The Start-Up Survival Guide: What You Need to Know to Make It Through the First Three Years - Softcover

Lilly, Chris J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0273708325 ISBN 13: 9780273708322

Publisher: Ft Pr, 2006

A staggering 33% of new businesses fail within 3 years. In the real world for most start-ups the real challenge of the first three years is survival; being successful is icing on the cake - it can and will happen, but you need to navigate the survival phase first.This book is your survival guide. It sets out the absolute fundamentals that must be addressed to ensure not only that you survive but that you are well set up to be very successful. It is therefore a book about success, but from the angle of what can so easily go wrong and how to avoid these pitfalls.In this book the reasons for businesses failing are thoroughly analysed and, if you follow the contents, you should be in a much better position to weather the storms of encountered in growing a business - and come out smiling at the other side.The book is upbeat and practical for the entrepreneur who is determined that they will make it. It's the book that makes sure your dreams stay intact, and that your business flourishes.The book covers everything from funding, finance, cashflow and debtors, through to products, quality, pricing, customers and staff motivation and morale. Every aspect of your business that might need attention to ensure you're in good shape is looked at in a pithy and practical way.

About the Author:

After a distinguished career as a top executive in various international blue-chip companies including, BT, Nortel and Alcatel, Chris Lilly then turned entrepreneur, creating a number of high-tech start-ups in the communications, healthcare and security sectors.He has held positions as Chairman, Chief Executive, and Managing Director in a range of companies.He is currently Chief Executive of Versyns Ventures Ltd, a firm of international rainmakers, incorporating a corporate finance boutique, and a business and technology consultancy.His overall success has not come without failure, most notably with the collapse of one of his start-up companies, which started off by being tremendously successful and was at one stage valued at over GBP250M, but then the telecom bubble burst in 2001/2002, resulting in the customer base disappearing overnight. He is therefore very aware of the problems which can lead to failure.He has operated in over 30 countries worldwide, published numerous papers in his professional capacity, and presented at major conferences throughout the world. He is a Business mentor with The PrinceĀ s Trust and with The Enterprise Centre in Sussex where he mentors both start-ups and growing companies.

Review:

"...easy-to-read book... covers essential subjects" - The Courier, October 2006"This is among the most useful tomes out there... should be required reading" - The Independent, November 2006"Lilly certainly knows his stuff... this is a salutory corrective to the over-optimistic tone of many similar guides" - Director Magazine, December 2006"I would recommend this book to anyone thinking of starting- up in business." YE Magazine