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Meet Randy Calipes. After hearing Jeff Lerner’s story, he decided it was time to take control of his life. Randy has since discovered how to allocate his time, balance family and work and has been inspired by his ENTRE coach, Dan. He's excited for what the future holds!
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The most common and crippling mistakes made when starting a business - AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
The risks you SHOULD take when beginning your entrepreneurial journey
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Randy Calipes Reviews
Randy Calipes Reviews
Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You Kindle Edition
Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You Kindle Edition
by John Warrillow (Author), Bo Burlingham (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 out of 5 stars
Based on John Warrillow, the number most common mistake that the entrepreneurs commit is establish an enterprise that is dependent too heavily on these. Therefore when it's time for selling, potential buyers don't feel convinced that the business-even when it's profitable, will be able to stand on its on its own. For illustration Warrillow takes us through an imaginary small-business owner called Alex who is trying to sell his agency. Alex decides to call Ted the businessman and a long-time friend from the family Ted, who urges Alex to follow three principles to help sell his business Focus on services and products that employees can learn to provide. • Valuable: avoid price wars by doing something that is superior to any other company. * Recurring: earn revenues by designing products that customers must purchase frequently.
Best book on growing (and selling) a service business
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2018
An excellent business book that’s both fun to read and full of valuable insights. Whereas other business books are laden with jargon and often unattainable examples, “Built to Sell” is a practical and relatable read on how to grow (and sell) a successful service business. Part of what makes it so accessible is that the story is told in a narrative format, making it easy to follow and apply.
The fictional story follows Alex, who runs a marketing design firm that he decides he wants to sell. Alex seeks advice from his friend Ted, a serial entrepreneur with a few successful exits under his belt. Through their weekly conversations, Ted asks pointed questions to understand Alex’s business and his motivations to sell. Each chapter is then built around what’s happening in the business (ex: a lucrative client that soaks up all of Alex and his team’s capacity), Ted’s advice on how to solve the problem, and then Alex implementing said advice and making progress on turning around his business and transforming it into something much more valuable.
There are numerous lessons that Ted uses to lead Alex to a successful sale. All are valuable, but all are tethered to creating a standard offering and process that’s easy to control, price, and sell. In Alex’s case, it’s a 5-step logo design process that he offers and delivers to clients. It helps Alex to specialize his business which makes it easier to standardize his sales process, which leads to more recurring revenue, and align his company’s resources (e.g., staffing, internal operating model). It’s a effectively a system for turning services into products.
14 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2015
I have a strong bias against business fables. I generally don't read them and don't put much stock into what I term "business fiction."
In BUILT TO SELL, however, John Warrilow draws on his personal experience in starting and selling four companies to craft an entertaining primer. The "story" of Alex Stapleton and his marketing company compose most of the book. Frustrated, Alex decides to sell the company, and while discussing his lot with mentor Ted, he discovers (as many entrepreneurs do) that he has nothing to sell. To paraphrase Michael Gerber, THE E-MYTH REVISITED, Alex really has a job with a lunatic for a boss.
Through Ted's tips and coaching Alex eventually builds a business he can sell. The lessons Alex learns apply to anyone who owns a business.
Specialize, don't generalize
Create a scalable product or service that is teachable, valuable and repeatable
Don't concentrate more than 15% with one customer
The business can't rely on you, the owner
There are 35 wonderful pages that follow the fable, the Implementation Guide and Ted's Tips, highlighted and standing alone.
Since reading Warrilow's book...in one day...I have recommended or purchased it for a number of my customers and business colleagues.
45 people found this helpful
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All Business Owners NEED to READ!
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2018
This book is simply outstanding! If you own a business, no matter what size, this book is an excellent read. Truly eye opening to me!!
It is super important to think strategically and start planning early for your exit. If your exit strategy is to liquidate assets and close up shop, then you don’t really need to read this book. However, if you want to sell your business and not just close your doors, then you’ve got to craft a plan and start early!!
Some key take always:
If you intend to put your business up for sale or position it to be acquired someday, you CAN NOT be the sole reason for the success of your business! If the success or failure is strictly dependent upon you and/or your partner working with your customers, then your sales multiple will be strongly discounted and you will earn a lot less at closing than is possible!! You need a strong management and sales team in place and you need a system for getting things done that is NOT reliant on YOU personally. You need to develop a specialty - being a jack of all trades, but master of none is NOT a recipe for success!
