The Book of Entrepreneurs' Wisdom

Praise for The Book of Entrepreneurs' Wisdom "A great tool, not just for entrepreneurs,but for anyone trying to improve their business skills. It sure would have been nice to have had this book twenty-three years ago!" -Jim McCann, President, 1-800-Flowers Pearls from The Book of Entrepreneurs Wisdom "The secret to success: Plunge into the uncomfortable, push, or be lucky enough to have someone push you, beyond your fears and your sense of limitations." -Barry Diller "I sometimes feel like I'm behind the wheel of a racecar. I need to keep my eyes on the horizon, but I also need to keep my attention on the rear-view mirror to see who's gaining on me." -Steve Case "A business which starts off quickly, makes money at once, and seems to be in every respect a gold mine, often does not last long." -Harvey Firestone "Did I want to risk an embarrassing and costly failure? Absolutely." -Michael BloombergDies ist der vierte Band in der populären Wisdom-Reihe. Die Vorgängerbände behandelten die Themen Business-, Leadership- und Investment Wisdom. Dieser neue Band zum Thema Entrepreneurs' Wisdom ist eine Sammlung von 50 Reden, Essays, Anekdoten und anderen Schriften über das Unternehmertum, die von legendären Meistern ihres Fachs stammen. Persönlichkeiten wie Richard Branson, Barry Diller und Michael Dell geben hier in eigenen Worten Ratschläge, Inspiration und Erfahrung weiter. Die Beiträge sind nach Themen gegliedert, so daß der Leser leicht Information zu bestimmten Themen finden kann, wobei es zu jedem Thema eine Einführung mit wichtigen Hintergrundinformationen über den Autor gibt. Diskutiert werden u.a.: die Grundvoraussetzungen für einen Unternehmer, die Anlaufphase, strategische Planung, Image und Warenzeichen, Verkauf, Ratschläge von Erfindern, die ihr eigenes Unternehmen gegründet haben, Risikokapital und Börsengang, Management eines expandierenden Unternehmens. (10/99) THE START-UP.

Michael Bloomberg: I Love Mondays.

Harvey S. Firestone: Starting the Company.

Andy Kessler: Go Ahead-Jump!

Kim Polese: A Tech Dream Comes True.

Norm Brodsky: The Three Criteria for a Successful New Business.

Doris Drucker: Mrs. Drucker Starts a Business.

THE MAVERICK ELEMENT AND OTHER QUALITIES.

Warren Avis: Are You a Gunslinger?

Barry Diller: The Discomfort Zone.

Wally Amos: The Power in Commitment.

Andrew Carnegie: The Crucial Question.

Lillian Vernon: The Successful Entrepreneur's Toolkit.

Mark H. McCormack: For Entrepreneurs Only.

VENTURE CAPITAL, LBOS, AND GOING PUBLIC.

Tom Monaghan: Bankers Are the Keepers of the Keys.

Conrad Hilton: A Million-Dollar Mountain and a Red Hat.

Irene Smith: Money: The Truth about Financing a Growing Small Business.

Arthur Rock: Strategy versus Tactics from a Venture Capitalist.

Henry R. Kravis: LBOs Can Help Restore America's Competitive Edge.

An Wang: Going Public.

RISK AND STRATEGY.

Richard Branson: Risk Taking.

Scott McNealy: A Winning Business Model for the 1990s.

Simon Ramo: The Technique of Anticipation.

Dave Thomas: The Secrets of Sniffing Around.

J. C. Penney: Why a Buyer's Market Hasn't Changed Our Plans.

Victor Kiam: Remington's Marketing and Manufacturing Strategies.

Franklin A. Seiberling: Buying or Selling -
Which Counts Most?

Steve Case: Ten Commandments for Building the Medium.

INVENTORS TURNED ENTREPRENEURS.

Henry Ford: How I Made a Success of My Business.

Steven P. Jobs: When We Invented the Personal Computer...

George Eastman: Make the Camera as Convenient as the Pencil.

Edwin H. Land: In the Creator's Mind.

