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How They Started: How 30 Good Ideas Became Great Businesses (Paperback)

by David Lester (Author)

3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Product details

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Crimson Publishing (15 Jun 2007)
Language English
ISBN-10: 1854584006
ISBN-13: 978-1854584007
Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15 x 2.5 cm

Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 76,660 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Popular in these categories:

#49 in	Books > Business, Finance & Law > Small Business & Entrepreneurship > Starting a Business
#59 in	Books > Business, Finance & Law > Small Business & Entrepreneurship > Law for Small Businesses

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Product Description

Lord Bilimoria, founder and Chief Executive of Cobra Beer

Although in business there is no substitute for making the leap
and getting started, there is much to be learned from entrepreneurs who
have been there and done it. Live the highs and lows for yourself, but
read this book first.

Product Description

Popular and current subject in the media following Dragons' Den, The Apprentice and The Big Idea. For thousands of people who have ever had an idea for good business - but have never acted on it.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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	56% buy the item featured on this page: How They Started: How 30 Good Ideas Became Great Businesses 3.1 out of 5 stars (8) �7.78
	15% buy A Book About Innocent: Our Story and Some Things We've Learned 4.5 out of 5 stars (6) �8.98
	15% buy How I Made It: 40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal How They Made Millions 4.2 out of 5 stars (12) �6.43
	7% buy How They Started: Global Brands 3.4 out of 5 stars (44) �7.73

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

3.1 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Feeling of inspiration, 19 Jun 2007

By	justtryingtobehelpful (sussex, england) - See all my reviews

I actually felt quite inspired after reading this book. It's so depressing reading how people have made millions from having started with quite a lot of money in the first place, but all these people seem to have done it just by persistence, self-belief and hard work.

Most people don't have a raft of multi-millionaire contacts in their back pocket, they've just got a really good idea and it's the getting started that the most difficult - these people all did it differently, but it's given me renewed hope and another blast of adrenaline.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really interesting, 20 Nov 2008

By	Andrew Bishop (London) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I really enjoyed this book - especially the chapters on the better known brands like Pizza Express and Cobra Beer. It's really inspiring to find out how these huge businesses started. Inspired me to think more about my dreams to start a business myself. Would agree with the other review though - not all are household names, but the stories are equally as interesting.

I guess the main message of the book is: if you've got an idea, go for it. You never know where it'll lead.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Anyone can do it ....., 18 Feb 2008

By	Mr. P. Stewkesbury "www.use-ip.co.uk" (Kent, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Persistence is omnipotent, if you overcome the obstacles you will succeed in the end. The quantity of success stories in this book proves this.

It is possible to start with very little and then, through great endeavour, build a successful business.

Unfortunately, I found the book rather boring. You will learn and take away a little from those businesses that are similar to yours (or perhaps what you intend or hope to do), but with 30 chapters covering 30 businesses it becomes a little samey.

There are wise words in the introduction and a fair summary of what you will learn from the book on pages 3-5; the author effectively puts his conclusions at the beginning of the book:
What can we learn from these businesses as a group?
The X Factor - no single X-factor, but a collection of traits which drive people to succeed.
Minimal personal reward initially - most are not able to, or choose not to, take much money from the business at first.
Do what it says on the tin - focus on one idea - normal for startups.
Keep It Simple (Stupid) - stick to your knitting - focus on the one idea - and, of course, your customers.
Work harder than you might think possible - startup entrepreneurs tend to put in a lot of hours.
Keep trying and believing - it takes time - persistence is omnipotent.
Who needs money? - most start with minimal funding.
Ambition - you need passion and commitment to become successful - a desire to earn loads of money will probably not engender sufficient drive for the long-term.
So what? - "they needed extraordinary levels of passion, energy, self belief and stamina, the ability and desire to focus, and a good measure of judgement."

After that, I don't think that the next 235 pages are worth the effort.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Start up
A write up about how several business started up.

For me, it lacked sufficient detail and information about the businesses concerned. Read more

Published 5 months ago by M. Rewhorn

5.0 out of 5 stars How They Started by David Lester
How They Started by David Lester - an excellent book; inspiring; well written and worth reading.

Published 11 months ago by Mr. E. N. Griffiths

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
This book provides very little detail about the businesses it talks about.

If you are looking for an inspirational read and more detailed insight into how businesses... Read more

Published 14 months ago by Laurel1

1.0 out of 5 stars superficial
I think another reviewer here said that this looked like a cut and paste job. That pretty much sums it up. Appears to be little or no original research. Read more

Published 17 months ago by Punit Shah

3.0 out of 5 stars Plenty of good ideas
How they started How 30 good ideas became great businesses BY David Lester

I devour business books but this one looks like a cut an paste job. Read more

Published 21 months ago by Peter Wade

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