You really need to read this book! It's an easy read...very engaging and easy to understand. Written in a very conversational tone and just makes SENSE!
17 people found this helpful
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Very cleverly written, enjoyable read
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2021
Using a fictional story to teach such an important (and widely misunderstood) concept was pure genius for one main reason...
...It made the content easy to remember.
I can’t tell you how many books I’ve read, learned from and enjoyed only to completely forget a few days after I finished.
And speaking of finished. I often do t even finish a lot of the books I buy. This book was different. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time - a business book!
All in all a great read for anyone wishing to understand how to build (or transform) a business that can be sold for a hefty sum.
One person found this helpful
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Help me set direction on my career.
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2020
I have gone through M&A experiences of my own without any planning and it became a disaster for relationship between me and the buyer. Even though I have made a very good deal but it's still feel that I did not really fulfill my part of commitment for them. If I can turn back time I would change many things on thr agreement. I had a retroactive wishlist that I would change. When I have read this book, I think the checklist become even longer and clearer.
I hope that I had found this book way before we have made the deal.
However, looking forward towards the future, this book would helped me set the course for my next venture, wish is to have entrapreneurs build their company in a professional way with the benefit of both buyers and sellers.
Thanks John Warrilow for this contribution to public.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2016
This book is a great teaching book that is an eye opener for someone building or thinking about building a business with the intent to sell it. Actually, my favorite part is that the fictional business in the book was run as a service company that was NOT ready to be sold, and they did the work to transform it into a product company that would fetch the most money.
Not only does it very effectively demonstrate what to do VS what you shouldn't do, it shows that you can always implement these types of changes to make sure you're more prepared to sell and at the same time make your company more successful.
I also really enjoyed the way it was written, it was WAY more engaging and relatable than one of those books that just goes on and on about A-Z steps to take for your business. This actually sunk in, and showed real life application and advice all while in a fictional story! A must read for anyone looking to build a company and sell it.
10 people found this helpful
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Read It In One Day - An Agency Owner's Perspective
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2019
I rarely read books, and I never read them quickly. But I read "Built to Sell" in about 6 hours. It's an engaging read and relatively easy to consume.
As a digital marketing agency owner, I found myself very much relating to the book's character, Alex. The examples and lessons spoke directly to me. I've often thought of turning my "services" into "products". This book solidified that for me.
Whether your goal is to sell your company or not, this book teaches you the basics of how to commoditize your offerings to increase sales and productivity and make your life simpler and your business more profitable.
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Really helpful foundation for successful business
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2022
This book was recommended to me as I would like to know more about what it would take to grow and sell my business in 10-12 years. This book laid out a super clear road map for the process, and really broke it down into simple terms for me, who really wasn't sure where to begin. I loved the advisor "Ted" and how he guided Alex through each step of the process with good explanation around the "why" for each. Resources at the end were really helpful too. Overall, I would say this is a great first book to read if you have no knowledge of the process to sell your business. It is a quick read that will get you moving in the right direction!
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Doing This Now; Already Seeing Benefits
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2018
This is a life-changing book for any business owner wanting to get "over the hump" and really expand. I love the story format and felt it really drove home the overall idea which is to standardize the offering so you can standardize the workflows and make the whole thing easily repeatable and doable for staff. This, in turn, helps focus on growth and can make the business very attractive to a buyer.
One person found this helpful
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My summer refresher every year for several years now...
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2021
I bought this book years ago and upon reading it the very first time really learned a lot - I implemented some of the strategies mentioned immediately such as "productizing your service" and have benefited from this greatly- but as an entrepreneur, I learn more each year that goes by and my perspective changes quite considerably. I have gained much by reading this again once per year, (for me every summer) and then adjusting and pivoting and also realizing just how much I am growing as each year goes by. This is a great book and I believe a worthwhile read to come back to from time to time...you will not regret the benefit that is received from doing so.
One person found this helpful
A must read for small business owners!
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2016
This book is excellent for the small business owner. As a small subcontractor in the construction industry, I have employed the strategies in this book, some of them with great reservations, especially the hiring of a sales force which is something I have never done in 15 years in business. However, although it has been employed with a tight budget for the past 6 months, the effects of the strategies in this book are indeed starting to show up. I wish I had this book back in 2005 when I was offered $3.1 million for my company and decided to hold out for more. With the 2008 housing market crash, my company crashed with it and became essentially worthless from a sellable standpoint. After a complete rebranding last year and implementing the methods used in this book, we are now looked up to as the leading company in our niche industry and have even ran one competitor completely out of town just by doing business the right way. I highly recommend this one.
