{"product_id":"the-bear-necessities-of-business-isbn-9780470139059","title":"The Bear Necessities of Business","description":"Build-A-Bear Workshop® is one of the most successful retailing concepts in recent history. Starting with just one location in 1997, the company now operates more than 200 stores worldwide.  \u003cp\u003eLeading the way is Maxine Clark, the company's founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Bear. Clark is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading and most creative entrepreneurs. In The Bear Necessities of Business, she reveals how she built this amazing global business from the ground up, while arming you with the tools you need to start, run, and market your own company in today's tough competitive environment. While primarily drawing on real-life experiences from Build-A-Bear Workshop®, Clark also offers wisdom gained throughout her entire thirty-plus-year career, including lessons and examples from some of the other great companies that do so much right.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStraightforward and accessible, The Bear Necessities of Business is divided into seven parts, each built around an essential element that will allow you to stand apart from the crowd. The short, accessible chapters show you everything you need to:\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eGet your business started\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eBecome a great boss\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eConnect with your customers\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eAdd value to the overall experience\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eEffectively market your company\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003ePlan for future growth\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eGive back to your customers, employees, and community\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eBest of all, these principles can be applied to any industry and are proven to work whether your target audience is children, teenagers, baby boomers, seniors, or any age in-between.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhether you're looking to start a new business, improve an existing one, be a better manager, or hire the best employees, The Bear Necessities of Business contains the insights and information you need to succeed. Even if you work for some-one else and have no plans to strike out on your own, you'll still benefit from the advice found in this book. After all, the best employees—and those who consistently rise to the top—are those who think like entrepreneurs!\u003c\/p\u003e  Introduction.  \u003cp\u003ePart One: Getting Started.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDream the Dream Supreme.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLet a Child Inspire You.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDo What You Love.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBeware of Conventional Wisdom.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePour Your Heart Into It.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEnvision the Core User.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eImagine Your Company from the Inside Out.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt's All in the Details.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDevelop String Partnerships.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ebe Financially Secure.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePut Your Plans in Writing.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMake Investors Come to You.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePart Two: Being a Great Boss.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eShow a Willingness to Do Any Job.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSeek and Find Those Who Share Your Passion.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCreate a Fun Place to Work.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCelebrate Mistakes with a red Pencil Awed.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRespect Those Around You.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmpower Your Employees to Contribute.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKnow What You Don't Know.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSeek the Help of Outside Experts.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKeep Score.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRead, Act, and Share.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePart Three: Connecting with Your Customers.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSee Yourself Through the Public's Eyes.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLearn from Your Customers.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBuild an Advisory Board.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBring Out the Child in Everyone.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpending More Creates More Value.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDon't Cater to All Audiences.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEnsure that Each Person Feels Special.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnswer Customer Letters.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePart Four: Creating an Incredible Experience.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMake First Impression Last.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTurn Every day into a Holiday.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmulate the Five Pillars of Success.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKeep Inventory in Check.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePay Attention to Packaging.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOffer an Escape from the Ordinary.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePart Five: Using Essential Marketing Strategies.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBe a Great Brand.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Best Advertising IS Free.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTarget your Pitches.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRespond to the Media.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdvertise Smart.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCreate Buzz.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUse the Web Wisely.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmbrace Viral Marketing.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePart Six: Growing Your Business.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 + 1 = 10.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLive in the Now... and the Future.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLearn from the Experiences of Others.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGrow Without Compromise.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBe Prepared for the Unimaginable.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInnovate Incessantly.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpeak in All Languages.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTurn \"No\" into Your Own \"Yes\".\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Harder You Work, the Luckier You Get.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFive Questions That Will Help Propel Your Business.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePart Seven: Giving Back.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGood Works Are Good Business.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBegin in Your Own Backyard.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eShare and Share Alike.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBearisms to Live and Work By.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcknowledgments.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbout the Authors.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"The advice is excellent and easily transferable.\" (\u003ci\u003eProfessional Manager\u003c\/i\u003e, October 2006)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"... it's well structured so that people can easily dip in and out. Worth reading whatever your line of business.\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e, September 2006)\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eMaxine Clark is the founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop®. A veteran of the retail industry, she has been widely recognized for her innovative work and is regularly featured in the media. Clark spent more than twenty years with The May Department Stores Company and later served as president of Payless ShoeSource, which she turned into the number one seller of children's licensed footwear in the world. Since 1997, Clark has focused her attention on Build-A-Bear Workshop®, a retail store that lets customers create their own stuffed companions. The first store opened in 1997, and there are now more than 300 locations worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmy Joyner is an award-winning business reporter who has written on entrepreneurship for many years. She is a small business expert as well as author of The eBay Millionaire, The eBay Billionaires' Club, and The Online Millionaire, all published by Wiley.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003ePraise for The Bear Necessities Of Business\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"Maxine Clark has written a powerfully effective book that will help you build an organization that's more competitive, more inventive, more productive, and simply more fun to work in.\"\u003cbr\u003e ——William C. Taylor, Founding Editor, Fast Company magazine\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"The Bear Necessities of Business is pithy, accessible, fun, and very smart. Maxine Clark is the twenty-first century's Walt Disney. Whatever business you're in—or dream of building—this chock-full-of-wisdom guide is a must-read.\"\u003cbr\u003e ——Susan W. Bird, founder and CEO, Wf360\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"The spirit and passion Maxine Clark has for bringing dreams to life is now in your hands. Every chapter is stuffed with the secrets of what has made her so successful in every aspect of business. Her mentoring and the words in this book are a big part of the magic of my success.\"\u003cbr\u003e ——Denise Chapman Weston, President and Director of\u003cbr\u003e Imagination, MagiQuest\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"A must-read not just for aspiring entrepreneurs, but for seasoned managers as well.\"\u003cbr\u003e ——C. K. Prahalad, coauthor, The Future of Competition\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"This book provides a 'how-to manual' for all those budding entrepreneurs with an idea they want to see blossom into a booming business.\"\u003cbr\u003e ——Martin Sneider, Adjunct Professor of Retailing\u003cbr\u003e Olin School of Business, Washington University\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wiley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47990166257893,"sku":"NP9780470139059","price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780470139059.jpg?v=1761786757","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-bear-necessities-of-business-isbn-9780470139059","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}