Club Reviews: PLANET ENTREPRENEUR

Planet Entrepreneur: The World Entrepreneurship Forum's Guide to Business Success Around the World by Steven D. Strauss

Strauss makes the hypothesis that we are living in the age of entrepreneurial solutions and that we need those solutions not just to create the Next Big Thing, but to solve the Next Big Problem!
Strauss asserts that both old and new problems and challenges are being faced by the "global revolution of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship."
And Stauss makes it clear no matter what we may think, we are all living on Planet Entrepreneur.
Chapter 1 emphasizes the tremendous change going on.  It is big change, transformational change.  Humanity has to adopt, adapt, and adjust to move forward.  The author says we have only two choices: utopia or oblivion.  We must count on our entrepreneurs who will seize the opportunities and challenges to solve huge problems.
Chapter 2 tells us we are in a technological revolution and entrepreneurs are seizing on that opportunity.  People are internet-driven and socially connected.  This technology allows entrepreneurs to find ways to make us smarter, wealthier and more connected.
Chapter 3  defines entrepreneurs as truly global adventurers.  And they come from anywhere, not just Silicon Valley. These entrepreneurs are loaded with vision and can see needs way before the rest of us know we have them.
Chapter 4 says business is an agent of change.  And change we must because we cannot continue as we are.  We must grasp and pursue the concept of sustainable development in all that we do.
Chapter 5 says that social entrepreneurs have come onto the scene and have a burning desire to make a positive social impact.  What we need is radical change and our social entrepreneurs are all over it.
Chapter 6 strongly states that we must empower women and minorities in this adventure of social entrepreneurship.  We are once again reminded that "all of us are smarter than any one of us."
Chapter 7 says we must find a way to tap the untapped potential that lies at the very base of our population pyramid.  No doubt that propblems at the top and the bottom of the pyramid are different but they all need solutions and that takes every strata of society.
Chapter 8 today we live in an accelerated, interconnected, global e-economy with no street address.  It is noted how China has made a radical turn toward capitalism.  Today it is commonly believed that small business entrepreneus can can help create a better, more peaceful, more affluent world.  We are now seeing "angel investors" pop up who have money to invest and are willing to do so to help grown business.
Chapter 9 in 2009 we had a deep recession and record unemployment but we also had a record number of business startups, highest in 14 years.  We will continue to need sources of investment and what we see are reward-based crowdfunders surfacing.Chapter 10 crowdfunding has taken startup funding to a whole new level.  People make their case, connect and get virtual strangers to invest in their dream. And the social media is the catalyst for all this.
Chapter 11 tells us that we see a huge paradigm shift and we must stress our educational systems to produce the needed entrepreneurs.
Chapter 12 it is noted that we no longer need to change our world through revolution, we must change our world through innovation.  To do that we are now seeing "innovation hubs" pop up all over the world.
Chapter 13 says when you empower people to think and act entrepreneurially within your organization, it is called intraentrepreneurship.  That simple means you allow people to think, dream, act and create.
Chapter 14 reminds us that the entrepreneurial revolution is here to stay.  Our challenge as big and small business is to find out how to be involved.
Chapter 15  by way of conclusion, Strauss says that while there are 28m businesses in the US, 20m are solopreneurs, self-employed. We cannot face the challenges and opportunities without these entrepreneurs! Doug Newberry-Antioch, TN

I enjoyed reading this book.  It was broken down nicely.  Easy to read format while telling the reader everything they needed to know about business and ownership all over the globe.  Also, reminds us that technology is our friend & we should embrace it. Terri Bryant-Davie

Wow. Great book by a think tank of entrepreneurs (well, not exactly but close enough).
It seems like this book covers it all from what is an entrepreneur, intrapeneurship, funding, and role of social media, environment and the list goes on. There is something to interest everyone in this book.
The book planet entrepreneur was relevant, current, interesting, well organized and crafted. It is FULL of REAL information to get you thinking and get you started.
some of the ideas make you want to jump right in however you can't; you need to determine first if you are suited to be an entrepreneur, what type of entrepreneur will you be, what motivates you and then you need to do your diligence. And this is putting it very simply.
This is hard work; there is no easy overnight solution for success as an entrepreneur. You need to focus and be patient and try, try again.
There are many examples of success and failures.
This book really sheds light on the topic; this book is a great resource and provides real world advice and information from a very impressive group of people, each successful in their own segment (and beyond). Each chapter tackles a different topic by different authors.
There are some recurring themes like the personality traits of a successful entrepreneur. But no world view is exactly the same. Really interesting. And leaves room for everyone to be unique and still be a success.
And throughout the book you see in many cases success is not just about financial gains.
Bottom line this book helps you determine do you have what it takes!  Entrepreneurial spirit and desire is not enough. Success requires a real commitment, enthusiasm, fortitude and the proper personality and a sense of humor is always helpful!
One of the most interesting points (and there were many) was that today it is not whether you know how to find information, but whether you know what to do with all the information that is so readily available.
This book gives you lots of information...and now what?! Lynn Wiener-Coconut Grove

