The Truth About Successful Entrepreneurship (Collection)

Table of contents

1. Title Page
2. Contents
3. The Truth About: What Customers Want
   1. Dedication
   2. Contents
   3. Praise for The Truth About What Customers Want
   4. Introduction
   5. Truth 1. Your customers want a relationship, not a one-night stand
   6. Truth 2. Design it, and they will come
   7. Truth 3. Sensory marketing—smells like profits
   8. Truth 4. Pardon me, is that a breast in your Coke?
   9. Truth 5. One man's goose…
   10. Truth 6. Throw 'em a bone, and they'll no longer roam
   11. Truth 7. Stay in their minds—if you can
   12. Truth 8. These are the good old days
   13. Truth 9. Why ask why?
   14. Truth 10. He who dies with the most toys wins
   15. Truth 11. Your customers are looking for greener pastures
   16. Truth 12. "Because I'm worth it"
   17. Truth 13. Love me, love my avatar
   18. Truth 14. You really are what you wear
   19. Truth 15. Real men don't eat quiche (but they do moisturize)
   20. Truth 16. Girls just want to have fun
   21. Truth 17. Queer eye for the spending guy
   22. Truth 18. Yesterday's chubby is today's voluptuous
   23. Truth 19. Men want to sleep with their cars
   24. Truth 20. Your PC is trying to kill you
   25. Truth 21. Birds of a feather buy together
   26. Truth 22. Sell wine spritzers to squash players
   27. Truth 23. They think your product sucks—but that's not a bad thing
   28. Truth 24. When to sell the steak, when to sell the sizzle
   29. Truth 25. People are dumber than robots (lazier, too)
   30. Truth 26. Your customers have your brand on the brain
   31. Truth 27. Let their mouseclicks do the walking
   32. Truth 28. Nothing shouts quality like leather from Poland
   33. Truth 29. Consider investing in a drive-thru mortuary
   34. Truth 30. Go to the Gemba
   35. Truth 31. Your customers want to be like Mike (or someone like him)
   36. Truth 32. Go tribal
   37. Truth 33. People like to do their own thing—so long as it's everyone else's thing too
   38. Truth 34. Catch a buzz
   39. Truth 35. Go with the flow—get shopmobbed today
   40. Truth 36. Find the market maven, and the rest is gravy
   41. Truth 37. Hundreds of housewives can predict your company's future
   42. Truth 38. Know who wears the pants in the family
   43. Truth 39. Youth is wasted on the young
   44. Truth 40. Make millions on Millennials
   45. Truth 41. Grownups don't grow up anymore
   46. Truth 42. Dollar stores make good cents
   47. Truth 43. The rich are different
   48. Truth 44. Out with the ketchup, in with the salsa
   49. Truth 45. Look for fly-fishing born-again environmentalist jazz-loving Harry Potter freaks
   50. Truth 46. Ronald McDonald is related to Luke Skywalker
   51. Truth 47. Sign a caveman to endorse your product
   52. Truth 48. Make your brand a fortress brand—and make mine a Guinness
   53. Truth 49. Turn a (pet) rock into gold
   54. Truth 50. Think globally, act locally
   55. References
       1. Truth 1
       2. Truth 2
       3. Truth 3
       4. Truth 4
       5. Truth 5
       6. Truth 6
       7. Truth 7
       8. Truth 8
       9. Truth 9
       10. Truth 10
       11. Truth 11
       12. Truth 12
       13. Truth 14
       14. Truth 15
       15. Truth 20
       16. Truth 21
       17. Truth 23
       18. Truth 25
       19. Truth 27
       20. Truth 28
       21. Truth 29
       22. Truth 30
       23. Truth 31
       24. Truth 36
       25. Truth 37
       26. Truth 38
       27. Truth 39
       28. Truth 40
       29. Truth 41
       30. Truth 43
       31. Truth 45
   56. About the Author
   57. Simply the best thinking
4. The Truth About: Creating Brands People Love
   1. Dedication
   2. Contents
   3. Praise for The Truth About Creating Brands People Love
   4. Preface
   5. Truth 1. Managing brands is not common sense
   6. Truth 2. No one loves your brand as much as you love it
   7. Truth 3. The brand is not owned by marketing; everyone owns it
   8. Truth 4. Making more by doing less
   9. Truth 5. Does your brand keep its promise?
   10. Truth 6. Price is the communication of the value of your brand
   11. Truth 7. Brand personality is the emotional connection with your brand
   12. Truth 8. Does your sales force know the difference between a product and a brand?
   13. Truth 9. Beware of the discounting minefield
   14. Truth 10. Packaging protects your product; great packaging protects your brand
   15. Truth 11. Brand management is association management
   16. Truth 12. The retail experience is the brand experience
   17. Truth 13. Corporate ego: Danger ahead
   18. Truth 14. Brand metrics: Best measure of success?
   19. Truth 15. Customer complaints are a treasure
