While starting a new business can be exhilarating, it can also be extremely humbling. The truth is, most business start-ups fail. Even those that succeed can have costly results, both personal and financial, long before the owner benefits. This book is written to help entrepreneurs overcome common mistakes or "landmines" that can blow up their business!
Author Gary R. Grottke knows business, inside and out. From being chief operating officer of a $1 billion conglomerate to a bootstrapping entrepreneur, Gary is well versed in the typical mistakes that cause even educated business experts to fail. Written to help you navigate the potential issues that could kill your start-up, New Business Landmines presents practical advice on how to start, manage, and grow your small business.
Grottke covers topics ranging from basic sales and marketing issues to legal and regulatory concerns. He gives advice on preparing business plans to managing the back-office functions once the business is operational. His tongue-in-cheek tone and real-life examples add a personal touch that makes this business guide read more like a conversation with a trusted mentor who has all the insider knowledge entrepreneurs need.
About the Author: Gary R. Grottke is CEO of Business Kickoff and Quality Back Office, two sister companies that assist entrepreneurs and small businesses in getting started, and then manage their back-office functions once they are operational. Becoming an entrepreneur later in life, he started out as a public accountant after earning a bachelor's in economics from Vanderbilt University and a master's in accounting from Purdue University. After nine years in the financial industry, Grottke worked in various managerial positions throughout corporate America for nearly twenty years, the most significant being chief operating officer of a $1 billion conglomerate. During that time, he worked with a wide variety of industries, ranging from agribusiness to hospitality to retail sales to land development.
Since stepping out on his own, Grottke has started and managed almost a dozen businesses, in areas including financial consulting, home building, loan packaging, accounting and payroll services, property management, and marketing and selling travel products.