By Tony
Deblauwe
The Risk Takers: 16 Women and Men Who Built Great Businesses Share Their
Entrepreneurial Strategies For Success
Retail: $25.95
ISBN: 978-1593155872
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Do you think you
don’t have the right background or education to pursue your ideas and find
successes on your own? After reading Risk Takers, you will feel motivated and
empowered to take the first step.
Packed with stories from 16 influential profiles of multimillion dollar
companies such as Kinkos, Geek Squad, Curves International, and Paul Mitchell,
you will learn how these individuals positioned themselves properly to build
their businesses, often with little capital and no previous experience.
Despite
poor economic conditions, authors Renee and Don Martin believe now is the time
to start fresh. Their decision to pursue a business of their own came from a
determination to win and positive attitude to make it through the ups and downs
of entrepreneurship. They boil their knowledge down into ten principles or
strategies for success:
1. Trust Your Gut
2. Buck the Conventional Wisdom
3. Never Let Adversity or Failure Defeat You
4. Go on a Treasure Hunt and Find an Underserved Niche
5. Spot a New Trend and Pounce
6. Hit ‘Em Where They Ain’t
7. Just
Start
8. Save
Your Bucks and Get Noticed Without Expensive Advertising
9.
Exploit Your Competitor’s Weakness and Make It Your Strength
10. Never
Stop Reinventing Your Company
These strategies are woven into the summary of each entrepreneur’s story so you
see exactly how they addressed a particular area. It will help inspire you to
review your own goals and realize how similar your thoughts, fears, and
setbacks are to these risk takers.
My favorite profile was of David L. Steward, Founder and Chairman of World Wide
Technology Inc. Like so many people these days, Steward found himself out of
college and caught in an endless job search. After sending out four hundred
resumes in three years, he finally got a sales job that formed the basis of his
experience. An African-American, David faced adversity in the 1960’s, but he
learned how to push through drawbacks and never give up on his dreams. Strong
values gave him the confidence to remove obstacles that helped transform World
Wide Technology Inc into the $3B powerhouse it is today.
This is a
great collection of experiences that frame what success looks like from a variety
of angles. The stories connect with the heart and the mind to deconstruct the
assumptions of what risk taking is and provides an outline for helping you
achieve your dreams.
Available April 6, 2010. Pre-order the hardcover at Amazon.