   20. Truth 16. Brand stewardship begins at home
   21. Truth 17. Market share doesn't matter
   22. Truth 18. Avoid the most common segmentation mistake
   23. Truth 19. Public relations and damage control: The defining moment
   24. Truth 20. Focus equals simplicity
   25. Truth 21. Marketing is courtship, not combat
   26. Truth 22. Don't sacrifice brand focus for sales
   27. Truth 23. The medium is not the message; the message is the message
   28. Truth 24. Brand development and the small business
   29. Truth 25. Imitation is an ineffective form of flattery
   30. Truth 26. Positioning lives in the mind of your target customer
   31. Truth 27. The value of brand loyalty
   32. Truth 28. Quality is not an effective branding message
   33. Truth 29. Effective use of celebrity endorsers: The fit's the thing
   34. Truth 30. Brand-building consumer promotion
   35. Truth 31. Advertising built for the long run
   36. Truth 32. A service brand is a personal brand
   37. Truth 33. Is your brand the best at something? If so, be satisfied
   38. Truth 34. Great positionings are enduring
   39. Truth 35. Effective branding begins with the name
   40. Truth 36. Your brand makes your company powerful, not the other way around
   41. Truth 37. Be consistent but not complacent
   42. Truth 38. Is your brand different? If not, why will someone buy it?
   43. Truth 39. The three M's of taglines: Meaningful, motivating, and memorable
   44. Truth 40. Customer service is the touch point of your brand
   45. Truth 41. Smaller targets are easier to hit
   46. Truth 42. Beware of the allure of brand extensions
   47. Truth 43. Keep advertising simple, but not simplistic
   48. Truth 44. It's a long walk from the focus group room to the cash register
   49. Truth 45. Repositioning can be a fool's chase
   50. Truth 46. With advertising, don't expect too much
   51. Truth 47. Don't let testing override judgment
   52. Truth 48. Effective advertising is 90% what you say, 10% how you say it
   53. Truth 49. Compromise can destroy a brand
   54. Truth 50. Don't let the pizazz outshine the brand
   55. Truth 51. There are no commodity products, only commodity thinking
   56. References
       1. Truth 3
       2. Truth 4
       3. Truth 5
       4. Truth 6
       5. Truth 7
       6. Truth 11
       7. Truth 16
       8. Truth 17
       9. Truth 20
       10. Truth 22
       11. Truth 25
       12. Truth 26
       13. Truth 27
       14. Truth 29
       15. Truth 31
       16. Truth 35
       17. Truth 36
       18. Truth 38
       19. Truth 42
       20. Truth 43
       21. Truth 44
       22. Truth 46
       23. Truth 49
   57. Acknowledgments
   58. About the Authors
   59. Financial Times Press
   60. Simply the best thinking
5. The Truth About: Starting a Business
   1. Contents
   2. Praise for The Truth About Starting a Business
   3. Part I The Truth About What It Takes to Be a Business Owner
      1. TRUTH 1 Why people start businesses
         1. Aspiration gaps
         2. Passion for a business idea
      2. TRUTH 2 The right business for you
      3. TRUTH 3 Questions to ask before you quit your job
      4. TRUTH 4 Key characteristics of successful business owners
         1. Passion for their business
         2. Tolerance for ambiguity
         3. Self-efficacy
      5. TRUTH 5 You may not need “prior business experience”
   4. Part II The Truth About Generating and Testing Business Ideas
      1. TRUTH 6 The most common sources of new business ideas
         1. Changing environmental trends
         2. Unsolved problems
         3. Gaps in the marketplace
      2. TRUTH 7 Want several alternatives? Techniques for generating new business ideas
         1. Brainstorming
         2. Library and Internet research
      3. TRUTH 8 A make-it or break-it issue: Selecting an idea that can be sold into a niche market
      4. TRUTH 9 Screening and testing business ideas
      5. TRUTH 10 Writing a business plan: Still as important as ever
   5. Part III The Truth About Entry Strategies
      1. TRUTH 11 Starting from scratch: Developing your own product or service
         1. Advantages of starting a business from scratch
         2. Disadvantages of starting a business from scratch
         3. Making the call—Is starting a business from scratch the right strategy for you?
      2. TRUTH 12 Franchising: Buying into someone else’s formula for success
         1. Advantages of buying a franchise
         2. Disadvantages of buying a franchise
         3. Caution
      3. TRUTH 13 Believe it or not: There are legitimate opportunities in direct sales
      4. TRUTH 14 Buying a business
      5. TRUTH 15 Internet businesses: The sky does seem to be the limit
         1. E-commerce Web sites
