Thinking Like an Entrepreneur: How to Make Intelligent Business Decisions That Will Lead to Success in Building and Growing Your Own Company
by Peter Hupalo
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (March, 2004)
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Reviews (1)

Smart Choices for Entrepreneurs -- Great Stallbusting Ideas!
The title of this book is a little misleading. It is not helping you learn how to think like an entrepreneur. In fact, the book teaches you how to more accurately make assessments that entrepreneurs have to make. If you do that, your entrepreneurial success should be higher.

I like books about avoiding thought patterns that delay or derail progress, and thoroughly enjoyed this one. In many ways, the book parallels the outstanding book about personal decision-making, Smart Choices, that I strongly recommend you read as well.

Why, then, did I rate the book at four stars rather than five? Basically, the book didn't quite get the editing it deserved. There are some minor misspellings of the sort that should have been caught. More seriously, the book indulges in unnecessary vulgar language in a few places. If those things don't bother you, see this as a five star book. It certainly is in every other way.

Some of the subjects include how to overcome risk aversion, how to lay off risk, picking the type of business to go into, establishing a business model that has the best chance of success, and how to have the business match your personality and preferences. These are subjects I feel are important for any entrepreneur, and are often not covered by business books. I was especially impressed by the focus on ethics and high moral tone of the advice.

This book will have value both for people who are thinking about becoming entrepreneurs and those who are already running small businesses. Since the book often focuses on computer consulting and computer-based training, those who are in those fields will find the book to be especially valuable.

As a test of the value of the book's content, I applied the concepts to my own management consulting firm and found that the analyses were accurate and useful. So you can add management consulting as another business type for which this book is good.

One of the things I liked about the book is that it realistically encourages people to think about entrepreneurship. Even if you decide that having your own business is not for you, this book will give you a better basis for feeling confident about that decision.

If you do decide you want to buy or start a business, I suggest you share this book with your spouse and a person who already has a business in the same area. Then discuss your ideas with each of them in terms of the concepts in the book. Their feedback will help you form a more realistic view of your ideas. ... Read more

Isbn: 0967162467
Sales Rank: 184906
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business & Economics / Entrepreneurship    3. Business & Economics / Motivational    4. Business & Economics / New Business Enterprises    5. Business / Economics / Finance    6. Business/Economics    7. Entrepreneurship    8. Motivational    9. Business planning    10. New Business Enterprises    11. Small Business    12. Success in business   

Thinking Like An Entrepreneur
by Peter Hupalo, Peter I. Hupalo
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (September, 1999)
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Reviews (6)

A must read for existing and future biz owners
Finally a book written on entrepreneurship that has so much to offer! A guide for fledgling IT entrepreneurs as well as a resource for those faced with the myriad problems of the modern business environment. It is also an introduction to computer consulting and building a multimedia company. Readable, concise, precise, and pragmatic. The in-depth coverage and sound counsel make this a book that should be in every business person's library. I've read my copy twice. It's twenty-seven chapters of very good, easy-to-read inspirational reading. A must read for anyone thinking about starting or expanding their existing business. Highly recommended!

Entrepreneur Highly Informative
This book's got a lot of good stuff in it--those critical factors that help contribute to making good business decisions.I've already seen some improvement in business growth.In fact, the usefulness of Entrepreneur's information is a lot like Guerilla PR: Wired:both have tons of really useful info to entrepreneurs on how to build their business.

Great for [inexperienced] and veteran entrepreneurs
Peter Hupalo has written a unique book for Entrepreneurs.I've read a lot of books about business and entrepreneurship, but this one is different.It speaks to people just thinking about starting a business and yet it has a lot to offer to the veteran entrepreneur.

If you're thinking about starting a business, the first few chapters will do a great job of helping you think about the risks in quitting a "safe" job and starting your own company.It's not as risky as you might think. This isn't the book to read about business licenses or accounting systems - it is much more important than that!It really is as the title suggests a book about thinking like an entrepreneur.

I've been in business for more than 10 years, but I'm still making mistakes and trying to learn new things.A mark of a good book for me is the number of pages that I dog-ear to mark interesting ideas.My copy of Thinking Like an Entrepreneur has at least 20 pages marked, and I've referred back to it many times since I finished reading it.It will definitely go on my favorites shelf of business books.I've already recommended it to my entrepreneur friends.

