Another book to ignite your fire – The $100 Startup

‘That’s all well and good but how do I actually implement that?’ – This is how I’m often left feeling after reading about a way to make my idea better, and make a better business.

The brilliant thing about the $100 Startup is that when I said that to myself in one section pausing before reading the next paragraph, Chris Guillebeau (the author) actually wrote just that in that next paragraph and then went on to explain different practical, achievable steps for doing exactly that.

I have read a lot of books about business and how to get ahead, and what I really enjoy about Chris’ writing is that it reads like a friend giving you advice. It’s all very take it or leave it, but here’s the research I’ve done and I actually believe that this is something you can do.  I have been working for myself long enough to know that when you find someone who thinks that you can make it in a microbusiness and life the life you really want to you hold on to those words because they ‘get-it’.

I won’t lie, when I first started reading this book a couple of months ago, I only got through the first chapter. It was too hard to read while I was working the day job to help save for next years move overseas. It was depressing because I knew this book would help me and that I had not found happiness in working for someone else.

But, this last week, after getting a virtual pass to the Artful Business Conference and getting closer to my leaving date for the day job, I had been inspired to get my thoughts in order and get ready to make something of them and I read this book in 5 days. I had to keep stopping so that I could write down more possibilities for my big idea and how it could help people. Helping people is at the heart of this book.

It isn’t sleazy marketing tricks that leave you feeling awful, it’s a book of case studies on how other people have made their microbusinesses work and bring in a proper income for their family that allows them to live a great life, in the way a great life looks to them. It isn’t preachy. It gives you the chance to think each step through and work out exactly what you need to make your big idea work.

Do not get the wrong idea though, this book doesn’t hand you a successful business on a platter and it doesn’t give you the idea. That bit is all on you. This is just a fantastic book for people who are ready to hear this kind of help.

I love that Chris has highlighted that so many people in this world can do what they love and that there are people who do believe in you.

The fact that it’s not sugar coated but is positive is great for me. I need the positive encouragement, but I know from my first business being a flop that you don’t need people telling you that something will work that really won’t.

I feel now that my idea is more than just some crazy half-baked idea now, it has more parts and I am understanding more what I want from it and how I want it to work and that’s awesome!

Thank you so much to Chris, yet another book of yours that has been added to my favourites list!

If you’re interested, Amazon have this book for sale here.*

If you’d like to read my review of Chris’ other book Art of Non-Conformity, you can read that here.

*I am an Amazon affiliate, but I only review books I really love.