         2. Advertising-supported special interest Web sites
   6. Part IV The Truth About Getting Up and Running
      1. TRUTH 16 Choosing a location for your business
         1. If location is important, what type of location will work best for you?
         2. How much can you afford?
         3. Is the physical structure you’re considering adequate?
      2. TRUTH 17 Something you’ll say a million times: Your business’s name
         1. Consumer-driven companies
         2. Product- or service-driven companies
         3. Industry-driven companies
         4. Personality- or image-driven companies
         5. Other considerations
      3. TRUTH 18 The paper chase: Obtaining business licenses and permits
         1. Obtaining a business license
         2. Permits
         3. Sources of assistance
      4. TRUTH 19 Choosing a form of business ownership
      5. TRUTH 20 Creating a Web site: An absolute necessity
         1. Determining the objectives of your Web site
         2. Building Your Web Site
         3. Monitoring your Web site to assess and improve its effectiveness
   7. Part V The Truth About Raising Money
      1. TRUTH 21 How to think about money as it relates to starting a business
         1. Skimpy finances can be a blessing rather than a curse
         2. Techniques that enable business owners to minimize start-up costs
      2. TRUTH 22 Calculating your initial start-up costs
         1. How to calculate your start-up costs
         2. Finding information on start-up costs
         3. Determining the financing that you’ll need
      3. TRUTH 23 Personal funds, loans from friends and family, and bootstrapping
         1. Loans from friends and family
         2. Bootstrapping
      4. TRUTH 24 Debt financing
      5. TRUTH 25 Equity funding
         1. Business angels
         2. Venture capitalists
      6. TRUTH 26 Grants: It takes the right fit
      7. TRUTH 27 Persistence pays off: Finding alternative sources of start-up funds
         1. Business plan competitions and other contests
         2. State and community small business loan and assistance programs
         3. Patriot Express Pilot Loan Initiative
         4. Loan and grant programs for women and minority business owners
         5. Customer and supplier financing
         6. Tapping into personal funds
   8. Part VI The Truth About Building a New Business Team
      1. TRUTH 28 How to approach the task of building a “new business” team
         1. Being open to advice
         2. Having a clear sense of how the business will evolve
      2. TRUTH 29 Starting a business as a team rather than an individual
         1. Advantages to starting as a team rather than an individual
         2. Disadvantages to starting as a team rather than an individual
         3. Founders’ agreement
      3. TRUTH 30 Recruiting and hiring employees
         1. Hiring your first employee
         2. Hiring tips and techniques
      4. TRUTH 31 Board of directors
         1. Provide guidance
         2. Lend legitimacy
      5. TRUTH 32 Board of advisors
   9. Part VII The Truth About Intellectual Property
      1. TRUTH 33 Intellectual property: What is it, and how is it protected?
      2. TRUTH 34 To patent or not to patent?
         1. Steps to take before applying for a patent
         2. What is a patent, and what’s eligible for patent protection?
         3. Provisional patent applications
      3. TRUTH 35 Trademarks: An essential form of protection
         1. What is a trademark?
         2. How a trademark is obtained
         3. What can be trademarked?
         4. Rules of thumb for selecting appropriate trademarks
      4. TRUTH 36 Copyrights laws: A surprising breadth of protection
         1. What is protected by a copyright?
         2. How to obtain a copyright
         3. Copyright infringement
      5. TRUTH 37 Trade secrets: Guard them carefully
         1. What qualifies for trade secret protection?
         2. Trade secret disputes
   10. Part VIII The Truth About Marketing
       1. TRUTH 38 How to approach marketing in a new business
          1. Make your marketing efforts consistent with your mission
          2. Know your customers
          3. Learn about the full array of marketing techniques that are available
       2. TRUTH 39 Segmenting the market and selecting a target market
          1. Segmenting the market
          2. Selecting a target market
       3. TRUTH 40 Establishing a brand
       4. TRUTH 41 Selling benefits rather than features
       5. TRUTH 42 Pricing: The most dicey element in the marketing mix
          1. Cost-based pricing
          2. Value-based pricing
       6. TRUTH 43 It’s okay to advertise, but think through your choices carefully