I found the approach and organization of this book to be extremely effective.   First, the book is a compilation of individual entrepreneurs writing on separate subjects, surrounding global entrepreneurship.  Many chapters, such as  Chapter 5 on Social Entrepreneurship and the End of Charity not only explained the theoretical aspects but gave case studies of successful projects.
The organization showed different aspects of entrepreneurship: 1) The New World—how the global aspects have changed the nature of entrepreneurship—explores different types such as going green, social entrepreneurship, and empowering women; 3) The Toolkit—which gives examples of successful tools being used such as social media, alternative financing and education; and 4) Joining the Entrepreneurship Revolution—featuring intrapreneurship and  self-employed businesses.
It is an excellent variety of topics that shows different aspects of entrepreneurship on  a global basis.
A new world created through the expansion of technology is explored through distribution and borders (or lack of them), crowdfunding, and new views on subjects like charity (which can be served while developing revenues) brings us into a new view of entrepreneurship which explores different global strategies.
There are so many useful examples of ways the principles in the book have been used that it will broaden your perspective, even if you have an entrepreneurship background.   Extremely valuable information and examples, it is worth reading more than once! Randy B. Lichtman-Miami

Excellent read! Valuable resource for entrepreneurs interested in global opportunities.  I most enjoyed entrepreneurship presented through a social lens,  not only with a focus on creating profits, but also as a tool to improve the lives and conditions of billions of less fortunate who are on the “bottom of the pyramid.”  Such wonderful progress in improving lives thanks to Entrepreneurs. Doramary Russell-Coral Springs

The book is a combination of many authors who form part of the World Entrepreneurship Forum.  There are 14 entrepreneurs whose current and very enlightening strategies can make the reader into a successful entrepreneur.  Topic include mobile phone, internet, poverty-rich and angel investors, emerging marks, youth, micro credit, 7 year cycle & Food Recovery.  The chapter are short but well written and a pleasure to read. William Murtada-Miami

This book is more a how-to and review of what you can do to start a business.
The term entrepreneur is wildly used but really means a person who brings value to some operation. I really would like to see how entrepreneurship is taught. My take is that it's more knowing thyself, being self-confident and also being a good leader.  This is what and might be taught in a class of entrepreneurship.
This book is a compilation of several articles by different people some by the compiler, Stephen D Strauss.  This makes the book a little bit uneven.
However this book is very useful as a source for how to start a business and how to use the Internet particularly for an international setting.
The one thing this book does not do is discuss about what would be the product. Product has to be one that is in high demand and can be sold over the Internet.
A good example is what Steve Jobs did with Apple. He made sure that the product was the hardware and the software, where others went different directions, splitting the hardware and the software.  Jobs was proven right only after about 20 years.  Of course on his return to Apple he did have the computer stores that everybody thought would be unsuccessful he also developed the iPhone and others devices.  He made sure they could all be interconnected and were very use full as smart phones which really are mini- computers.  This is what the competition are working towards today.  Jobs and Apple did have failures - remember the Newton?
There is a chapter on how a government can get involved with encouraging people to start a business, called entrepreneurship,  this was Start-Up Chile.  I had a friend in this program and I think that overall he had a good experience.  However since doing this he has moved to the California area.  This program does sound better then what our  Government is doing.  It seems that our Government is placing bets on products that might succeed in the marketplace. So far there seems to be a great deal of failure.
In summary it is very important to be an entrepreneur to be self-assured of yourself, have patience, be prepared to not succeed and have a product that people will want.  I am not sure how you can teach this as this book tries to do.  Knowledge and perseverance is key along with being a risk taker. Gordon E. Ettie-Miami

