The Startup Garden: How Growing a Business Grows You

Rating:
Summary: Finally, a book for the rest of us...
Review: Are you out to become the next Bill Gates? Me neither. I don't want to found the next Microsoft or Coca-Cola, I am just thinking about starting my own business. Sure, I want to be successful, but I also want to have a life. A real life, where my work sustains me but does not control me.

So many books today are about dominating the world via internet or "how I burned through $40million dollars of venture capital" and lived to write this book. That's not me, and that's not the Startup Garden.

Tom Ehrenfeld has written a book for the rest of us. For the real folks with the motivation and the will to create a business of their own, but still wise enough to know they could use a little help, some sound advice and a shoulder to cry on now and then. This book offers all three.

Yes, I found the information well organized, the writing folksy and direct, the additional resources helpful but that's not enough. What's unique about the Startup Garden is it the first book I've read that treats the dream of building a business that reflects your passions and sustains your journey with respect. Truly, a worthwhile read.This author "gets it".

Rating:
Summary: The startup garden
Review: Exellent reference source for deciding if starting your own business is right for you. Easy to understand and helps you to make your own decisions, which is what being in business is all about. Interesting anecdotes and a general 'feel good' read.

Rating:
Summary: A great mix of inspiration and practical advice
Review: I picked up The Startup Garden based on a review in our local newspaper, and found it a wonderful read. Having been involved in several start-up ventures, including consulting for several 'dot-coms', I found Ehrenfeld's approach refreshing, honest, and practical.

Building a great business, from a local store to a large company, is as much about execution as idea. By focusing readers on the many different types of leadership needed to launch a venture, from knowing yourself to managing cash and employees, Ehrenfeld goes a long way in providing a full picture of the skills and qualities needed to successfully lead new ventures.

Reading his book is like brainstorming with a smart friend: it helps you think through all of the questions you will need to answer in order to go from idea to business, giving lots of very practical advice along the way.

Rating:
Summary: A great mix of inspiration and practical advice
Review: I picked up The Startup Garden based on a review in our local newspaper, and found it a wonderful read. Having been involved in several start-up ventures, including consulting for several 'dot-coms', I found Ehrenfeld's approach refreshing, honest, and practical.

Building a great business, from a local store to a large company, is as much about execution as idea. By focusing readers on the many different types of leadership needed to launch a venture, from knowing yourself to managing cash and employees, Ehrenfeld goes a long way in providing a full picture of the skills and qualities needed to successfully lead new ventures.

Reading his book is like brainstorming with a smart friend: it helps you think through all of the questions you will need to answer in order to go from idea to business, giving lots of very practical advice along the way.

Rating:
Summary: Approachable and engaging style, but lacking content.
Review: I've been devouring "startup" and entrepreneur books as of late, and they each face the same problems--vagueness. This book is no exception. Reading the reviews, and even while beginning the book, I thought to myself, "This is the one!" mostly because I liked the premise of integrating the "passion" part of the small business along with the pragmatics. The writing style is a bonus too--not condescending and very approachable. However, in the end, I was disappointed. Yes, the author outlines the basic steps of approaching your startup--conceptualizing, researching, financing, etc--but falls short of providing you details of HOW exactly to accomplish this. What good is your passion for a small business if you can't even get it off the ground? After you've exhausted the usual suspects--the small business center, entrepreneur/startup books like this one, and your local library--then what are you supposed to do? And how do the big players (like the anecdotes given in this book) make it from being a regular person with a little seed of an idea to CEO of a large company? That's the sort of nitty-gritty we need, not pumping us full of the already well-known fact that every business needs a business plan.

Rating:
Summary: Approachable and engaging style, but lacking content.
Review: I've been devouring "startup" and entrepreneur books as of late, and they each face the same problems--vagueness. This book is no exception. Reading the reviews, and even while beginning the book, I thought to myself, "This is the one!" mostly because I liked the premise of integrating the "passion" part of the small business along with the pragmatics. The writing style is a bonus too--not condescending and very approachable. However, in the end, I was disappointed. Yes, the author outlines the basic steps of approaching your startup--conceptualizing, researching, financing, etc--but falls short of providing you details of HOW exactly to accomplish this. What good is your passion for a small business if you can't even get it off the ground? After you've exhausted the usual suspects--the small business center, entrepreneur/startup books like this one, and your local library--then what are you supposed to do? And how do the big players (like the anecdotes given in this book) make it from being a regular person with a little seed of an idea to CEO of a large company? That's the sort of nitty-gritty we need, not pumping us full of the already well-known fact that every business needs a business plan.

Rating:
Summary: Refreshing Look at the Human Side of Business
Review: Most books that deal with startups or entrepreneurship focus on the formulaic sides of business; they include fill-in-the-blank business plans, spreadsheet templates that assume every company is the same, and a directory of financing sources that anyone could find on the Internet. Tom Ehrenfeld's "The Startup Garden" is the antithesis of these books, instead offering the reader not so much a series of answers to everyday questions, but rather a more thought-provoking series of questions which every entrepreneur should ask him- or herself before starting a business. Thankfully, this book is more about the journey than the destination.

As someone who advises a number of early-stage entrepreneurs, I am all too happy to suggest that anyone contemplating a startup should read this book before going too far. Doing so will cause the first-time or serial entrepreneur to consider all the facets of launching and running a company from both business and personal perspectives: a very worthwile introspective effort!

Rating:
Summary: The Startup Review
Review: The Startup Garden: How Growing a Business Grows You makes a valid contribution to the field of entrepreneurship. Although the book is by no means a high-browed read, it provides an overview of many important tools and areas that should be addressed by the small-business entrepreneur. The book starts out by guiding the entrepreneur in deciding on which business they should go into, based on their interests and what they want their business to accomplish for them. More importantly, the book provides a cautious guide in deciding if an individual should go in to business at all and if so, what areas they need to focus on when getting started. The book continues by guiding the entrepreneur in assessing the validity of their idea, what they are selling, who there customers are, and how they plan to provide a value-added product. In this phase, it is noted that you must identify other factors that could inhibit the delivery of your offering to consumers, such as the competition, the resources you have (or don't have), and the means by which you will make money. These and other factors are then taken into consideration when developing a "business plan." Further, as the new business owner starts out, they should have a grasp of the financial aspects of their new venture. This includes identifying key financial metrics and developing financial statements. This process of developing measures and continuous planning is mentioned further as the book progresses. Bootstrapping is delved into midway through the book. Ehrenfeld notes the importance of the previous planning efforts and measurements in accomplishing this task of operating lean in the start-up phases. Additionally, it is noted that developing a clear culture to support you efforts is vital as you business grows. As the culture grows, the author discusses how the owner will gradually pull away from their heavy, day-to-day responsibilities and allow the members of the organization to further fuel the inertia of the growing business. At the same time, new roles for the entrepreneur are discussed at length. One of the key tenets covered is the need for continuous learning on the entrepreneur's part and the practice of assessing and readjusting efforts throughout the process.

Through his discussion of starting and growing a business, Tom Ehrenfeld presents an interesting model that is not common in many books in this field. He provides a simplified, yet comprehensive guide for starting a small business. The big difference though between this and other works is that he focuses on the individual's passions. As mentioned earlier, numerous examples in the form of case studies are sited throughout. Ehrenfeld constantly stresses the need to go into something that you like instead of just following the latest trend. The entrepreneur should focus heavily on what kind of life they want, where they want to live, and the people they want to deal with. Ehrenfeld notes that these factors are more important than just the blind ambition to make money. Although profitability is key, businesses that succeed in the long run are based on more than just this goal. The business defines the individual, and in turn the individual defines the business.

Important to this model it the concept of cultivating and growing a garden. The author sites this metaphor and shows how business owners are more often "developed" than "born." As mentioned earlier, the metaphor is sited throughout, and I believe it provides an important new model. It shows how an individual can develop an "interest" into a business that will provide a "vehicle" for achieving their life goals. They don't have to be an MBA or be an expert in the field, but they must be willing to follow certain steps and develop an effective system. This is truly a grassroots approach. I think it conceptualizes a process that has gone on throughout history. You can call it the "mom and pop" approach. Ehrenfeld focuses on a startup audience that is often neglected by other works, while at the same time addressing valuable tools, usually reserved only for the seasoned businessperson. Additionally, the work provides an ample listing of books and other resources at the end of each chapter for the aspiring entrepreneur to reference. In fact, this is one of the best listings I have seen in an entrepreneurial book.

