Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
WHY YOU NEED THIS BOOK
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
START
Chapter 1 - Begin it now
Chapter 2 - Find your eureka moment
Chapter 3 - Discover your purpose
Chapter 4 - Learn to sell the concept
Chapter 5 - Use your time wisely
Chapter 6 - Involve family and friends wisely
Chapter 7 - Be agile
Chapter 8 - Step out of your career
Chapter 9 - Find start-up capital
Chapter 10 - Start today
IDEAS
Chapter 11 - You are unique
Chapter 12 - Find problems to solve
Chapter 13 - Listen to your customers
Chapter 14 - Do something you enjoy
Chapter 15 - Learn a new skill
Chapter 16 - Take a brilliant idea and do it better
Chapter 17 - Harness the power of imagination
Chapter 18 - Appreciate other people’s interests
Chapter 19 - Protect your ideas
Chapter 20 - Create an elevator pitch
MOTIVATION
Chapter 21 - Be responsible for change
Chapter 22 - Don’t just dream, do it
Chapter 23 - Take a day off
Chapter 24 - Set goals to achieve them
Chapter 25 - Enjoy feeling uncomfortable
Chapter 26 - Visualize achievements
Chapter 27 - Embrace flow
Chapter 28 - Keep on going
Chapter 29 - If it was easy, everyone would do it
Chapter 30 - Find your motivation
OPPORTUNITY
Chapter 31 - Find out who you are
Chapter 32 - Do the research
Chapter 33 - Grow your personal network
Chapter 34 - Take every opportunity
Chapter 35 - Read a magazine
Chapter 36 - Create a scalable business
Chapter 37 - Be tenacious
Chapter 38 - Go for larger deals
Chapter 39 - Absorb criticism and use it
Chapter 40 - Surround yourself with intelligence
CHALLENGES
Chapter 41 - Embrace problems
Chapter 42 - When things get tough, keep going
Chapter 43 - Learn from mistakes
Chapter 44 - Overcome big issues easily
Chapter 45 - Ask for help
Chapter 46 - Make a decision
Chapter 47 - Find opportunity in a crisis
Chapter 48 - Walk around a problem
Chapter 49 - Learn to adapt and think creatively
Chapter 50 - If you find things tough, that’s good
MONEY
Chapter 51 - Manage cash flow
Chapter 52 - Manage spending
Chapter 53 - Work on your business
Chapter 54 - Be an effective organizer
Chapter 55 - Always ask for more
Chapter 56 - Use the equity you have
Chapter 57 - Use other people’s money
Chapter 58 - Be what investors are looking for
Chapter 59 - De-risk the proposition
Chapter 60 - Be accountable for your goodwill
STRATEGY
Chapter 61 - Become an expert
Chapter 62 - Stay in control
Chapter 63 - Create a unique business culture
Chapter 64 - Break constraints
Chapter 65 - Try something completely different
Chapter 66 - Keep competitors close
Chapter 67 - Outsource
Chapter 68 - Call someone right now
Chapter 69 - Move the boundaries
Chapter 70 - Do it better than the competition
MARKETING
Chapter 71 - Evangelize your services
Chapter 72 - Create a brand
Chapter 73 - Create customer involvement
Chapter 74 - A brand is a promise
Chapter 75 - Punch above your weight
Chapter 76 - Create a buzz
Chapter 77 - Make yourself heard
Chapter 78 - Create a family of products
Chapter 79 - Create your own PR
Chapter 80 - Be positively disruptive
SALES
Chapter 81 - Under promise and over deliver
Chapter 82 - Sell benefits not features
Chapter 83 - Generate goodwill
Chapter 84 - Ask for a referral
Chapter 85 - Provide free advice for customers
Chapter 86 - Make yourself part of the team
Chapter 87 - Create excellent customer service
Chapter 88 - Don’t have clients, have friends
Chapter 89 - Ask for the business
Chapter 90 - Negotiate every opportunity
SUCCESS
Chapter 91 - Adopt the right perspective
Chapter 92 - Hard work pays off
Chapter 93 - When people say ‘no’, ask again
Chapter 94 - Create your own luck
Chapter 95 - Enjoy small successes
Chapter 96 - Create solutions to problems
Chapter 97 - Set realistic, achievable goals
Chapter 98 - Rise to the challenge
Chapter 99 - Do everything to make your idea real
Chapter 100 - Become an entrepreneur
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Acknowledgements
WHY YOU NEED THIS BOOK
You bought this book because you have an idea, a great idea that you would like to progress. What you need now is a condensed rundown of everything you need to know and do in order to make that idea happen and to be able to act on it quickly.
