The Geek's Guide to Internet Business Success

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Resource
Review: For anyone wanting to learn how to set up and properly develop a web design business, this book is an excellent source of information. Each page provides useful information and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the sales and marketing information wasn't just regurgitated from other books.

I've had the book three days and have read it twice. The information is up-to-date and the methods and techniques shared are all useful. Quite honestly, I'd have paid more for this kind of information.

Having never submitted a review for books I've read, this must have made an impact. I strongly recommend this book for some real genuine insight.

Rating:
Summary: The best work I have read on the subject to date.
Review: I hope that my competitors never read this book! Topics that I found valuable included: what questions to answer in a brochure; what a biz plan should cover; characteristics of a great biz plan; competitive advantages; how to set rates; brochure ideas; how to select prospects; motivating an appointment setter; how to track leads; demographic data sources for a brochure; pre-presentation checklist; what to memorize for a presentation; content of handouts; the process (flowchart and steps); time-management do's and don't's; sample biz plan.

Rating:
Summary: A very useful book
Review: I just finished reading this and I have to say I'm glad I found it. I'm a freelance Web developer in New York City, and I've made some mistakes in the past. I once went to pitch Newsweek to develop a site for them, and they just stared at me when I was done. That's not the first time I went in to client's with the wrong materials or poor preparation. But I have to say that Schmidt's book "gave me a clue." I think I have a better grasp of what clients are looking for now--things like how to prepare for a meeting, and how to make my business run better in general.

It's also well-written and easy to understand. Schmidt manages to pack a lot of useful information into a book that is still pretty short and readable. I highly recommend it to anyone who is trying to make a business out of developing Web sites.

Rating:
Summary: The best book of its type written to date.
Review: The Geek's Guide is hands down the best book of the slew of 'How-To' Internet books that I've seen (and I've read perhaps a dozen).
The approach of the book is the correct one. There are so many extremely capable techheads, with more than enough know-how on the development side, but with mere grains (if that) of business sense. In the Geek's Guide, Schmidt provides extremely helpful tips for all areas of the business in a way that strikes the creative techie as not only doable, but interesting as well. (Imagine that, a techie like myself finding a book on doing business interesting--who would have imagined?)
It seems that Schmidt understands well the mindset of web technology enthusiasts, and our love for what the web was, and what it could be. Without sounding hollow and ignorant, like your top-executive uncle Milton might, he lays out the fundamentals of business on the Web, and how best to implement your ideas in the context of the industry.
I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about expanding their Internet expertise from technological prowess to an expanded business vision for their creativity.

Rating:
Summary: A MUST HAVE for the entrepreneur!!
Review: This book is very comprehensive and touches on points of business that the creative artist ignores.....The tips on marketing/advertising are invaluable!! The 'cold-call' concept is elevated to reality in this book. Many designers/web developers do not have a clue to expand business beyond the ol' word-of mouth....This book makes networking an attainable goal! Another asset is the readability of this book. I read it cover-to-cover in about 2 days. You do not have to have a degree in marketing or accounting to grasp the concepts. It is about time that someone came up with a 'Business' book from a marketing perspective! I am so glad that I found this book.....before it was too late!!!

Rating:
Summary: An Internet business classic
Review: While many of the references in this book are certainly somewhat dated (originally published in '97 - a lot has happened on the Internet since then), The Geek's Guide is still a bulls eye, on-target business guide for web designers, especially those just getting started. If you're a new web designer or web programmer you'll quickly learn what you need to know to succeed.

The fact that it was written before the dotbomb era means that you're getting solid advice free of the bubble hype that crashed the stock market and put almost every dot com company out of business - and left many self employed web designers scrambling to find paying clients.

I wouldn't worry too much about the fact that you won't even find the phrase "business model" in the book (at least I couldn't find it.) Most internet business models (except of course, good old Amazon!) turned out to be either illegal stock frauds run by con artists or the same as legitimate old fashioned bricks and mortar business models. And we all know that today, it is the bricks and mortar companies that have the most work and the most money for web designers.

So I say, grab this book now, even if you can only get a used copy.

Rating:
Summary: Doctored reviews.
Review: With the Geek's Guide, Schmidt proves to the world that he has the'write' stuff. Schmidt has a knack for focusing on the most important aspects of any topic.

In terms of content, this book is jam packed with highly tailored and specific information crucial to sustaining a successful and profitable web development business. Although the book's focus is on web development business start-ups, anyone who is looking to strike out on their own in any field would find this book useful. Furthermore, potential clients of web development firms may find much of the information in the book useful when dealing with internet businesses and negotiating the creation of their own site.

The writing style of the book is very clear and concise and Schmidt leaves no room for misunderstanding in his prose. There is absolutely no internet hype or marketing spin in this book, nor are you treated to a dry, textbook or computer manual treatment of how to run a business. Personally, I found Schmidt's geek humor (there is one remark at the end of each chapter) to be well, in a word, geeky.

From an organizational standpoint, Schmidt gets you in the right frame of mind to run your own business by the end of the first chapter. Whereas most home-business books would devote all of their chapters to Freudian self-analysis (ridiculous intropspective and self-assessment questions), finding a good location for a business, and choosing the best form of business, Schmidt takes you through all of that in one balanced chapter. You will also get some very good ideas on how to build a good, winning, effective, and professional team.

His second chapter tells you in brutal realism just how your customers will look at you, and how you should carry yourself around them (still another chapter tells you exactly how to deal with your client's misconceptions and false expectations of the internet to your advantage). Four more chapters are devoted to making that all important, life-sustaining sale- from finding customers, planning and making the sales pitch, closing the sale and ultimately to writing up a contract. He wraps up the book with a chapter on growing the business and attaches a modest business plan in an appendix.

Schmidt earns my respect because he tells you upfront to obtain good legal and accounting help long before you launch your venture. Yet, the real value in this book is the way Schmidt lays out setting your rates and making certain that you get paid in two understandable chapters. If you are looking to get on the web with your own business in a big way, forget all of those other books and start reading this one today!