Start It Up: Why Running Your Own Business is Easier Than You Think

pt. 1 Beginnings A few failures first Ambition - the stuff of life Stop making excuses and get started Start-ups with a dash of going concern The correct use of optimism The true value of ideas Saying it v. doing it What's in a name? Is this a good time to start a business? To the recent graduate pt. 2 People Age and the founder Time, energy and ideas Poor children of the rich and successful Joys and perils of a partnership Networking Cliques and clubs - the ties that bind Mentoring The founder's passion Bottom-up management An end to pygmy bosses and grey leaders Coping with talent Trouble within Private-life drama The necessary evil of HR pt. 3 Points Of Style Bring back the Renaissance men There always will be blood Fatherhood and the entrepreneur Some day my prince will come (home early) The delights of the portfolio career Contents note continued: The mythical entrepreneur Ritualism in business Made not born The brogue element pt. 4 The Capital Pursuit Tales of the Money Riverbank Moonlighting: the best launch for a start-up Summoning an angel Venture capitalists: on another wavelength Banks Secondary sources of money A word about dumb money pt. 5 Formulas The trouble with trying to spot a winner Five questions I ask myself before investing Business plans A list of don'ts A spell in service By the staff, for the staff Independents will always have their day Franchises - the worst of all worlds pt. 6 The Cycle Turnaround and creative destruction The cycle as told by restaurants Managing in a downturn Faustian pact of a guarantee A sense of dread ails the opinion-makers The consumer's new mantra is value X & Y in a downturn Dishonest dealings Watch out for an epidemic of petty fraud Contents note continued: Time to go on the offensive Hard times reveal the true opportunists Losing your reputation Getting fired pt. 7 The Entrepreneur At Large Inventors are heroes Women inventors Innovation and reality All part of a good education The reputation of business What's so terrible about making money? Stress and risk: the secrets of happiness A parlour game for the highly motivated Satisfying the soul.