4 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2016
I'm usually very skeptical when I read that a book has so many positive reviews. However, the other reviewers were right on the money. This is a great little book. As others have noted, the book is written as a story about an entrepreneur trapped in a service business, with seemingly no way out. Yet, with some sage advice from a friend, and some hard work, our protagonist is able to turn the business around and extricate profitably himself through a sale.
I've read scores of business books over the years, and this one offered me what most do not - I actually learned something new and valuable.
2 people found this helpful
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Warrillo Hit a Home Run with this Book!
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2021
This book single handedly turned my business around seven years ago. I have since franchised my business and run the largest company in my industry in North America with the help of our 60 franchise owners (and growing). I give this book as a graduation gift to every franchisee that comes through our New Zee Training program. Highly, highly recommend this book and this author!
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Same General Message As E-Myth Revisited, But More Of A Road Map
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2017
Play Video
From the "Katz On Marketing" Youtube channel: Adam's, "Books That Will Put Money In Your Bank Account" -- Built To Sell, by John Warrillow. Highly recommended to all small business owners. Here's my brief review of the book... (see attached video).
Even if you're not planning on selling your business, the ideas and concepts in this book will show you how to structure your company so that it (mostly) runs without you.
7 people found this helpful
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Easy and Entertaining to Read, Great Business Advice
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2013
This book is written in the form of a story about a guy, Alex, that has a service business which he wants to sell. He has a business mentor that give him advise and weekly tasks to do in order to change his business into one that is worth something and can be sold. The advice seems solid to me, I am a small business owner but not a business guru or anything, and the story is interesting enough to keep me reading. This in the the dry boring partially read business book you have had on your shelf for the last 10 years. You will read this and you are likely to learn a lot in the process. I highly recommend.
One word of advice. A friend of mine recommended this book to me but he only told me its title was "Built to Sell". So when I went to look it up I found two versions of it, "Built to Sell: Turn Your Business Into One You Can Sell" and "Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You". Thinking that one was part 1 and the other part 2 I bought both. Turns out they are the same book, just different editions. I think the "Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You" is the latest version and it is the one that I actually read. The other one I just flipped through and noticed that it was almost exactly the same, only a few differences in wording. So only buy one if you are interested in it.
4 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2015
Business owners should not wait until they want to sell their business to invest in this book - buy it and read it today! Many owners intend to sell their business when they retire. Many are unfamiliar with the process, how to structure their business for optimal value, the lead times involved with a sale, or topics like earnout periods. This book will familiarize the reader with these principles in an easy to read and absorb style.
Far more important for the reader is the revelation that the principles that increase the value of your business to sell it (potentially 71% higher values) also make the business more profitable and pleasure-able to operate today. Whether your business exit timing is anticipated to be in 2 years or 20 years - do yourself a favor and read John Warrillow's book now. It will not only provide important guidance on how to make your business more sale-able someday - you might just find the principles in the book help you raise the profitability of your business today. Potentially even more exciting for many business owners - the principles in the book can also provide you relief from the typical owner burdens of having little work-home life balance and having to pay yourself last - if you get paid at all. It doesn't have to be that way - buy Warrillow's book and start a new lifestyle as an owner.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2012
If you already have a business this will help you make the changes to make it sellable. If you're just starting out that's even better. If you don't have a product that you're creating you'll start by turning your service into a step by step process that anyone can follow (Think McDonald's) This allows you to remove yourself from the equation. Why? Because if you can't remove yourself from the equation then your business is not sellable.
Even if you don't want to sell your business this is the model to follow. You don't want to be running around putting out fires all day.
Great advice on how to hire sales people.. golden.
Another issue that's handled brilliantly is how to create and manage a management team. If you do this wrong your key employees won't go along with the sell or they might leave, which will ruin the whole process. Built To Sell lays out a process that leaves everyone happy, whether you decide to sell your business or not.
It's a quick read and worth the money for any entrepreneur. Clear and concise. Buy it.