This book was very timely for me, as I am in the process of launching my first entrepreneurial business and in every business you have be a salesperson as well as wearing many other hats.  The information provided in the book is very straightforward and for a logical person it is a great way to understand all the necessary steps for unlimited selling.  We all have many tools in our toolbox but usually fall back on our go to tools.  While this is okay, each new tool that we employ in our daily routine becomes a new go to tool and increases our ability to be the best we can at what we do.  Learning gives us confidence and increase our energy around different parts of the sales process that may have us stuck. 
Building trust with a potential customer, Understanding our potential customer's needs, and Understanding what we have to offer will either make you a perfect fit or put you in the position to make a recommendation to your potential customer that may not result in your sale but will increase your customer's trust that you are honest and looking out for them.  Understanding who your customer is and how you serve them, is what differentiates you from others.
If you want to learn simple steps, that are given from the beginning to the end of the book, that will help you in your goals, read this book now!  It is easy to follow and will help you understand how to consciously identify and assist your potential or existing customers. Bari Schanerman-Miami

I LOVED this book!! It takes everything I've long suspected as going on in the world and gives tangible examples in essays written by the members of the World Entrepreneurship Forum, "the first ever entrepreneur think tank." I've always been fascinated by people who can make something out of nothing and have studied entrepreneurs for as long as I can remember.  The essays in this book illustrate how the lack of full time employment, underemployment and the decision of corporations to get by on as few employees as possible has made entrepreneurship a viable alternative.
"Planet Entrepreneur" author Steven Strauss makes readers believe that they, too, can start and successfully run a business:
"Not long ago, and for eons before that, a small business was confined to its local micro geography and economy. But no longer. Today any small business can be a glocal business. This is a fact has not been true for the history of the world, except for the past decade or so. If your business is not taking advantage if it, you are missing out on the biggest change in business, ever. That’s not hyperbole, it's fact."
Not since reading Tim Ferriss' "Four Hour Workweek" have I felt this empowered. Kathy Doran-Miami Beach

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NEXT BOOKS: Planet Entrepreneur AND Unlimited Sales Success

Two books to read and review this time! If you're interested, click the link to sign up on the upper left of this page.

First up is Planet Entrepreneur: The World Entrepreneurship Forum's Guide to Business Success Around the World by Steven D. Strauss, USA Today’s small business columnist and more.

Here’s what he says about the book: “I wrote it with several co-authors from the World Entrepreneurship Forum. I am more excited about this book than almost any other I have written in a while, for a few reasons:

First, I think (hope!) it is very interesting. It looks at the explosive growth of entrepreneurship around the globe ('regular' entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, green entrepreneurs, etc.), and how they are changing the world, right now, radically, and for the better.
Second, at a time when the world is so divided, it is nice to share a book that is positive, hopeful, and looks at ways and ideas that link us together.
We are living in a world of incredible challenge and changes, and for both the entrepreneur and potential entrepreneur alike, this also means it is a world of ample opportunities. From the fall of the Berlin Wall to the rise of e-commerce and social media, there are now, today, more markets, tools, and opportunities for entrepreneurs than ever before. Even better: we are now also living in a world more predisposed to entrepreneurial solutions than ever, and we need those solutions—not just to create the Next Big Thing, but to solve the Next Big Problem. Every issue that individuals, communities, and nations face offers the entrepreneur the chance to make a difference. For anyone ready to embark on a mission to solve problems, create communities, build businesses, tap technology, and think entrepreneurially, this new world is teeming with opportunities for success.”

You can read an excerpt and find out more about the book here.

Next is Unlimited Sales Success by Brian Tracy. Tracy is a longtime sales trainer and guru, and this is a very solid primer on sales basics and more.

Here’s a brief description:

“If there were a single great "secret" to being an elite sales professional, surely one of the millions of attendees of Brian Tracy's sales seminars would have spilled the beans by now. There isn't a secret. But there is a set of consistently successful selling techniques that most companies don't teach their salespeople, and which most entrepreneurs and independent sales pros think they don't have time to learn. Based on more than 40 years of selling experience - in virtually all product categories and market conditions, Unlimited Sales Success shows that these proven sales skills are learnable - by anyone. Highlighting practical, time-tested principles including: the psychology of selling: your own mindset is just as important as your customer's; personal sales planning and time management: whether you work for yourself or someone else, great planning equals great success; prospecting power: get more and better appointments; consultative and relationship selling: position yourself as a partner with the account; identifying needs accurately: you'll know how to arouse their interest and overcome objections; influencing customer behavior: learn what triggers quick buying decisions; closing the sale: the five best methods ever discovered; and more. Unlimited Sales Success is loaded with eye-opening facts and exercises, peppered with stories of great selling techniques in action, and organized into a use-it-now approach that will help you become a top sales professional-starting today.”

You can read more about it here.

You can review both books or choose one. The deadline will be generous, so no worries.

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