This is definitely a book that you should consider if you are starting a business.
(Karin Abarbanel is a business speaker who runs a marketing communications firm. Bruce Freeman holds a number of positions related to his expertise in entrepreneurship. His website is the Small Business Professor.)
To develop Birthing the Elephant, the authors have gleaned the best insights from an impressive (and extensive) list of entrepreneurs and business specialists. I loved Chapter 2, which is titled "Real Stories behind Real Start-ups." (If you read Work From Home Momma often, then you know that I find a lot of inspiration from the experience of home business owners.)
Right of the bat, I loved Birthing the Elephant's scannable format. The author uses lists and bullet points effectively throughout. Lists are largely how I think and organize my own business, so organizing the information this way made it easy for me to follow. I also like the fact that each chapter ends with a list of "Quick Tips," information bytes that sum up the chapter.
One thing that makes this book stand out as compared to other "how to" guides that I've read about starting a business is the way that the author acknowledges the emotional rollercoaster that is running a business. For example, in the chapter titled, "Stage 1: Start Your Start-Up," she explains that it's normal to have any of the following feelings during the start-up period: exhilaration, loneliness, [a feeling of being] stretched to the limit, concern about finances, and intense focus.
Birthing the Elephant's acknowledgement of how it actually feels to start and run a business is a welcome contrast to the dozens of home business advice books that approach entrepreneurship from a sterile, sanitized approach.
Another factor that I'm always wary of whenever I read a book about starting a home business whether or not the book glosses over the very real difficulties that entrepreneurs face. I'm pleased to say that this book presents a realistic perspective on starting a home business. In fact, I'll probably read the last chapter, "Avoid the Ten Biggest Pitfalls," over and over again. The pitfalls listed in this chapter are still challenges that I face today, even though I've had my own business for six years now.
Whether you're considering starting a business, or have owned a business for years, there's something for you in Birthing the Elephant.
What about you? What do you think about this review? Have you read Birthing the Elephant? What did you think?
Leave a comment and let us know.
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