David
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2017
Reading the title reminds me of Steven Covey's 2 Habit which applies equally well when starting a business. Prior to reading this book, I was already seriously considering a start-up with the intent to prove a concept, build a minimum viable product, and eventually sell within 10 years (assuming I succeed). I have always been a strategic person on the job, technically proficient, with solid organizational and communication skills. However, I have always been a self-starter, do-it-yourself person. I have learned over time to be more of a leader and to delegate more effectively than my early years on the job. In preparing to embark in this new venture, I found myself drifting back to that do-it-all- myself mentality focusing heavily on how and what I will be doing to run the business not realizing I was positioning myself as the business. While I may have the right vision, the appropriate solution to a customer pain point, if I want an exit eventually, I need to put the right team together, lead more, manage less and think about growing a business that can grow without me. Highly recommend. It changed my thinking and approach to my own potential start-up. The storytelling is engaging and reinforced these lessons in an effective and entertaining manner.
4 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2020
It wasn't long before the story had my full attention. While the acquisition component of the book doesn't interest me at the moment the focus and process components were insightful. I appreciated that the synopsis of his learnings were at the end of the book as well and not just interspersed in the story.
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This unlocked my consulting and clients' businesses
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2013
I've always struggled from being too holistic in my approach to everything, especially my consulting practice. I would see everything a client could do to increase revenues, adding backend offers, securing strategic partnerships, developing great content, etc, but all it did was overwhelm clients and cause them to lock up.
A mentor recommended this book and it completely unlocked my thinking and got me dialed in on how I should advise clients, as well as gain focus for my practice.
Since reading this, I've helped 3 clients focus in on one unique deliverable they can be the best in the world at, and built the marketing funnel for them to offer it. They've all closed more business with more profit and more enjoyment because of it and I'm looking forward to continued success with them (and others) well into the future because of the clarity this book gave me.
Every business owner and wantrepreneur should read it and follow the model outlined, regardless of how boring it might be.
2 people found this helpful
Unbelievably helpful as I start a company
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2021
If I could give six stars, I would.
I picked this book up today and read the entire thing in a few hours. And then I went back through it and stored copious notes where I can easily find them again.
Not only was the book digestible and entertaining, but it really helped me determine how I want to run my company. I may or may not sell my company, but I want to run it as if I were going to sell it.
One person found this helpful
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If you own a business - you MUST read this book.
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2015
I'll keep this short, because I don't have to say much to communicate my sentiments. Read it. It's a great book. If you're an entrepreneur, or want to be an entrepreneur, this book will change your strategy and very likely simplify your work so you can enjoy life more. If nothing else, I got great advice on simplifying my processes and streamlining my product and service offerings. As an added bonus, I got tips on how to get more money for my company when I sell, how to structure employee incentives, and more. It's an easy read, but unlike a lot of other books, it contains no fluff. Just simple, solid advice, and I've already started implementing it and noticing results. Great book.
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Easy read, enjoyable story telling method
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2018
It's an easy read set up as a story. You follow the journey of a young entrepreneur who is building a business. I enjoy the mentor relationship and style of the writing. I walked away from this read with solid bullet point notes to consider as I start out on my own adventure.
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I wish I had read this before I started my business that I have run now for 13 years.
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2021
This book is put together in an easy to read format with ideas and concepts I wish I had 13 years ago when I first started my business. It's an easy yet informative read. I highly recommend for those who own and run a business and those thinking about it.
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Great book on selling your business
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2020
This is a need to know for anyone wanting to build a business to sell. I like the story telling vs just the facts.
One person found this helpful
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Good easy read with some great points for small businesses
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2018
Good book to read when you start your business. 7 years in and I am getting my business in shape to sell as my daughter does not want to take it over. Watching a friend wait too late to sell his gave me the wake up call. I will be selling my business in 5 to 10 years and putting a lot of this book into action now
One person found this helpful
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A very simple read and right to the point
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2013
Written as a story and not as a textbook, the author gives a fictional example of a business-owner who is tired of the stresses and obstacles in running a business. He consults a mentor who walks him through the various stages of setting up a business for sale. By the end of the book, the fictional business-owner has restructured his business in such a way that the business is both sustainable and sale-able. The book supports the belief that a business, whether up for sale or not, should always be in a strong enough position that it can survive without its owner.
I think the author accomplished what he set out to accomplish with this book. It isn't complex, it isn't sophisticated, and it can be easily understood by anyone with or without a background in business. This book is not for people who want to explore the mechanics of selling a business but moreso for people who want to know what kind of mindset to adopt. As a turnaround and restructuring consultant with a deep technical background, I still found this book to be a worthwhile read -- particularly in how it relates to clients I deal with.
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A practical guide for entrepreneur to build a sustainable and scalable value in their companies.
