November, 2004

I once had a wise man tell me to "stay focused on the main thing" when I was growing a business years ago. I thought then he didn't understand the plight of small business owners (he inherited from his father a large compressed air/gas supply company that has since been purchased by AirGas) who needed to generate money NOW and dismissed his advice. I learned the hard way that his counsel was top notch.

The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything author: Guy Kawasaki asin: 1591840562

I just finished Guy Kawasaki's latest effort, The Art of the Start and must say he's master at simplifying the complex, in this case starting something.

Whether you're thinking of starting a new business, creating a new product, and developing a new service, this book is a must read.

Have you given much thought to how you became an entrepreneur?

Some of us became entrepreneurs out of necessity, either to supplement an existing income or to replace a primary source of income. Others may have become overwhelmed with the demands of work and wanted to have more of a work-family balance, and set up a business in hopes of achieving this balance. Still, others may have decided that they could ?build a better mousetrap? and started their own business to prove it. Whatever the reason, there are more self-employed people now than ever, that those numbers are growing.