Nolan Bushnell: To Win the Business Game, Do What You Know.

Benjamin Franklin: Advice to a Young Tradesman.

Clarence Birdseye: If I Were Twenty-One.

BRANDING, IMAGE, AND SELLING.

Howard M. Schultz: The Best Way to Build a Brand.

Colonel Harland Sanders: The Making of a Colonel.

Akio Morita: Moving Up in Marketing by Getting Down to Basics.

Marquis M. Converse: My Test of Good Management.

John H. Johnson: Breaking Through the Ad Barrier.

Michael S. Dell: Service Sells.

Al Neuharth: Showmanship and Salesmanship.

P. T. Barnum: The American Museum.

ENTREPRENEURIAL MANAGEMENT.

Alfred C. Fuller: The Need for Controls.

Debbi Fields: My Style.

H. Ross Perot: Change Is Fun.

Philip Knight: Global Manufacturing: The Nike Story Is Just Good Business.

Anita Roddick: Four-Letter Words!

Anita F. Brattina: The Diary of a Small Business Owner.

Thomas J. Watson: To Make a Business Grow -
Begin Growing Men.

PERSONAL STORIES.

Herman W. Lay: Your Own Business.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield: Bagels, Ice Cream, or...Pizza?

Joseph C. Wilson: The Product Nobody Wanted.

Kenneth H. Olsen: Digital Equipment Corporation: The First Twenty-Five Years.

Samuel Goldwyn: You Can Always Do Better.

Acknowledgments.

Notes.

Credits and Sources.

Chronology.

Author Index.

Companies Founded, Cofounded, Or Managed by Authors.

Index. "This is classical and fascinating material that should be widely read by aspiring (and practising) entrepreneurs." (Long Range Planning, Vol 35, 2000)

PETER KRASS is a freelance writer and editor living in New Hampshire. He has contributed extensively to Investor’s Business Daily. His other books include The Book of Business Wisdom: Classic Writings by the Legends of Commerce and Industry, The Book of Leadership Wisdom: Classic Writings by Legendary Business Leaders, and The Book of Investing Wisdom: Classic Writings by Great Stock-Pickers and Legends of Wall Street, all published by Wiley.

Not everyone can start a new business and turn it into a success. Though many have gotten ideas off the ground, few have kept them afloat. While many have opened doors to budding ventures, few have been able to keep them open. And while many have begun freshman businesses, few are true entrepreneurs. What does it take to join this elite rank?

The answer may well best be found from those who know firsthand—the fortunate few who have taken the lightbulbs in their heads and made them shine: pioneers like Henry Ford, George Eastman, Kim Polese, Col. Harland Sanders, Lillian Vernon, Warren Avis, Richard Branson, Dave Thomas, and Steve Jobs. Now, The Book of Entrepreneurs’ Wisdom affords you an unprecedented opportunity to hear—in their own words—what these legends have had to say on the topic of entrepreneurship.

The Book of Entrepreneurs’ Wisdom brings together the essays and speeches of more than fifty pioneers, past and present. From starting up to creating marketing strategies, from taking risks to building brand identity, the writings contained here span the entire spectrum of essential entre-preneurial issues. For example, Wally “Famous” Amos talks about the power in commitment and Lillian Vernon presents her entrepreneur’s toolkit.

For easy reference, the essays contained in The Book of Entrepreneurs’ Wisdom are organized into eight categories, covering the start-up process; the maverick element; venture capital, LBOs, and going public; risk and strategy; inventors turned entrepreneurs; branding, image, and selling; entrepreneurial management; and personal stories. Each essay is preceded by a brief introduction that places it in historical perspective and offers interesting and insightful information about its author’s life and career. And throughout each essay, passages have been highlighted that call attention to each contributor’s most pithy, profound, or quirky ideas.

Offering timeless wisdom from the most successful entrepreneurs ever, The Book of Entrepreneurs’ Wisdom is must reading for anyone looking to join the venerable rank of these gunslingers, explorers, pioneers, and thrill seekers.