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2015
Should be read by all services oriented companies and entrepreneurs! I reflect myself so much in this guide as I build and sold my creative agency and printing company at a disappointing value since I was not able to build sustainable and scalable value. Now as a venture capitalist, I have seen many business model and goes through the investment process, merger and acquisition that teach hard lesson to understand many valuable tips in this book.
2 people found this helpful
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Must Read for Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2014
If you are a fan of the E-Myth books, this one is far superior. As the CEO of a PE backed company, and having done this type of deal several times over the last 20 years, this book is spot on. The "Ted Tips" and action plan in the book WILL WORK, and are critical to the small-mid size business owner. There's a real need to be able to understand the exit when you enter a business, and most of us forget that. This book is easy to read, entertaining, practical, straightforward and accurate in assessment and scope. If you read one business book this year, business owners, it should be this one. 6 stars....
One person found this helpful
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Practical advice through an easy to read business fable
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2021
This book is great because it's simple and practical, by design. The author does a wonderful job laying out steps needed to maximize a company's value. I recommend it to small business owners who are looking to sell their business or just want more from it. The book contains many sound practical examples that can be implemented immediately. You'll be a better business owner after reading it. Follow its advice and your business will be better too.
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2019
So many owners have no idea whether their business is sellable or how much they can get for it. The steps in this book will help owners make adjustments to vastly improve the value and sellability of their businesses.
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Got it on the Kindle - formatted well for speed reading
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2013
The advice is wrapped in a story that highlights and enlightens the tips, but the tips seem solid. I'll be going back to this book once I get my business started, as it teaches lessons that I hadn't figured out on my own, which primarily relates to setting the business up to run without you. Really, that's been the biggest fear of starting a business is becoming (as my dad did, and my current boss does) the one that everything runs through. All decisions get filtered through me, and thus I become a bottleneck for my employees and a slave to my company.
Glad I grabbed this before getting my company going.
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This is an amazing book and really tells a story but throughout gives ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2014
This is an amazing book and really tells a story but throughout gives some amazing lessons as to what it truly takes to develop and sell a business. If you're a fan of the show SHARK TANK then you will be a fan of this book. The author really details business lessons through a story but makes it so relatable and so real that you cannot help but to learn a massive few lessons from this book. This is a must for ANY person starting a company.
2 people found this helpful
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Kickstart to a 7-figure Acquisition
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2021
I had never sold a business before, but this book was a crash course in catching up to speed before I successfully supported a year-long acquisition of a client's business for a 7-figure sum!
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Amazing! Hit the spot! Captivating!
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2018
This book was an amazing read. As someone who owns a small service business, reading this book was like reading about my life. The tips offered throughout the book are really smart and I will surely try to implement them.
I recommend this book to any small service based business owner. This read can change you.
This book is now one of my all time favorites, no doubt.
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The best business sale book I have ever read
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2013
What a great book! All business owners should read this because at some point you want to be at least in a position to sell your business. Its written as a novel and along the way the author injects tons of useful information about how you should think, how you should talk about your business, how you should position your business and how you should take you the owner out of the business in a way that others will be more interested in acquiring the business.
much much better than the dry how to manual style books
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Great book on how to create a business that is an appreciating asset, not just an income
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2013
This is a great book. It's not your typical business book, filled with tips and advice is a list or textbook format. In this book, John tells a story of an entrepreneur who works with a coach to go from a marginal, unfocused business to one that thrives. Although the advice is straightforward, it's amazing how many business owners don't create the businesses of their dreams because of such commonsense and straightforward thinking. The book reminds readers that to have a truly successful business, it must not only provide you with an income, it must also become an appreciating asset. That's what this book is all about, creating an asset.
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A very enjoyable, and extremely important, investment in any business
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2011
Ideas are best remembered through stories, which is why John Warrilow's "Built to Sell" is such a great book. It would have been easy to write a book like this with each tip as a chapter and include lots of interviews with consultants and thought leaders. However, Mr. Warrilow's story of Alex Stapleton reminded me of the book "The Goal" so much in how a wise mentor served as the expert voice to an aspiring leader.
Regardless of whether you are interested in selling your business, this book illustrates great points related to business focus, documenting work processes, hiring people who can manage people and measure results, and positioning your business. Mr. Warrilow uses the undesirable situations, such as Alex's relationship with MNY Bank, as excellent cautionary tales for owners who are building an asset instead of just working in their own job. I also appreciated the resources in the back of the book providing additional help for those of looking to create businesses with true value.
