It’s Your Biz: A Good Book for Startups


That’s it!  You’ve finally decided to start that business.  Your friends and family are supportive and think that you can really set the world on fire with your Italian restaurant, cupcakes or hunting knives.  You’re all fired up and ready to go.

But wait!  Before you go headfirst into your new life and new venture, take a couple of hours and read through Susan Solovic’s new book It’s Your Biz. I received a Kindle review version of the book from the publisher a little while ago.  I’m not going to be able to give you detailed descriptions of the book or the chapters because the Kindle version doesn’t lend itself easily to that.

You may have seen Susan Solovic (@SusanSolovic) on television because she makes appearances on ABC News, Fox Business News and MSNBC as a small business contributor.  The last time I saw her on TV, she was sharing her experiences as a woman in business and what the future for women in business held.

You’ll get much of this same common-sense advice in It’s Your Biz. Solovic doesn’t hold back on telling it like it is.  There are several pieces of advice that I’ve gleaned so far that will give you a flavor for what I mean:

  • Write a business plan yourself. It doesn’t matter if it’s on a paper bag, as long as it clearly communicates the who, what, where and when of your business.
  • Build your business for the future. I heard Susan mention this bit of advice while we were on a radio show panel together. The next day I completely reworked my business plan to reflect this concept.  Most of us build a business we can run today.  We don’t plan or create the systems that will allow other people to do the things that we are doing ourselves today.  It’s basically the same advice you’ll get in the books E-Myth and Built to Sell:  Build a turnkey business machine – not just a job for yourself.  Brilliant.
  • Don’t be influenced by friends and family. At one extreme, friends and family will push you to start a business without realizing that you are the one taking the risk.  They don’t want to squelch your dreams or to make you feel bad.  And so you listen to their encouragement without doing the necessary research and fail.  At the other extreme, friends and family may not support you at all.  This is your business – make your own decision after you do the work and gather the evidence to support it.

These are just a few nuggets of advice from the first section of the book.  There are many more where that came from.

Who should read this book?

If you’re just thinking about going into business for yourself, this is a great book to get into before you jump into the entrepreneurial pool.

If you know someone who is thinking about getting into business for themselves, this book makes a terrific gift.  It will show your support and give you both the opportunity to go through the book together and discuss it.

Coaches and consultants who work with startups would also get some benefit from this book.  I read a lot of books about startups.  Sometimes they all seem to run together, but I always get something worthwhile out of each.

Overall, It’s Your Biz is a great book to read if you’re thinking about starting a business, or even if you already have a business and want to review all the basics to make sure that you’re on track.  With the new year approaching, this is a great gift and business book to review and reference to grow your business.

2 Comments ▼

Ivana Taylor Ivana Taylor is the Book Editor for Small Business Trends. She is responsible for directing the site’s book review program and manages the team of professional book reviewers. She also spearheads the annual Small Business Book Awards. Ivana publishes DIYMarketers, where she shares daily do-it-yourself marketing tips, and is co-author of "Excel for Marketing Managers."

2 Reactions
  1. Thanks, Ivana!

    I’m reading Susan’s book right now.

    She’s very smart, and has lots of experience, for sure.

    “Don’t be influenced by friends and family.”

    So true.

    I can’t wait to dig in to the book.

    (Even more now, after your great review.)

    The Franchise King®

  2. “Build your business for the future.” That idea recently moved to the forefront in my mind. Businesses that engage and connect with clients today may be way out front when the market and economy shift, and they will shift.

    Denise
    writemoneyinc.com