Your Idea, Inc.: 12 Steps to Building a Million Dollar Business - Starting Today!

by Sandy Abrams

Overview

Burt's Bees . . . Crocs . . . MySpace . . .

Every time a new story about how some nobody from nowhere got rich producing some clever new product in his garage, you may think, ôWhy canÆt I do that?ö Well, anyone canùthe trick is to take those good ideas and build them into great products that can succeed in the marketplace. In this book, you will get the 12-step plan you need to make your new product or service a profitable reality. You will learn important skills for success, including how to:

• Refine their idea to attract a target audience
• Research the competition
• Find the right manufacturer
• Create appropriate brand messaging
• Build buzz online and beyond
• Work trade shows and conventions

Written by a woman with no formal business experience who turned her own idea into a million-dollar company, this book is the pragmatic yet inspiring guide every aspiring entrepreneur is looking for.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440513237
Publisher:	Adams Media
Publication date:	11/18/2009
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Sandy Abrams is an entrepreneur, speaker, and author. She has written two books on succeeding in business, including Your Idea, Inc. and Breathe to Succeed. Her writing on business insights and workplace wellness has also appeared on HuffPost and Thrive Global. She has led "Breathe to Succeed" workshops with women's groups, entrepreneurial groups, and wellness conferences, as well as with Google, WW (formerly Weight Watchers), Facebook, Women Presidents Organization, Pepsi, and many more.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction: Seize Your Light Bulb Moment xi

Step 1 Take the Leap to Becoming an Entrepreneur 1

Step 2 Bring Your Idea to Life 19

Step 3 Bootstrapping: Make the Most of Your Own Resources 33

Step 4 Understand Legal Issues 51

Step 5 Manufacture Your Idea into a Product 73

Step 6 Create Your Executive Office 107

Step 7 Learn Marketing 101 127

Step 8 Make the Most of Your Marketing Efforts 149

Step 9 Find and Sell to Buyers 167

Step 10 Prep for the Trade Show 193

Step 11 Make Your Trade Show Debut 213

Step 12 Maintain a Life Balance and Look Ahead 225

Conclusion 237

Index 239

Editorial Reviews

Founder and CEO of Moisture Jamzz Moisture Gloves, Abrams started with a business idea—and little else. She went in search of a comprehensive guide she could understand without having an M.B.A. that would teach the basics in a step-by-step fashion, but could find nothing. Undaunted, she learned the ins and outs of starting a business on the fly—and wrote the book herself. The result is a positive playbook for turning a great idea into a workable business model. There's a wealthof information, presented simply but comprehensively, covering such essentials as intellectual property, LLCs, overseas manufacturing, software, paperwork and credit cards, as well as larger subjects such as marketing, Internet sales, Mom and Pop stores vs. big chains, customer service and work/life balance. Thoughtful pop-ins of “Biz Brainstorms” and “Million-Dollar Tips” insert additional advice along the way. Abrams cheers “No MBA—no money—no problem!” and provides a welcome, refreshing pep talk for budding entrepreneurs. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly