Not Just A Living: The Complete Guide To Creating A Business That Gives You A Life - Hardcover

Henricks, Mark

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0738206652 ISBN 13: 9780738206653

Publisher: Basic Books, 2002

Synopsis

As people have come to yearn for more fulfilling and creative work, many are realizing their dreams by leaving the corporate life behind and creating businesses around the things they love. In Not Just a Living, Mark Henricks explores the genesis of this cultural and social phenomenon and offers a comprehensive approach for assessing your own potential, for "taking the plunge," and for building a business that helps you fulfill both personal and professional aspirations. Combining the authority of firsthand experience, colorful and engaging stories from the front lines, and a variety of diagnostic and planning tools, Henricks shows you how to determine whether the entrepreneurial route is right for you, recognize opportunities, overcome obstacles, plan your course, and launch and sustain your business--whether it's a solo venture out of your garage or a multi-million-dollar enterprise.

About this title

About the Author

Mark Henricks is a regular columnist for Entrepreneur and American Way magazines and a frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Men's Health, National Geographic World, and a wide variety of other business, technology, investment, and general-interest publications. A full-time free-lance writer, he is the author of several books for entrepreneurs. He lives with his family in Austin, Texas.

Reviews

Freelance writer Mark Henricks says it's possible to own a thriving business and have a fulfilling life, and he explains how in Not Just a Living: The Complete Guide to Creating a Business That Gives You a Life. Henricks suggests readers become "lifestyle entrepreneurs," which entails living where one wants (instead of moving one's family), working with people one likes (instead of with backstabbing colleagues) and doing work one wants to do. He carefully describes how to determine whether one has the potential to become a lifestyle entrepreneur and the practical realities and key concerns of becoming a lifestyle entrepreneur.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

The author, a regular columnist for Entrepreneur and American Way magazines, and a freelance contributor to a wide variety of publications, describes a growing segment of small-business owners as "lifestyle entrepreneurs." These are people who go into business primarily for lifestyle reasons rather than financial rewards. The most common motivation for these individuals is a fierce desire for independence. Some small-business owners are able to create a dream lifestyle, such as the salaried businessman who quit his job to run a scuba diving service in the Cayman Islands. Many options are explored, including starting a business from scratch, buying an existing concern, purchasing a franchise, and freelancing. Henricks dispels many myths about small businesses, denying that half of all businesses fail within the first year, and that small-business owners must work incredibly long hours to survive. He is also practical, sharing excellent advice on how to keep feeding your stomach while following your heart. David Siegfried
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

When should would-be entrepreneurs take the plunge? Freelance writer Henricks (Grow Your Business) has written this guide to help people decide whether they are ready to be "lifestyle entrepreneurs," or entrepreneurs who goes into business for lifestyle reasons rather than for financial rewards. The book is divided into three sections, with the first section outlining the decision process potential entrepreneurs should go through before leaving their current situations and including the possible downsides of starting one's own business. The second section describes the ways a person can go into business, such as starting a new enterprise, buying an established business, or franchising. This section also gives options on how to fund the new business once it is off the ground. The third section deals with choosing customers, suppliers, partners, etc., what type of technology to utilize in running the business, whether to expand the business, and when to cash out. Throughout, Henricks recounts his own experiences as a freelancer and offers advice from the hundreds of entrepreneurs he interviewed. A bibliography of print and electronic resources is also provided. The result is a useful and clearly written manual. Recommended for public and academic libraries.
Stacey Marien, American Univ. Lib., Washington, DC
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0738206652
• ISBN 13: 9780738206653
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256