The author's style is to mix stories about experiences from actual entrepreneurs with good step-by-step walkthroughs of "thinking like an entrepreneur".It is 272 pages with 27 chapters.Each chapter can stand alone, making it easy to focus on the areas you're really interested in while skimming the ones that don't apply so much to your business.Peter seems to have a technology background, but I think any businessperson will find a lot to learn in this book.

My favorite chapters include:

* Don't Get Bournouillied - an interesting discussion of risk

* Men are cheaper than guns

* The importance of margins - Most books don't cover this VERY important topic

* Expectation Values and Decision Making

* Personality and Business Choice

* You Know Enough, But Keep Learning Anyway

* The Role of Luck in Business

* An introduction to the Nature of Compounding and the Time Value of Money

* Relationship Marketing - The cost of losing clients

* The Value of Time

This is a very readable book.It is entertaining while having good solid information on important topics that you'll find yourself rereading several times.Highly recommended! ... Read more

Isbn: 0967162408
Sales Rank: 108250
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business & Economics / Entrepreneurship    3. Business & Economics / Small Business    4. Business / Economics / Finance    5. Business planning    6. Business/Economics    7. Entrepreneurship    8. Skills    9. Success in business    10. Consulting    11. Home-Based Businesses    12. New Business Enterprises    13. Self-Employment    14. Small Business    15. Small Business Management   

The Strategy-Focused Organization: How Balanced Scorecard Companies Thrive in the New Business Environment
by Robert S. Kaplan, David P. Norton
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (September, 2000)
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Editorial Review

In their previous book, The Balanced Scorecard, Robert Kaplan and David Norton unveiled an innovative "performance management system" that any company could use to focus and align their executive teams, business units, human resources, information technology, and financial resources on a unified overall strategy--much as businesses have traditionally employed financial management systems to track and guide their general fiscal direction. In The Strategy-Focused Organization, Kaplan and Norton explain how companies like Mobil, CIGNA, and Chemical Retail Bank have effectively used this approach for nearly a decade, and in the process present a step-by-step implementation outline that other organizations could use to attain similar results. Their book is divided into five sections that guide readers through development of a completely individualized plan that is created with "strategy maps" (graphical representations designed to clearly communicate desired outcomes and how they are to be achieved), then infused throughout the enterprise and made an integral part of its future. In several chapters devoted to the latter, for example, the authors show how their models have linked long-term strategy with day-to-day operational and budgetary management, and detail the "double loop" process for doing so, monitoring progress, and initiating corrective actions if necessary. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Overblown and impractical
Having used the BSc a few times in my work, I expected this to be a hepful addition to my knowledge base in the area. I found that it added little to the author's other published tomes and to his articles in journals like HBR. Although the basic concept is sound, the implementation challenges are dealt with as you'd expect from an ivory tower-based profesoor and are several steps removed from the challenges that most of my real-world, and smaller company clients, need to address. I truly felt as though I didn't get my money's worth with this purchase and I should have stuck with the materials I already had by the author that was available in other forms. I would have saved time, money and a degree of frustration.

A must have tool for business improvement
If you're attempting to improve the way you do business, this book is a must have.It is a little dry so you have to be committed to using the concepts presented.If you can manage to stick with it, you will reap the benefits of the BSC.Good Luck!

strategically focused work
In my opinion, a much better publication than their first work.While an understanding of 'the balanced scorecard' is going to be needed to make sense of this work I would suggest you find that in other than the authors' previous work.There are a number of other better introductions.
Using the balanced scorecard to drive business strategy is the impetus for this book and, giving plenty of examples, the sheer strength of this approach is something everyone should consider.
Using this approach you can't help but to implement your strategy: now if there was only a way to guarantee we'd chosen the right strategy!! ... Read more

Isbn: 1578512506
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate Planning    5. Entrepreneurship    6. Executive Management    7. Forecasting    8. Leadership    9. Management - General    10. Strategic Planning    11. Performance Measurement   

The Power of Nice: How to Negotiate So Everyone Wins- Especially You!, Revised Edition
by Ronald M.Shapiro, Mark A.Jankowski, Ronald M. Shapiro, Mark A. Jankowski
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (28 September, 2001)
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Editorial Review

Anyone who is faced with making a deal--whether it be with a corporate adversary or a car salesman--will find The Power of Nice to be a very helpful guide through the potentially harrowing give-and-take that is, by definition, a regular part of the negotiating process. Packed with observations and anecdotes drawn from the experience of authors Ronald Shapiro and Mark Jankowski--partners in a negotiations seminar and consulting firm that counts baseball superstars Cal Ripkin Jr., Brooks Robinson, and Jim Palmer among its clientele--the book shows how to reorient the overall process from an exercise in antagonism to one in which everybody wins (but you win bigger). It is based on "the three Ps," which Shapiro and Jankowski describe as "preparing better than the other side; probing so you know what they want and why; and proposing, ideally without going first and revealing too much." All of the chapters, such as those on handling difficult competitors, bargaining from a position of weakness, eliminating obstacles, and building long-term relationships, are filled with checklists and exercises that help readers absorb the authors' suggestions and turn themselves into better negotiators. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (13)

The most practical negotiation book you'll ever need
I'd read a few negotiation books in my time, but this one stands out most. In business we don't burn bridges and this book is in congruent with my beliefs.There are ways to win and win nicely.There are books out there that talk about bare knuckles negotiation to my way or the highway.Shapiro rightly pointed out that if you do that the opposite side would keep a lookout for a window to come around and make you bleed, very badly.Don't. Coz I've gone down that path long time ago and have got the scars to show.

Good read.If all negotiators read this book then negotiation would be easier turning people that need to do this into true gentlemen that obeys rules and look after each other interests.A must read.

A new way to look at things
I had always thought of negotiating as trying to win.This book was incredible, it tought me to think in a way where I can win witout making someone else lose.Read it.

Negotiating to Winning Edge
Everything's Nice about this Book as it teaches to Negotiate leading to be a winner. The Power of Nice works striking, suggestive ways to deal and negotiate the power skills of Negotiating in supportive mutual environment. The books by Ronald Shapiro and Mark has proven methods of Give n Take Dealing in business and offers a helpful guide for negotiations. The three Ps - Preparing, probing and proposing are the three factors detailed by the authors that prepares for the deal, probing i.e. what they want and is required to deliver and proposing is the stage when the deal fixes towards winning edge with the negotiating skills.The Book reveals observations and anecdotes with very good illustrations. John F. Kennedy's quote on "Let us never fear to negotiate. But let us never Negotiate out of fear" in the Negotiating chapter reveals that some people want to eat the whole cake! They fail in negotiations and refrain from being fair enough. They would raise ample questions in self interest like 'Why take a share of profit when I can take it all' Why can't I keep all commissions?' Why offer concessions?' Why negotiate when you can dictate?' and thus, the difficult Negotiater loses a second deal in future. Moreover, the authors teach negotiaters to be more Confident and possess knowledge which is power. When a person helps the other side to get what they want, automatically both the parties reach for a win win situation. The negotiating strategy here in this book gears for Niceness, the attitude to let others get what he wants in a deal and gain while in turn, the negotiater succeeds in dealing with the customer. In sectors like Insurance Business, I think 'Convincing' is also another part which the authors might have considered elaborating. However, A good book and a nice handy Guide for all people who want to reach out to their customers and strike the Deal. ... Read more

Isbn: 0471080721
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Leadership    6. Negotiating    7. Negotiation    8. Negotiation in business    9. Business & Economics / Negotiating    10. Business negotiation   

First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently
by Marcus Buckingham, Curt Coffman
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (05 May, 1999)
list price: $28.00 -- our price: $18.48
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Editorial Review

Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman expose the fallacies of standard management thinking in First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently. In seven chapters, the two consultants for the Gallup Organization debunk some dearly held notions about management, such as "treat people as you like to be treated"; "people are capable of almost anything"; and "a manager's role is diminishing in today's economy." "Great managers are revolutionaries," the authors write. "This book will take you inside the minds of these managers to explain why they have toppled conventional wisdom and reveal the new truths they have forged in its place."

The authors have culled their observations from more than 80,000 interviews conducted by Gallup during the past 25 years. Quoting leaders such as basketball coach Phil Jackson, Buckingham and Coffman outline "four keys" to becoming an excellent manager: Finding the right fit for employees, focusing on strengths of employees, defining the right results, and selecting staff for talent--not just knowledge and skills. First, Break All the Rules offers specific techniques for helping people perform better on the job. For instance, the authors show ways to structure a trial period for a new worker and how to create a pay plan that rewards people for their expertise instead of how fast they climb the company ladder. "The point is to focus people toward performance," they write. "The manager is, and should be, totally responsible for this." Written in plain English and well organized, this book tells you exactly how to improve as a supervisor. --Dan Ring ... Read more

Reviews (187)

Remember One Thing
I believe one of the ways to determine the value of a book is based upon how much, or what you remember after reading it. In this case, I remember that it is very valuable and important to recognize and further develop the strengths in your employees.

The impression I came away with as I worked through the book was the author challenged many, many management principles and theories and provided a contrasting perspective. So, if you want a different perspective on management principles and want to challenge your existing knowledge of these principles then this book may interest you, otherwise, remember to develop the strengths of your people. After all it is those strengths that have allowed your organization to succeed.

New Managers First Read
"First, Break All the Rules" is the perfect book for new managers or supervisors that are looking to get a feel for what they should be doing as managers or supervisors.This book does not delve much into the focus of leadership, which is good if you're just starting out.All managers that I train from now on will be receiving a copy of this book or a summary of everything it entails.

The story of the great worker who refuses to stay with the company unless she receives one thing and one thing only is extremely persuasive.She doesn't want money, promotions, benefits, or stock options.She wants only one thing and there is only one thing her company won't give her that they should.

An authentic, well researched meta-analysis !
Why did I like the book ?
I liked it:
First, because it consolidated a lot of concepts to great management that are contemporary and that I always could relate to but was less able to place into perspective.
Second, because it challenged my intellect, my perspective on the field of management and communication, my mind on a neuro-emotionally intelligent level and my identity as both an employee and a manager
Third, because it helped me set a more comprehensive standard to what a great manager can be on an international scale. I feel I could tie in some key cross-cultural theories and training methodologies and use this as an effective base line from which to grow personally and professionally.

I would recommend this book to others, notably those in my field of management and colleagues (of which some are my bosses), even to those managers and employees with untapped potential out there!

What have I learned that is new (versus repackaged, like the proverbial old wine in new bottles)?

I have learned that:
- certain preconceived ideas I had of what a great manager is can be unlearned or reevaluated so as to help me refine my tasks and role as a manager and improve the quality of and precision with which I can communicate and make myself better understood, as well as simplify the working structure I work in.
- there is proof supporting the fundamental postulation that the role of a great manager cannot be placed in a box, a company policy nor applied across companies or organizations
- to simplify one's tasks is not to dissolve another's creativity or role but to enhance another's steps towards a more succinct and adaptable method by which to perform at an exponentially higher standard

One should read this book because:
- it is a primary source of information based on a comprehensive study made of a meta-analysis that cuts through core of the various ways in which different companies have devised ways in which to measure performance
- it provides a series of answers to fundamental questions geared towards the analysis and description of the links that lie between employee opinion and business unit performance
- it is a fast and reader-friendly book that allows for an in depth perspective, understanding and methodology of what defines a great manager, the crucial role of employees to a company and the link between these two in producing the highest levels of performance.
ENJOY IT, MAKE IT HAPPEN, LIVE IT AND THRIVE! Peace, Joe:)
... Read more

Isbn: 0684852861
Subjects:  1. Attitudes    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Employees    6. Executive Management    7. Executive ability    8. Executives    9. Leadership    10. Management    11. Management - General    12. Reference - General    13. Business & Economics / General   

Leading Quietly
by Joseph L. Badaracco Jr.
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (11 February, 2002)
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Reviews (18)

Take it with a pinch of salt

I wanted a book that was closer to the Asian model of leadership, hence "Leading quietly" stood out from the other leadership books on the shelves. Can Asians be good leaders? Must they necessarily conform to the Western ideal of leadership - loud and heroic? Or can they use the `reticent inclination' in their culture to their advantage? These were the sort of questions that I hoped the book could address.

Yes, Badaracco did expound his views on how `quiet leadership' can function in the modern world of unexpectancies and fluidity. But whether those guidelines function well in reality remains to be seen. It is virtually impossible to carry `quiet leadership' to the extremes. You will inevitably sacrifice decisiveness and efficiency for that extra bit of prudence and caution. I feel the ideal is a cross between `quiet leadership' and `showy, heroic leadership'.

"Leading quietly" was to me still a book on quiet leadership in a Western context. I guess I should start looking at Asian writers for a real picture on the Asian model of leadership.

Not a Leadership Book, But Still Insightful
Instead of Leading Quietly, this book should have been titled "Manuevering Quietly."It discusses the nuts and bolts of approaching problems without falling on your sword, but I failed to find real leadership principles applied.