Rating:
Summary: The Startup Review
Review: The Startup Garden: How Growing a Business Grows You makes a valid contribution to the field of entrepreneurship. Although the book is by no means a high-browed read, it provides an overview of many important tools and areas that should be addressed by the small-business entrepreneur. The book starts out by guiding the entrepreneur in deciding on which business they should go into, based on their interests and what they want their business to accomplish for them. More importantly, the book provides a cautious guide in deciding if an individual should go in to business at all and if so, what areas they need to focus on when getting started. The book continues by guiding the entrepreneur in assessing the validity of their idea, what they are selling, who there customers are, and how they plan to provide a value-added product. In this phase, it is noted that you must identify other factors that could inhibit the delivery of your offering to consumers, such as the competition, the resources you have (or don't have), and the means by which you will make money. These and other factors are then taken into consideration when developing a "business plan." Further, as the new business owner starts out, they should have a grasp of the financial aspects of their new venture. This includes identifying key financial metrics and developing financial statements. This process of developing measures and continuous planning is mentioned further as the book progresses. Bootstrapping is delved into midway through the book. Ehrenfeld notes the importance of the previous planning efforts and measurements in accomplishing this task of operating lean in the start-up phases. Additionally, it is noted that developing a clear culture to support you efforts is vital as you business grows. As the culture grows, the author discusses how the owner will gradually pull away from their heavy, day-to-day responsibilities and allow the members of the organization to further fuel the inertia of the growing business. At the same time, new roles for the entrepreneur are discussed at length. One of the key tenets covered is the need for continuous learning on the entrepreneur's part and the practice of assessing and readjusting efforts throughout the process.

Through his discussion of starting and growing a business, Tom Ehrenfeld presents an interesting model that is not common in many books in this field. He provides a simplified, yet comprehensive guide for starting a small business. The big difference though between this and other works is that he focuses on the individual's passions. As mentioned earlier, numerous examples in the form of case studies are sited throughout. Ehrenfeld constantly stresses the need to go into something that you like instead of just following the latest trend. The entrepreneur should focus heavily on what kind of life they want, where they want to live, and the people they want to deal with. Ehrenfeld notes that these factors are more important than just the blind ambition to make money. Although profitability is key, businesses that succeed in the long run are based on more than just this goal. The business defines the individual, and in turn the individual defines the business.

Important to this model it the concept of cultivating and growing a garden. The author sites this metaphor and shows how business owners are more often "developed" than "born." As mentioned earlier, the metaphor is sited throughout, and I believe it provides an important new model. It shows how an individual can develop an "interest" into a business that will provide a "vehicle" for achieving their life goals. They don't have to be an MBA or be an expert in the field, but they must be willing to follow certain steps and develop an effective system. This is truly a grassroots approach. I think it conceptualizes a process that has gone on throughout history. You can call it the "mom and pop" approach. Ehrenfeld focuses on a startup audience that is often neglected by other works, while at the same time addressing valuable tools, usually reserved only for the seasoned businessperson. Additionally, the work provides an ample listing of books and other resources at the end of each chapter for the aspiring entrepreneur to reference. In fact, this is one of the best listings I have seen in an entrepreneurial book.

Rating:
Summary: Invaluable
Review: There are a million books on starting businesses, and every five years or so one comes along that raises the bar. Ehrenfeld's breakthrough book on entrepreneurship presents a sharp set of tools that set it apart from the pack. Clear, concise writing makes the difference. While many entrepreneurs have been successful in business, they haven't been able to give others the right information. In The Startup Garden, you'll get a complete toolkit and -- perhaps most important -- the keys to timing your business so that you have the true sense of an entrepreneur. This book won't help someone like Steve Jobs, but for the rest of us, it's worth its weight in stock certificates.