          1. Print and media advertising
          2. Internet advertising
       7. TRUTH 44 Public relations: More important than ever
       8. TRUTH 45 Distribution and sales: More choices than ever
          1. Distribution and sales alternatives
          2. Sales strategy and related issues
   11. Part IX The Truth About Financial Management
       1. TRUTH 46 Managing a business’s finances
          1. Particularly important issues for first-time business owners
       2. TRUTH 47 Financial objectives of a business
          1. Profitability
          2. Liquidity
          3. Overall financial stability
       3. TRUTH 48 The nitty-gritty: Forecasts, budgets, and financial statements
          1. Forecasts
          2. Budgets
          3. Financial statements
   12. Part X The Truth About Growing a Business
       1. TRUTH 49 Preparing for growth
          1. Appreciating the nature of business growth
          2. Planning for growth
       2. TRUTH 50 Stages of growth: More opportunities, more challenges
          1. Introduction
          2. Early growth
          3. Continuous growth stage
       3. TRUTH 51 Strategies for growth
          1. Internal growth strategies
          2. External growth strategies
   13. Part XI The Truth About Starting a Business and Maintaining a Healthy Personal Life
       1. TRUTH 52 Work life balance: Practical tips
          1. Establish a routine
          2. Get help
          3. Set up systems and procedures
       2. TRUTH 53 Starting a business as a means of achieving a healthy personal life
          1. Flexibility
          2. Achieving a personal goal or aspiration
          3. The ability to pursue a passion
       3. References
          1. References
       4. About the Author
6. The Truth About: Thriving in Change
   1. Contents
   2. The Truth About Thriving in Change
      1. HR Leaders
      2. Academia
      3. Business/Human Resources Consultants
      4. Training and Development Practitioners
      5. Operations/Manufacturing/General Management
   3. Preface
      1. What is organizational change?
      2. The benefits of organizational change
      3. What's different today?
      4. Is the time right?
      5. Is there a checklist you can follow?
      6. Is it fun?
   4. Part I: The Truth About Staying or Going
      1. Truth 1. Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react
      2. Truth 2. If your values don't agree, it's probably time to flee
      3. Truth 3. Service awards aren't what they used to be
         1. Short-term considerations
         2. Long-term considerations
         3. Implications
      4. Truth 4. Teaching long division doesn't work on a Blackberry
   5. Part II: The Truth About What You should Pack
      1. Truth 5. It's not what you've got; it's what you need
      2. Truth 6. To manage change, you must lead change
      3. Truth 7. You can't do without a "can-do" attitude
      4. Truth 8. If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything
   6. Part III: The Truth About Those Early Days
      1. Truth 9. Run before you walk
      2. Truth 10. Keep your boss your biggest fan
      3. Truth 11. There are only three ways to introduce change
      4. Truth 12. Build the case: It's a challenge and an opportunity
      5. Truth 13. Teach others how to treat you
   7. Part IV: The Truth About Planning
      1. Truth 14. If you don't know where you're going, you won't get there
      2. Truth 15. To realize the future, you must create it
      3. Truth 16. Convert aspiration to invitation
      4. Truth 17. Having organizational values matters; living them means more
         1. Organizational values have a holistic impact
         2. Values are the basis of community
         3. Values define relationships: they're the link to your team
         4. Values are a required managerial competency
         5. Values are a critical aspect of organizational viability
         6. The key to values identification is enforcement
         7. Get started
         8. On an ongoing basis
      5. Truth 18. Make the change agenda everyone's agenda
   8. Part V: The Truth About Communications
      1. Truth 19. We listen with our eyes
         1. Verbals
         2. Vocals
         3. Nonverbals
      2. Truth 20. Email is the tool of the devil
      3. Truth 21. People can't drink from a fire hose
      4. Truth 22. Conversion is for missionaries and crusaders
         1. Can-doers
         2. Fence-sitters
         3. Naysayers
   9. Part VI: The Truth About Matching People with Purpose
      1. Truth 23. Organizational structure: Look in from the outside
      2. Truth 24. Build your team around your "A" players