For one thing, leaders have followers and many of the case studies involved (roughly half) depicted people who had to solve an ethical problem, yet they did not have anyone following them.The protagonists navigated their way through murky waters, but there weren't taking anyone anywhere.That's why I think "Manuevering Quietly" would have been more appropriate.

And yet, it's an intriguing concept.Who has not stood up for an ethical principle and been punched in the nose, ultimately thwarting any potential influence to be applied down the line?Like Jim Collins and Jerry Porras' Built To Last, Badaracco advises us to not always think in black and white, right and wrong terms, that the sooner we realize every situation has infinite shades of gray, the better off we are to handle the conplexities of our problems.

Many critique this book because they feel it reduced ethics to a worldview of pragmatism, but I think Badaracco emphasizes the importance of character and caring enough to where he's not preaching a nihilistic approach to problem solving.The bottom line is if you're often in a rock and a hard place and the most likely thing to get smushed is you, Leading Quietly can help you get out of the way without compromising your principles.And that's applaudable.

Restraint, Modesty, and Tenacity
I was told that leading quietly is an unorthodox guide to doing the right thing; and indeed there is much grist for the leadership mill buried in this excellent book. There are many memorable points of view, but perhaps the one that sticks most in my mind is that quiet leaders possess three very unglamorous virtues: restraint, modesty, and tenacity. "Each of these is a habit of mind and action, and each helps men and women use the tools and tactics of quiet leadership in responsible, effective ways."

But what is quiet leadership and who are the quiet leaders? Quiet leadership is dealing with the messy, everyday challenges, and the quiet leaders are those who labor endlessly to meet those challenges and keep things moving in our corporations. They are NOT the "flashy, public hero" kinds of leaders. They simply get the work done and make the hard decisions.
Badaracco convinces me more than ever that it is imperative that we define our corporate moral values and clearly articulate the ethics process we use to choose between competing moral and/or economic values. The reason is that the hard choices are embedded in our everyday corporate life. In these situations, individuals rarely take bold or courageous steps. Rather they step back, study, analyze, worry, and finally, make the best decision they can make - then stand behind it and move on.

Quiet leaders possess a positive attitude, but they are also very realistic, not cynical, in evaluating the situation. These leaders work with four basic principles: 1-You don't know everything; 2-You WILL be surprised; 3-Keep and eye on the insiders, and 4-Trust, but cut the cards! They learn to trust mixed motives rather than trying to define their actions in purist terms. In other words, they accept that the right solution can also include positive results for themselves as well as the company, employee, and/or customer.

This well written and well organized book is definitely worth the time and should be in any management library. ... Read more

Isbn: 1578514878
Sales Rank: 10449
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Leadership   

The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action
by Robert S. Kaplan, David P. Norton
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 September, 1996)
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Reviews (40)

redundant -- go back to the article
The book rehashes the article for an extra couple hundred pages.I've got this book on the shelf, but when I want to talk about the Balanced Score Card concept, I go back to the article.

tools that support Balanced Scorecard conception?
I'm running a small consulting company and my prior goal was to identify what Balanced Scorecard is and in what way can I suggest it to my existent clients.

I've started learning BSC from "Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System", a Harvard Business Review article by Kaplan and Norton.

The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action is a great book, but it's far away from scorecard success step-by-step.

I've searched with google for Balanced Scorecard and related topics, but there was just "Kaplan and Norton wrote..." or "Our consulting company..." articles. Also, I've found Strategy2Act software, that seems to be a good point to start developing BSc.

My opinion is that it's a great book for every independent consultant. But there are a lot of job to translate this conception into something useful for real company.

For my opinion the good idea to start with is "connect everyone with strategy". It sounds like easy to do, but effective way to start using BSc ideas in company strategy.

Book that spawned a core business approach
This book is a seminal work that has significantly affected the way businesses frame and execute strategy.

In a nutshell, the authors show you how to view your business strategy, drivers and key indicators in four dimensions - financial, external (customer satisfaction), internal (processes) and learning/growth.They then show you how to link these to your strategies and develop and execute plan for transforming them into action and results.

The good and the bad. First, the good - before Kaplan and Norton published this book there was no standardized method for framing and measuring what's important. This book rectifies that. Also, the ideas first introduced have been embraced and extended to the point that a book search of similar titles returns over 2600 hits, and a google search using 'balanced scorecard' as a keyword returns ten time that many.This is a clear indication of how influential this book is and remains eight years after publication. But those are simple statistics.What's important about this book is many of the other resources that have sprang from it assume that you are familiar with the concepts and approach in this book.

