Third edition: September, 2018. In its first year, about half of all businesses fail. Five years down the line, depending upon which study you look at, only 1 in 10 to 1 in 3 businesses are left standing. The main reasons businesses fail are no business plan and poor management. That is why this book covers both topics. However, this book goes beyond other books on these topics. The book not only provides a road map for writing a business plan, but also provides a strategy for writing a business plan. A business plan is both a strategic document and a sales document. It also provides the reader with a look into the skills, knowledge and personality of the business owner. Therefore, a good business plan is written to satisfy all of these uses. In addition, this book provides information on how to research and organize the information needed for a business plan, and has worksheets the entrepreneur can use to help make the process easier. Likewise, management topics such as strategic planning (SWOT analysis plus), advertising, branding, project management, customer service management, cash flow management, sales skills, business writing and more are explained, and a method is provided for each management skill that can be implemented and used in the business. There are worksheets for many of the management topics as well. While many business book writers know and cover business writing, it's amazing how few actually apply that knowledge to their business books. I do. The information in this book is presented in bullet points, assuring the reader that he or she does not have to wade through four paragraphs of writing to get a couple of key points. Even the size of the book is practical for the end user. An over-sized book might attract attention in the book store, but would make it difficult to copy and use the worksheets in the book. An under-sized book might demonstrate value by the sheer volume of pages (same amount of information, but more pages), but would mean compressing the worksheets into smaller sizes rendering them less useful. In addition to entrepreneurs, this book was written so that venues teaching entrepreneurship can use it as a text book. In fact, I have been teaching entrepreneurship courses since 1997. This book was written to be a stand alone book, to support my business plan mentoring service (I review the worksheets for clients), and to be a text book for my course, How to Start, Grow and Manage a Business. The book received a very good review from the Midwest Book Review: "Too many businesses are started without the experience needed to keep it alive and going. "Building a Successful Business" is Jay Goldberg's advice manual for those embarking on the entrepreneurial path, with tips on how to avoid the common pitfalls that strike many first time business owners. With advice on strategically planning your business, cautious advertising, business writing, managing the funds and more, "Building a Successful Business" is a strongly recommended pick for any first time business person." Author's personal note: While the review concentrated on new business owners, the book was written for both first time business owners and established business owners. Many people assume that established business owners are utilizing management tools to help ensure success. However, many do not and that is one reason for the high failure rate of existing businesses. My book provides management tools, with associated worksheets, that existing businesses can use to help them achieve or maintain success as well as tools and worksheets for new business owners.
About the Author: Jay Goldberg, MBA, is a former Citibank executive. At Citibank, Mr. Goldberg specialized in customer service management, measurement, training, capacity planning, profitability, MIS reporting, and strategic planning. After almost fourteen years with Citibank, Mr. Goldberg left and in 1994, formed his own consulting firm, DTR Inc. DTR Inc. specializes in writing business plans, business plan mentoring, strategic planning, developing workplace training programs, designing and implementing customer service strategies, performing market research (e.g., surveys, focus groups, etc.), developing marketing tools, branding, and training managers and employees. Find out more at www.DTRConsulting.BIZ. At DTR Inc., Mr. Goldberg developed the program parameters, program strategy, curriculum, lesson plans, assessments and competency statements for a Work Readiness Training Program called the best Work Readiness Certification Program in the U.S. by a representative of the National Skills Standard Board at a presentation of the Program in Jacksonville, Florida on 01/13/03. Modified versions of the original Program developed by Mr. Goldberg are being used in high schools and job centers throughout the Country including Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois, Texas and Massachusetts. Mr. Goldberg's first book, How to Get, Keep and Grow in a Job is a work readiness rulebook and can be used as a stand alone book or as a support tool for entities that teach work readiness skills. While in his own consulting business, Mr. Goldberg also worked part time at the Palm Beach County Resource Center for three years in the mid to late 2000's. The Palm Beach County Resource Center was a 501 ( c )( 3 ) Not for Profit Corporation that helped small businesses succeed. Mr. Goldberg also has developed and taught courses in the Community Education Program in Palm Beach County, mainly in Jupiter, Florida, since 1997. The accumulation of all Mr. Goldberg's experiences has led to his highly successful course, How to Start, Grow and Manage a Business and his book Building a Successful Business. Contact Mr. Goldberg at Book@DTRConsulting.BIZ. Be sure to write "your entrepreneurship book" in the subject line to ensure that your email is not deleted as junk mail.