      3. Truth 25. Candidate screening: Let the facts speak for themselves
      4. Truth 26. Avoid the ten potential "placement pitfalls"
      5. Truth 27. Don't surround yourself with yourself
      6. Truth 28. Why you need to get staffing right
      7. Truth 29. If you must "right-size," do it the right way
         1. Explore all alternatives
         2. Your business needs should drive the selection process
         3. Be proactive with communications
         4. Treat everyone in accordance with your organization's values
         5. Give appropriate notice
         6. Be done with it
         7. Prepare for tomorrow
   10. Part VII: The Truth About Managing Performance
       1. Truth 30. One style does not fit all
          1. Telling
          2. Selling
          3. Participating
          4. Delegating
       2. Truth 31. You can influence without authority
       3. Truth 32. You can't work the plan if you don't plan the work
       4. Truth 33. There's no excuse for excuses
       5. Truth 34. Know what buttons to push
   11. Part VIII: The Truth About Creating Your Cultural Framework
       1. Truth 35. Calm waters make for easier sailing
       2. Truth 36. Trust is a currency not easily earned, but easily spent
       3. Truth 37. If you're out of sight, you're probably out of touch
       4. Truth 38. Teams aren't a necessary evil
       5. Truth 39. Your way may not be the best way
       6. Truth 40. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts
       7. Truth 41. Embrace—don't run from—the questions
          1. You must establish a "safe to say" environment
          2. You should lead with questions
          3. You should be a critical listener
          4. You should gently prod people for feedback
          5. You may say, "I don't know" however, then say, "I'll get back to you."
          6. You should make sure that everyone's opinion is welcomed and respected
       8. Truth 42. Decision making: The fastest don't always finish first
          1. Work the room ahead of time
          2. Don't be afraid to make decisions
          3. Act with appropriate haste
          4. Know that your credibility is on the line every day
          5. Unless new information becomes available, stick to your word
       9. Truth 43. Exceptions: Can't live with them; can't live without them
       10. Truth 44. Employee discipline: Ask the more meaningful question
   12. Part IX: The Truth About Recognition and Reward
       1. Truth 45. Make every employee feel like your only employee
       2. Truth 46. A little formal recognition goes a long way
   13. Part X: The Truth About Sustenance
       1. Truth 47. Your best investment is in... YOU
          1. Anticipate
          2. Be a consummate reader
          3. Have curiosity
          4. Stay "linked" to your customer
          5. Join professional associations
          6. Pursue training opportunities
          7. Keep your network alive
          8. Be bold
       2. Truth 48. Your title is manager; your job is teacher
          1. Start by selecting the "right" people to develop.
          2. How do you invest in these people?
       3. Truth 49. Trying to be all things to all people is a slippery slope
          1. Closing Thoughts
       4. References
          1. Providing context
          2. Truth 1
          3. Truth 2
          4. Truth 3
          5. Truth 4
          6. Truth 5
          7. Truth 6
          8. Truth 7
          9. Truth 8
          10. Truth 9
          11. Truth 10
          12. Truth 11
          13. Truth 14
          14. Truth 15
          15. Truth 16
          16. Truth 17
          17. Truth 18
          18. Truth 19
          19. Truth 20
          20. Truth 21
          21. Truth 22
          22. Truth 23
          23. Truth 24
          24. Truth 25
          25. Truth 26
          26. Truth 27
          27. Truth 28
          28. Truth 29
          29. Truth 30
          30. Truth 31
          31. Truth 32
          32. Truth 33
          33. Truth 34
          34. Truth 35
          35. Truth 36
          36. Truth 37
          37. Truth 38
          38. Truth 39
          39. Truth 40
          40. Truth 41
          41. Truth 42
          42. Truth 43
          43. Truth 44
          44. Truth 45
          45. Truth 46
          46. Truth 47
          47. Truth 48
          48. Truth 49
   14. About the Author
       1. Acknowledgments
   15. Appendix A. Career Reflections
   16. Appendix B. Vision/Mission Statements
   17. Appendix C. Strategic Objectives
   18. Appendix D. Tactics
   19. Appendix E. Values
   20. Appendix F. Behavioral Interviewing Examples
   21. Appendix G. Types of Organizational Learning
   22. Appendix H. Prompting a Dialog About Values