The bad - the writing style, as noted by others is ponderous. That does not diminish the concepts and approach.It is also showing its age, but only because of the body of work that this book has inspired, which has greatly extended and refined the basic ideas.You will still need to read this book to get the most out of the body of work that is based upon it.Also note that even Kaplan and Norton, the authors, have extended this work into strategy maps and a 'strategy-focused organization' paradigm.

Overall this book has - and will continue to - influence thinking. The ideas set forth are still evolving and have been embraced by some of the largest (and smallest) companies on the planet.If you are new to this material I recommend visiting Balanced Scorecard Institute (ASIN B00006CKQ2) for introductory information, and Balanced Scorecard Online (ASIN B00006DBZ5) for more detailed material. ... Read more

Isbn: 0875846513
Sales Rank: 2597
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate Planning    5. Entrepreneurship    6. Evaluation    7. Industrial Management    8. Industrial productivity    9. Management - General    10. Measurement    11. Organizational effectiveness    12. Strategic Planning   

How to Become a Great Boss: The Rules for Getting and Keeping the Best Employees
by Jeffrey J. Fox
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (May, 2002)
list price: $16.95 -- our price: $11.53
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Reviews (17)

Very General
These are the basics...Some mangers probably need this but I would like to think that most are beyond this kind of general and obvious information.I got this book on CD and it was boring, I hate to imagine what it would be like to have read it. I recomend Primal Leadership.

Not the least bit helpful
I normally don't write reviews but I just read this book and I couldn't believe how much of a waste of money it was. Here's the book in a nutshell- Hire good employees and fire bad ones.

Simple and right on target
Simple and right on target. This book gives great tips and suggestions for improving your supervisorial skills. Written in short, thoughtful, digestable chapters, this book is a must have for anyone who supervises others and want to be better at it. ... Read more

Isbn: 0786868236
Sales Rank: 13493
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Executive ability    6. Human Resources & Personnel Management    7. Interpersonal relations    8. Management - General    9. Motivational    10. Personnel management    11. Supervision of employees    12. Supervisors    13. Business & Economics / Motivational   

1001 Ways to Reward Employees
by Ken Blanchard, Bob Nelson, Stephen Schudlich
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 January, 1994)
list price: $10.95 -- our price: $8.76
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Reviews (24)

I was disappointed.Most of the ideas were impractical.
I was disappointed with this book.Yes, it does have lots of reward ideas (I tried counting them but only got to around half of the advertised 1001 ideas).What really disappointed me, however, was that most of them required a fairly large expenditure.I work for a small company (under 100 employees) and in a tight economic environment, we just don't have the funds to be sending people to Hawaii or some of the other *big* rewards in this book.I needed something that recommended inexpensive reward options.This book was not it.(I did find another one listed on Amazon that advertises it has "101 ways to reward team members for $20 or less" -- I think that might suit me better.I'm going to buy that one next and see if it suits my situation any better.)

This is a book for morons
very sad book attempting to manipulate employees with the most pathetic ploys.

Useful guide for rewards of every type
Heard the taped version of 1001 WAYS TO REWARD EMPLOYEES,
written and read by Bob Nelson . . . the author says that what most
motivates people who work is recognition--and not just money! . . . he
then presents a most useful guide to rewards of every conceivable type
for virtually any situation . . . the ideas include the spontaneous gesture
of praise to formal company-wide programs and just about everything
in-between.

These ideas, in particular, made a great deal of sense to me:

Works who must stay late at TIME INC. get cab fare home.

Marion Laboratories annually takes all employees and guests to see
a Kansas City Royals game.

Chevron keeps a Treasure Chest brimming with gifts so supervisors
can reward employees on the spot.

Every Christmas, the Walt Disney Company opens Disneyland for
employees and families only--with executives running the park.

My only disappointment in the book was in the author's narration . . . he
lacked any real enthusiasm for the task, and this is one time that it
would have been much better had anybody else been the reader. ... Read more

Isbn: 156305339X
Sales Rank: 5026
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Employee morale    5. Human Resources & Personnel Management    6. Incentives in industry    7. Management - General    8. Rewards (Prizes, etc.)    9. Business & Economics / Management    10. Personnel & human resources management   

Raving Fans : A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service
by Ken Blanchard, Sheldon Bowles
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (19 May, 1993)
list price: $20.00 -- our price: $13.60
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Reviews (72)

Perhaps too simplistic, but helpful
Raving Fans is helpful in making you step back and think about your customer's wants and how to best address them.Told in the form of a novel, an "area manager" is visited by his fairy god-mother "Charlie" who proceeds to provide him with examples of "Raving Fan" service.This is then applied to his own job and the unique challenges the area manager faces daily with providing customer service.

