The Smart Entrepreneur How to Build For a
Successful Business
By Bart Clarysse and Sabrina Kiefer
At the outset I’ll hold my hands up and admit that this is a considered and well-structured book- my issue however lies with the entire overcrowded genre of business enterprise books and whether this latest offering from two London-based academics offers anything new.
I’ve written endlessly the past few months about the political will and economic climate favouring entrepreneurs but have tried to sound a warning bell that not every individual with a great idea is cut out to be an entrepreneur, nor do I believe that the entrepreneurial spirit can be taught or learnt from a book.
What however makes successful entrepreneurs unique in society is their understanding of the bigger picture and their determination against the odds to get there. I disagree therefore with the books notion entrepreneurs are some sort of risk averse creature that continually re-evaluates their every decision. Instead my experience tells me that entrepreneurs ensure their idea remains relevant to a market and their businesses, smart and flexible- able to adapt to ever changing markets.
‘The Smart Entrepreneur’ by Clarysee and Kiefer falls into the bloated market of self-help guides for start-ups and provides some useful but not revolutionary pointers on avoiding the pitfalls that many entrepreneurs encounter on their journey from initial concept to delivery.
The Smart Entrepreneur draws on an interesting blend of both selective business examples and academic research to guide start-ups through the process of
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developing their idea and business model before over committing financially to their venture.
Divided into twelve chapters that offers twelve chapters, each a sort of tick list of practical advice for a start-up covering the regular topics of market research, raising investment and building a team. The chapters are logical and well-considered if not revolutionary in their format or content but provide a useful roadmap of how to build an idea into a credible and investable venture.
The one piece of stand-out advice which I drew from this book is the principle that not every good idea will be the one that makes you money. The initial concept or product you invest in is likely to be just the start- the successful entrepreneur remains flexible and dynamic, sufficiently so to identify new opportunities in the market and develop new and more innovative products. In my experience far too many would-be entrepreneurs become emotionally attached to a product or concept rather than the spirit of entrepreneurialism.
Despite my initial misgivings and some frustrations with the books self-opinionated nature, The Smart Entrepreneur does offer start-up entrepreneurs a well- tested roadmap and excellent pointers. Overall, the advice is sound but not revolutionary and I’d go as far as to saying it reads like a crash course in common sense - which in the books defense is not always so common.
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BOOK REVIEW
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