As you progress your idea - developing the opportunity you have spotted - you can turn to the hints and tips in this book to help drive you on. A bit like a mentor you can call on whenever you need to, this book will inspire you during the difficult times and help plan your next step when things are going well.
During my own start-up experiences I made many simple mistakes. I also learnt a great deal along the way. I’ve taken what I learnt as well as looking at what entrepreneurs and inspired thinkers of the past have said, and put together this collection of essential advice that every entrepreneur should know as they start out.
By reading this book as you put your idea into practice, you will avoid making some of the mistakes that entrepreneurs before you have fallen into, and be able to get your idea off and running with a real chance of success.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
All-Time Essentials for Entrepreneurs: 100 Things to Know and Do to Make Your Idea Happen has been created based on the understanding that entrepreneurs like to find new and valuable ideas quickly.
Read and digest the information in this book when you have a spare moment, when your head is clear and when you are receptive to innovative thinking. Each page will act as a prompt for further questions. Relate these questions to your business ideas and personal situation, then answer them thoroughly before moving on.
Relax and embrace a single page at a time, thinking about what that particular concept means and how it relates to you and your own business ideas. Be open to changing your perception of the world around you to increase the likelihood of success for your current venture.
Take a quote or an idea from the book and stick it on your wall for a week or two. Then you will have the opportunity to return to something that excited you and think about the consequences of the many different actions you might take now.
This is a manual of ideas, not an instruction booklet. It is up to you to interpret its meaning and relate it to your personal experiences so that you can put into practice new strategies for success.
If you have any questions or ideas you wish to explore, then please e-mail me at jon@jonathanyates.biz or I’m on twitter as Jonathanyates. I am always excited to hear from people who are willing to take the next step.
START
“Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832
German philosopher and one of the most influential contributors to Western culture.
1
Begin it now
Take your idea - the one that’s been running around in your head, the one you’ve been telling your friends about - and do something, anything to get it started. Write a description, sketch a prototype, search for similar ideas online or just pick up the phone and call someone to make it happen.
Imagine how the world might be if everyone put their ideas into action. It would be wonderful, exciting and very different from today.
The more you do, the more real your idea becomes. If you talk and act like an entrepreneur, this is what you become.
“Work grows out of other work, and there are very few eureka moments.”
Turner Prize-winning Indian sculptor and philosopher.
2
Find your eureka moment
The much talked-about eureka moment is not a moment at all: it’s a length of time that begins with learning and experiences that can be drawn on to realize logical conclusions.
The more you do, the more likely you are to stumble on that elusive intersection between two or more unique experiences.
Everything starts with an idea. Sometimes imagination is more important than knowledge.
Eureka means ‘I have found it’. In order to find something you need to be looking for it in the first place. Don’t wait around for the light bulb to come on: go and find the switch.
“The best reason to start an organization is to make meaning - to create a product or service to make the world a better place.”
One of the original employees at Apple, writer and venture capitalist.
3
Discover your purpose
When you put your heart and real emotion into a venture, the process becomes all the more powerful.
Try to hold back someone dedicated to a cause, be it a business idea or a political course of action - it’s almost impossible! These people show an unstoppable attitude that far outstrips their need for financial gain. They have emotion on their side, and an emotional link is the strongest kind.
Innovate with passion and the rewards will come. Be completely involved with your own adventure and see where it takes you.
“Art is making something out of nothing and selling it.”
American composer, electric guitarist, record producer and film director.
4
Learn to sell the concept
The ability to sell intangible ideas is necessary for all innovators. You may have ideas that are not yet commercially available, so when you are in front of a buyer or investor, sell the concept.
If you have a true innovation, buyers and customers will forgive the imperfections of the prototype. Ask prospective customers to help you create a better product. Companies invest in innovation and early-release products where they can see real competitive advantage.
The opportunity must seem real for the buyer, so take the risk out of the proposition in any way you can.
“Some people dream of great accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them.”
5
Use your time wisely
Time management is a mislabelled skill. What you need to manage is your activity during the time you have. Defining outcomes and physical actions is the core process required to manage what you do.
A simple tool for effective activity management is to prioritize. Ensure you are making the best use of your time right now by doing those things that help the opportunity to grow.