Start a Successful Business - (Inc. Magazine) by Colleen Debaise (Paperback)

About the Book

This one-stop guide taps into the expertise of "Inc." magazine and offersanyone wanting to launch their own business the advice and tools they need.

Book Synopsis

With stories and advice from a fleet of trusted experts, this book is for anyone wishing to get their business off the ground and become the next wildly successful entrepreneur everyone is reading about.

For decades, makers, doers, and dreamers have turned to Inc. for help in getting their businesses off the ground. The insanely successful entrepreneurs behind organizations like Skullcandy, Spanx, Elon Musk, and Airbnb learned lessons at every stage, experienced unexpected setbacks, and in the end triumphed wildly. All along, Inc. was there capturing it all so that others could experience even greater successes than these titans of business.

From brainstorming to crowdfunding to building partnerships, the book walks new and aspiring founders through seven crucial stages, including:

• Establishing a brilliant business idea
• Selecting the best structure and strategy for your startup
• Getting the word out and building clientele
• Preparing to go global

Learn how Elon Musk stays wildly productive. Discover how Sarah Blakely got the inspiration for Spanx. Read the stories of how a hashtag accelerated Airbnb's success and how Warby Parker shook up the eyewear industry with its innovative, socially conscious business model. Start a Successful Business gathers these important lessons into a single path-charting guide.

From the Back Cover

"I wish this book had existed when I was starting my business. The guidance, strategies, and ideas inside will prove invaluable for would-be founders and seasoned pros alike."--Barbara Corcoran, founder of the Corcoran Group and star of ABC's Shark Tank

"This book is packed with startup know-how from a publication that, for over 30 years, has helped entrepreneurs start and grow their companies. It's a one-stop guide for anyone who ever thought about launching a business."--Norm Brodsky, Inc.'s "Street Smarts" columnist and serial entrepreneur

When you're ready to turn an idea into the next big thing, let Inc. help make it happen. Start a Successful Business taps the magazine's expertise, advice, and most enlightening interviews to bring you a one-stop, foolproof guide.

From testing a concept and securing funding to getting the word out and scaling up, the book walks you through seven key steps you need to get right. Case studies chart the rise of Rent the Runway, Warby Parker, Slack, DigitalOcean, Dollar Shave Club, Box, and others, while illustrating how pivotal decisions can make or break a business.

Throughout, you'll find tips and tactics explaining: How pain points trigger the most brilliant ideas - What experts say about getting a patent - How to do inexpensive market research - Which facts need to go in an elevator pitch - Where to get great business plan templates - How lean principles and rapid iteration work - What permits and paperwork should be filed - How to pick a legal structure - Why angel investors are your least likely option - What marketing methods deliver the most bang - How to embrace your inner salesperson - Where to find cheap CRM options - How to cultivate five essential leadership traits - Which growth strategies will catapult your business - And much more.

Combined with drive and ambition, Start a Successful Business gives you the tools to get your business off the ground . . . and take it beyond your wildest dreams.

Colleen DeBaise is contributing editor at Inc., podcast host at The Story Exchange, founder of the Hampton Bee, and author of The Wall Street Journal Complete Small Business Guidebook. She has written for The New York Times, Entrepreneur, BusinessWeek, SmartMoney, and other national publications.

Review Quotes

..".no better source for wannabe entrepreneurs than Inc., as AMACOM recognizes by publishing this compendium of great business advice from the magazine...great first alternative to Michael Porter and Harvard Business Review publications and a lot more accessible." Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

About the Author

COLLEEN DEBAISE is contributing editor at Inc., podcast host at The Story Exchange, founder of the Hampton Bee, and author of The Wall Street Journal Complete Small Business Guidebook. She has written for The New York Times, Entrepreneur, BusinessWeek, SmartMoney, and other national publications.