreprenuership or wanting to do it better. Read more

Published on January 4, 2007 by S. Rodriguez

5.0 out of 5 stars Wish I had had this book 12 years ago!
If I had had this book 12 years ago when I started my business, I could have saved myself many steps of trial and error on many fronts. Read more

Published on June 10, 2006 by Woodrow Coombs, Jr.

4.0 out of 5 stars Everything You Need to Know
This is a great how-to book for running a small business. For anyone that has started or is thinking about starting their own business, this book can help avoid costly mistakes... Read more

Published on May 19, 2006 by jp

5.0 out of 5 stars When Friday Isn't Payday
"Most small-businesses fail within the first five years of operation." This, it is said, is caused by under capitalization, but the secret is out in Randy W. Read more

Published on May 17, 2006 by John A. Gillmartin

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Business Tool
Randy has done a wonderful job of helping one out if they are a single employee business or a multiple employee business. Read more

Published on May 16, 2006 by Darin W. Godby

5.0 out of 5 stars Your #1 Guide To Starting a Small Business
Anyone that is in business or just starting out should read this book. Starting a small business or even working for yourself is not for everyone. Read more

Published on May 10, 2006 by Hilarie S. Nichols

5.0 out of 5 stars Reference Guide to Running a Small Business
This book should be a Reference Guide to anyone who wants to
start and run a small business. In easy to read format, Randy
takes you to all the ins and outs of... Read more

Published on May 9, 2006 by Reviewer

5.0 out of 5 stars EXTRA - EXTRA -- READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!!!
This is an excellent book that is written so that anyone and everyone understands it. I just wish I'd had this book 5 years ago when I started my business, but it is never too... Read more

Published on May 8, 2006 by Ann L. Willard

5.0 out of 5 stars Knowledge from A to Z
This book covers all in a quick and concise manner from start up to success. I like the fact that Kirk's book is full of meat and not a bunch of fluff. Read more

Published on April 24, 2006 by John C. Boland

› See all 22 customer reviews...

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