I have chosen some reviews (or excerpts of) to highlight here. These are the reviews that really caught my attention. And besides, not everyone will read pages and pages of reviews like I do, so I have saved you some time! Just be patient reading through all the text here, and I think you will be as inspired as I have been!
{All books will be linked at the end of this post.}
Birthing the Elephant: The Woman's Go-For-It! Guide to Overcoming the Big Challenges of Launching a Business
by Karin Abarbanel and Bruce Freeman
This book has 50 reviews: one 4 star and forty-nine 5 stars!
I'm big on Amazon Reviews, so after reading quite a few of them it quickly went into my cart!
Even though this book is geared toward women, many reviews claim it is also invaluable to men.
The Booklist states:
The ability to understand and manage emotions is, most probably, the best way to describe Abarbanel and Freeman’s book. They identify four stages of birthing a business: starting your start-up; running your own show; achieving breakthrough; and finding your business rhythm. Yet what they concentrate on is each stage’s feelings and coping strategies. The authors are bluntly honest: expect self-doubt, performance anxiety, and a lack of a life outside of eating-working-sleeping. At the same time, emerging entrepreneurs will find advice that’s worth the price of the book alone, from relying on mentors to nurturing your private life. Identifying and avoiding pitfalls, such as romanticizing being your own boss and not trusting your gut, enable women to sidestep potential issues. --Barbara Jacobs
Three Amazon Reviews that are different from the others:
"I read Bruce's weekly ask a small business professor article. I must say, each week Bruce offers fantastic information on how to successfully run and manage a small business. Naturally, when I saw his name on the book I felt inclined to read it from being a fan of his syndicated article. Boy was I happy I did. In the book Bruce does a fantastic job of encouraging women and men on how to start up a small business and successfully operate it. Keep up the good work Bruce."
"From reading Bruce Freeman's syndicated articles on smallbusinessprof.com, it is easy to see this man has plenty of knowledge about business in general. This book will undoubtedly help any woman trying to make it in the business world. It is a necessary read particularly for those women who are starting their own business, not only because of the clear steps the reader is taken through, but the real examples used to illustrate these steps. If you are deciding whether or not to start your own business, this book is all the support you need!"
"I read a stack of books when starting my retail business, but there is something different (and more helpful) about Birthing the Elephant. BTE reflected exactly not only what I was going through but MY FEELINGS BEHIND IT ALL! I was on an emotional roller coaster getting my business off the ground (still am :o), and at times I felt this made me unqualified at attempting to do what I was doing. But BTE helped me see that I was not alone, and actually, I was very normal. No other book talks about this other side of self-businesshood, which in a way is a lot like parenthood. It's ok to be emotional in business, we are human after all. BTE is a wonderful guide to help you navigate through it."
The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business
by Emira Mears & Lauren Bacon
The Booklist states:
Web design partners and strategists and now coauthors Mears and Bacon make sure that the rational side is well-prepared before venturing into a new business, with lots of straightforward talk. Take finances: there’s not only a laundry list of all the money angles to consider but also a sample budget to help a wannabe manufacturer figure out the cost of goods sold. They’ll walk you through a naming session, complete with defining mission, personality, and target audience. And possibly overwhelm you with marketing and business-building ideas, including PR, advertising, collateral, and networking. Sidebars expand in a lively fashion on some of the hottest trends, like blogging and business coaches. Then, there’s the quieter and realistic side, handling “the ease with which we find ourselves sacrificing our own basic needs in the quest to succeed.” --Barbara Jacobs
Short and to the point Amazon Review:
"This book was recommended to me and I will recommend it to any serious entrepreneur. In order to get the most out of this book you have to take the exercises seriously. The book helped me realize I needed to be more focused with my business ideas. I'm glad I learned that before I started. It is a good business preparation book."
Amazon Review by a "health counselor & Life coach":
"The title is exactly what you get in this book. It truly does have everything you need to know to start, run and keep your business going. The chapters are very organized and the writing is engaging meaning the authors have this certain flair that captivates your attention where you can't help but keep on reading. I've read other books on the subject and by fair this is the most fun and most comprehensive book there is, especially for women. The authors really empower women to follow their dreams and you can't help but feel excited to get out there...I did!"
And here is part of a longer Amazon Reivew;
"I started my own publishing business in 2006 and am wanting to recreate it. I came across this book at the library and have been amazed by the way it has opened up my relationship to my business. The authors avoid business jargon (actually, they pleasantly mock it) and present their information and exercises in simple language. I believe that has been the key, for me, in reveling in this book."
The Chic Entrepreneur: Put Your Business in Higher Heels
by Elizabeth Gordon & Leanna Adams
Out of 20 reviews: One 2 star and nineteen 5 star!