Though not all the ideas in "Raving Fans" seem plausible or reasonable, it atleast draws the reader into asking the questions that all good managers should ask.What would Raving Fan service be in my business or organization? How would I know when we are providing "raving fan" service?

Not a heaveyweight book on management, it is never the less a good means of stepping back and asking the big questions about customer service.Not a bad book to give to managers to read and evaluate their own organization.

A quick read towards better service
I was given this book several years ago and read it a few times. I gave it to a client and have missed my copy so I will be buying another copy. Sure, the examples such as the service station and grocery store scenarios are simplistic and may be unrealistic, but they make you think about how you could improve your business. I have conducted my business on the principles in the book and I see the positive growth. Every business should have this book and make it available to every employee.

Not a "Raving Fan" of the book
Like other Blanchard books, this one presents its ideas in the form of a "novel."I guess because I read so much fiction (by authors who can WRITE), I have a hard time getting through these books.There are lots of lazy habits in the story-telling and even though RAVING FANS is incredibly short, it still feels like a slog getting through it.One example:one just one short page, two different characters have lines of dialogue, followed by "he laughed."As in, "'I never thought of that,' he laughed."Not many people laugh their words.They may say something and THEN laugh.Once or twice in a book it's okay, but twice on ONE PAGE!!The main character who is learning about the "raving fan" concept is "the area manager."It gets really annoying having him refered to in this manner from front to back.Would it really have hurt to give him a name?The darn "fairy godmother" has a name, after all.

But, the book is supposed to present business ideas, right?Well, it does this a little better than it tells a compelling story.The over-arching point is that "satisfied customers" aren't good enough anymore, because they are largely putting up with lousy service, but have simply come to expect and accept it.That's actually a simple but powerful idea.How many times do we all just take mediocrity as status quo?The idea that actually taking the trouble to please our customers...to SHOCK them into recognized they are being treated remarkably well and will in turn "rave" about this to others is compelling in its simplicity.

Because of the storytelling device of the book, some of the examples given of how to apply this are oversimplistic and not completely believable.Valet parking at a grocery store?I'm sure people WOULD rave about it...but with the margins at grocery stores, could they really afford a team of parkers?

So, from a business standpoint, the book gets a thumbs-up.From a readability standpoint, I have to give a thumbs down. ... Read more

Isbn: 0688123163
Sales Rank: 1128
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Customer Service    5. Customer services    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Finance    8. Management - General    9. Business & Economics / Management    10. Management & management techniques   

How To Start And Run Your Own Corporation: S-Corporations For Small Business Owners
by Peter I. Hupalo
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (06 March, 2003)
list price: $22.95 -- our price: $22.95
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Reviews (6)

Informative, hard to plod through in places
The book has a lot of useful information about setting up and running small corporations.

Never Judge a Book by its Cover
This book provides vital information not usually covered in most self-publishing books and is a solid resource guide. Another confirmation that you need to read many books on your subject to familiarize yourself with the business. Areas such as how to protect your inventory by filing a UCC in the state the distributor is based, understanding the ins and outs of how distributors work, how to establish discounts and payment schedules that protect your financial structure, how to properly set-up your Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable,taxes, LLC's, S Corporations,etc. Peter Hupalo's only weak area is his cover design.Anyone this intelligent should know their strengths and weakness's, and graphic design/layout is his. His book deserves better and would appeal to more buyers if it was redesigned.

Focus
I found the book focused more on C Corporations.A few of the chapters did focus on S Corps and it answered a lot of questions I had, and also raised more questions in the process.I found it did not go into real detail on S Corp deductions, or how to handle tax liability for an owner/employee. ... Read more

Isbn: 0967162440
Sales Rank: 8643
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business & Economics / New Business Enterprises    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Corporate Finance    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Incorporation    8. Law / Business    9. Management    10. Management - General    11. New Business Enterprises    12. Small business    13. Subchapter S corporations    14. Business    15. Law    16. Taxation    17. Taxation - Corporate