Customer Reviews

The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When reviews are tightly clustered in time, make minimal mention of a book's content, with at least one full of absolute drivel (according to its author), one has to ask if they are genuine.

Read the sample chapters and ignore all the reviews.

I was thinking of buying this: then I became suspicious of the reviews.

Chris Guillebeau is awesome. His writing is so massively USEFUL, but also fun and interesting. This is not a 'business' book in a dry sense; it's an inspirational guidebook for the future if you value freedom and service. You know that whole, 'be the change' thing? Chris IS the change. And he wants you to be too. And all of us.

Perhaps I have read one too many motivational books cause this one fell flat. Very little substance to motivate and carry me on to further areas, leads, web links. He seems just to scratch the surface on topics. Much of it is common knowledge. (sense) I couldn't even finish it. I was looking for feel good success stories with insight but found little of it that could motivate me. Maybe adequate for someone just starting to consider running their own biz.

Very resourceful book. Full of ideas but also lets you know the whole truth about starting ANY business. The pros and cons. Excellent read!

I really enjoyed reading this book and already gave a copy to a friend as well. The author walks you through all the steps to start and grow your own microbusiness giving lots of valuable tips and ideas on the way that gave me a lot to think about. And he gently pushes the reader to action. Of the "start your own business" books that I have read this really is the best so far!

If you're looking for tips on how to start your own business in today's Internet economy, this book is for you. Chris gives advice you can use; my copy of The $100 Start Up is riddled with post-it notes, and I've already re-read several chapters. Rather than just talk about the great parts about a life outside of the 9-5, Chris also tells you how to get that life for yourself, and gives examples. I can't recommend this book highly enough!

In challenging economic times, this book should be a game changer.

Chris has provided specific examples and steps to help ANYONE start a small business that can generate recurring revenue at any scale...depending on how much work you want to put into it.

So stop whining - get the book - READ IT - IMPLEMENT IT - and set about designing your own employment reality!

For people longing for change that also have something meaningful to offer customers (and improve the world), this book will motivate you to do something about it finally. Lots of testimonials from real people who've done it and are living happier (although not necessarily easier) lives. More importantly, great 'how to' and 'what not to' info, generously shared by the author in what struck me as a really authentic effort to help others be succesful and happy. And who doesn't want that? If you have an idea, and the prospect of many many years spents spent trudging into a cubicle until you retire and then die leaves you wishing for something more, read this book. Then do something.

"Better is a little with righteousness,
Than vast revenues without justice." -- Proverbs 16:8 (NKJV)

The book's title is probably what attracted you. That was true for me, as well. While it's possible to start a business for $100 (I started my first one for $12), the bulk of those studied by Chris Guillebeau spent between $100 and $600. The point is to start small, experiment, and stick to low-cost methods. You will probably be surprised by how little the book actually has to say about how to keep investment costs down in other ways. That's because the book is mostly focused on personal services, professional services, and selling information products. These kinds of businesses are more marketing than investment intensive.

Because of his love for travel, the book is also filled with the notion of using the freedom that a business can bring to move around and enjoy a better lifestyle. That, too, is true of entrepreneurship kept in perspective.

The book's great strength is in lots of information about low-cost ways to acquire and make more profits from customers. It's one of the best small business marketing books I've read. I intend to recommend it to my adult education classes.

The book is also helpful in providing a lot of success stories. If you are looking for ways to copy those success stories, you won't find the details here. You'll have to track down the entrepreneurs and ask them your questions directly.

Although the book displays a strong counter-culture flavor, the advice is pretty much traditional business 101, except scaled for a start-up person with limited business experience.

If your weakness in starting a business is marketing, you will find this book valuable.

Although I haven't started a business for $100, this book puts ideas/hobbies/skills into perspective. The book is mostly real-life examples, which are pretty interesting. There are good resources and it frequently refers to additional resources at [...].