{Personally I thought the 2 star review was too sensitive and stuffy.}
Product Description
Learn how to take your business from flats to stilettos in this intelligently written, highly practical, and entertaining read. The Chic Entrepreneur teaches women business owners how to get out of the trenches and take their business to new heights by mastering the 9 dimensions of a flourishing business. Elizabeth Gordon, President of Flourishing Business®, a consulting firm that helps stagnant businesses jump start their growth, shows how to build a business right. Gordon explains how to build an asset of inherent value instead of just a bigger job and points out common mistakes to avoid along the way.
Packed with Chic Tips that businesses can inexpensively implement for an immediate return, this book is ideal for jump-starting a stalled business, and putting it into overdrive. This simple yet timeless formula for achieving chic success in the business world is cleverly interwoven with critical analysis of real businesses and delightful tales that show what and what not to do.
Amazon Reviews that stood out to me:
"The book is designed in a user friendly, eye appealing, format which helps the reader assimilate and apply principles present in case studies and illustrations which detail the processes for setting up a new company.
These case studies feature parallel start up approaches using people like Don and Donna as examples of the right and wrong approach. Elizabeth also features forceful assessments of well known successful businesses like Google, Nordstrom, and Whole Foods.
I especially appreciated the thought provoking questions and exercises for determining action steps which accompany each chapter. The tips provided in side bars throughout the chapters reinforce the valuable business techniques and success traits necessary for building a fast growing profitable business."
I think this Amazon Review packs a powerful punch!
I work with a lot of women business owners. And it's apparent to me that Elizabeth Gordon does as well. She's seeing the same issues that I am.
I found the book very accessible. Another reviewer has stated that some of the comparisons are a bit outrageous. Well, they are. But the point is to have you sit up and take notice. Gordon does well at taking what is new (business knowledge) and marrying it to the world that most women understand -- relationships.
Start with the last chapter. Give yourself the entrepreneurship test -- are you really ready to commit? Gordon says: "Women tend to be eager to commit to relationships, to marriage, to their families, and even to their best friends, but when it comes to committing to business, ironically, women are the ones who can't commit."
Ouch! Yes, it sounds harsh. But I see it again and again. Given a choice between a $300 business education course and a $300 purse, far too many women choose the purse. Owning a business is work, and yet, at the same time it is the most exhilarating thing that you can do with your life, other than raising a family. Both have their own joys and pitfalls -- even more so if you are doing both.
When you first learned to make your way in the world, you did some trial and error. (Try to walk, fall down, get up, try to walk, fall down...) But you also had someone there to hold your hand and help you get the concepts.
Elizabeth Gordon has given you the concepts in manageable language and format. I recommend this book to any women thinking of starting a business, just started a business or hopelessly lost in business. Even if you don't fall into any of those categories, the book is a good read. You will probably pick up something that will lead you to explode your business in the next 12 months."
And last but not least, an Amazon Review by Janet W. Christy - another woman entrepreneur author:
Most of the time the word "Chic" refers to the appearance of a person or thing. I have always thought of Chic as something superficial. Well "Chic Entrepreneur" goes against the norm. This book provides information on more than the appearance of a business and the advice in it is not superficial, but very substantial.
As a consultant to and trainer of woman owned businesses I often see women think small, underestimate the effort it takes to run a business and fail to identify their true customers/clients. If they read "Chic Entrepreneur" and keep it on their desk they will avoid making these mistakes. One of the biggest mistakes I see women business owners make is that they do not collaborate; they miss a lot of opportunities because they do not attempt, or often even consider, partnering, teaming, and subcontracting. I applaud the authors for realistically addressing some of this in Chapter 8 "Arm's Length or In Bed Together: Strategically Aligning Yourself".
Any entrepreneur can benefit from this book. It's a book that you will want to keep around so you can re-read Chapters as they apply to your phase or situation. I know I will be suggesting it as a companion book to the purchasers of my book "Capitalizing On Being Woman Owned".
This book is great in a general way for all entrepreneurs. Hopefully it will provide the information and stimulus that will cause existing and would-be entrepreneurs to do the in depth research specific to their business that will help them be successful in a Super Chic way."
So, are you inspired by these reviews? I know I am! I have so many questions about starting my own business. The emotional roller-coaster of "what if I cannot make enough money to cover my bills each month in the first year?"
I have no doubt that if I am diligent in reading these books, my confidence will climb and my determination will grow stronger.
Please let me know in the comments if you purchased a book, then come back to give an update when you have finished.
Helpful Tip:
Right click the photo of the books below then click on 'Open link in New Tab'. Then you can toggle between this page and the book page on Amazon. I'm a tab fanatic.
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