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cameronwaller's review against another edition
Worth the read for small business owners, those who work for them, and those blissfully ignorant enough to want to become them. ;)
danibeliveau's review
4.0
An absolutely indispensable insight into the day-to-day concerns of a small business owner. I appreciate the author's candor and willingness to describe not only his successes, but his failures. Seeing the cashflow ebb and flow was incredibly useful.
However, in choosing to not share any lessons for the reader (explicitly, anyway), it is challenging to tease out which beliefs/practices the author endorses and which he has since learned to do differently - though he seems self-aware enough to demonstrate the interpersonal and economical effects of his decisions. Similarly, the way he describes some of his current and former employees is very revealing of his personality and, in particular, why he slogged through mediocrity for so long: he was almost comically unapproachable, self-absorbed, stuck in his ways (if I had to read about AdWords one more time I was going to scream), and wondered why his people never brought him new ideas or went the extra mile. I wanted to reach into the book and say, my guy! It's you! You're the problem!
I really enjoyed this book, appreciate that it was written, and hope the author and his business are doing well. I hope he is continuing to receive mentorship on leadership specifically. This book would have been a five-star read if he had demonstrated or articulated a little more accountability about being, frankly, an asshole, and maybe had a little more respect for low-wage workers who kept his shop going as best they could with shockingly little guidance.
However, in choosing to not share any lessons for the reader (explicitly, anyway), it is challenging to tease out which beliefs/practices the author endorses and which he has since learned to do differently - though he seems self-aware enough to demonstrate the interpersonal and economical effects of his decisions. Similarly, the way he describes some of his current and former employees is very revealing of his personality and, in particular, why he slogged through mediocrity for so long: he was almost comically unapproachable, self-absorbed, stuck in his ways (if I had to read about AdWords one more time I was going to scream), and wondered why his people never brought him new ideas or went the extra mile. I wanted to reach into the book and say, my guy! It's you! You're the problem!
I really enjoyed this book, appreciate that it was written, and hope the author and his business are doing well. I hope he is continuing to receive mentorship on leadership specifically. This book would have been a five-star read if he had demonstrated or articulated a little more accountability about being, frankly, an asshole, and maybe had a little more respect for low-wage workers who kept his shop going as best they could with shockingly little guidance.
gaisha's review
5.0
I was very surprised how much I enjoyed this book. It’s like a memoir of a business. Downs follows 1 year of his business and its ups and downs. Not your typical business book but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
leeahsmestad's review
4.0
So fascinating to read that a business that's been around as long as I have continues to pull such low profits and keeps chuggin along - that's passion!
And noted: ask for help!
And noted: ask for help!
ktreadsnm's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was suspenseful and well-written. I sympathized with the main character, and wanted him to succeed!
julia98239's review
3.0
An interesting insight into what goes into small business owners' day to day lives. He provides a surprisingly honest and humble insight into his numbers (salaries, profits, losses, etc.), which takes a lot of courage to share with the world. However, as the book went on, he failed to fully engage me, to make me feel fully immersed and sympathetic towards a lot of the day to day stresses that he dealt with. However, I liked seeing the character development that came about when he underwent training.
I liked seeing his sales techniques change, and his profit margin increase as a result of that. For instance, one of the instructors taught him that all customers have a common factor: pain. Their job, as a salesman, is to identify that pain and to make it go away. The pain may differ depending on who you are dealing with (big bosses, mid-level bosses, etc.) but the bottom line is the same. The instructor also taught them that they shouldn't be giving away all of their valuable information at once. Give the customer just enough information to make them care, and then demand that they must pay soon, instead of giving them all of their information, proposal and plans and all, and shopping around the market for a lower price.
Also, this book gave a touching insight into what it's like juggling a child with autism, and a job. It was also a refreshing departure from the way that most Ivy League graduates go about dealing with business. I just wish that I knew a little more about microeconomics to make this book that much more solid.
Overall, a nicely written novel.
I liked seeing his sales techniques change, and his profit margin increase as a result of that. For instance, one of the instructors taught him that all customers have a common factor: pain. Their job, as a salesman, is to identify that pain and to make it go away. The pain may differ depending on who you are dealing with (big bosses, mid-level bosses, etc.) but the bottom line is the same. The instructor also taught them that they shouldn't be giving away all of their valuable information at once. Give the customer just enough information to make them care, and then demand that they must pay soon, instead of giving them all of their information, proposal and plans and all, and shopping around the market for a lower price.
Also, this book gave a touching insight into what it's like juggling a child with autism, and a job. It was also a refreshing departure from the way that most Ivy League graduates go about dealing with business. I just wish that I knew a little more about microeconomics to make this book that much more solid.
Overall, a nicely written novel.
janet's review against another edition
4.0
Highly recommended for any business owner who knows what it's like to be caught in the day-in, day-out routine of managing employees and cash flow. If you don't have firsthand experience in this world (or aren't looking to ever open a business), this probably isn't for you. But if you are indeed in charge of your own small business, this storyteller's journey of a particularly up-and-down year will bring you a lot of comfort and camaraderie. I underlined many a sentence and appreciated Downs's candor as he revealed details of his work life, even when he knew outside critics would not agree with his decisions. This made me realize yet again that even the most polished businesses can be messy and, at times, full of struggle behind the scenes. I love owning my own bookstore and wouldn't change it for the world, but boy oh boy is it good to hear that other happy business owners make mistakes and have struggles.
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