The story makes this book a must-read. The ideas are very good, but the story of Alex and Ted draws you in and makes the points stick even more. It's a quick read that should be a permanent fixture on a leader's bookshelf.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2021
Easy/fun read, but done in a story like fashion versus textbook which makes you enjoy because you are along for the ride and can see yourself doing it as you follow along. Not a technical book but still gives you the principals and mindset you will need to do something like this.
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Couldn't put it down! Highly recommend!
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2016
Let me start by saying, I don't read books. My attention span just doesn't allow for it no matter how hard I try. That being said, I literally could not put this book down until I finished it. Could not believe how well written it was and how relevant it is to my own business. Highly recommend us for any service-based business owner. I've recommended it to several people and even carry it around with me because there are so many good 'Ted's Tips' that will help me grow my business.
One person found this helpful
This book is a great introduction to the process of making a business ready ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2018
This book is a great introduction to the process of making a business ready for sale. Written in plain and simple English, it gives an overview through one typical example, which translates into a large variety of circumstances. Highly recommended as a starter. It covers, conservatively, important subjects like valuation and how it can be elevated to where it must be.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and had a fictional story that taught very good business lessons. Would highly recommend to anyone involved in business
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Effective and applicable input
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2020
This is a quick read and very effective. Recommended for any service business executive.
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Great read for successful startups
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2014
Its hard to create a successful business, not just a "pay the bills" business. Often times you don't think about what really brings value to your business long term. You get so stuck in making a profit and growing that you loose sight of the asset that is your business. This book covers how to define who you are (as a business) and what value that is to a perspective buyer. Its important to think about an exit strategy from the beginning (silly as it sounds). Nobody wants to work forever, and what you work on should pay dividends, not just in profits but in the eventual sale. This book brings great perspective and can be translated to any business. Well worth the read.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2014
Outstanding Book -
I am a business broker, and within a week of reading it, I identified our niche', re-engineered the business operating system and came up with a 5 point system. Turning our service into a product.
I expect to be the "Owner" of the business instead of the "Operator" of the business within the next 12 months.
OUTSTANDING book - I have read hundreds of business books - this one "Hits The Nail On The Head" with perfect precision.
Recommended reading for EVERY Business Owner.
The best part is, our product will deliver much more "Value" to our customers.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2018
I made all the mistakes the author mentions in the book, but I won't make them again. This book is a must read for anyone that has a business or is looking to open one.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2021
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Seems to be reasonably short and not too much fluff. I’m excited to get into it!
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2013
It isn't about selling the company. In fact, you might want to put another cover on it so no one in the company sees the title. (Especially if you are at the "retirement" age.) People talk, people worry. And with an economy like this and a president who has never had to pay an employee, they are justified in worrying!
The book is more about working to provide better experiences for Customers, which just happens to add value to the company.
It's an easy read with lots of value! Enjoy!
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Excellent Book. Just hang in past bad narration
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2016
This is a very good book loaded with very insightful information. I wish I had heard this years ago. The narration of this book is the worst I have ever heard so be patient. The wisdom held inside the material is well worth having to put up with Poor narration.
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Business meets Fiction = Enjoyable Read
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2010
This is the first business book (I've read) that has mixed fictional story to illustrate a basic concept behind of converting mediocre business into a sellable one. Basically (it ain't rocket science) but too many business books get into too many details and loose readers after few chapters. It is a about fictional guy named Alex who owns a design agency and is getting guidance from Ted on how to sell it.
Read it in two sitting and loved every page of it. I liked it so well that I sent a copy to my associates because the methods presented in this book would help them to solidify their business model. This in turn can help the scale it...and guess what...if it can be scaled, it can grow and get you more money!
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2017
Well written, clear message. Not sure the logo business is the best possible example but the overall message is right on target.
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SIMPLY PUT - Eloquent Brilliance - Business Mastery Simplified
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2012
I must confess, I read this book as a recommendation from someone I greatly respect, but did not think it would have been as amazing as it was.
The book is a parable that demonstrates the paradigm shift that most business owners need to understand in order to remove themselves from being the businesses bottleneck.
I plan on incorporating its simple, straightforward, yet powerful teachings..immediately.
Every entrepreneur should strive to accomplish what this book teaches.
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Whether you're selling or not, ANY service business must read
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2011
As a small business owner of a service business, I have felt the enjoyment of going out on my own AND the pangs of "success," eventual burnout, and the deep desire for change. Yes, The E-Myth might have broken this story, so to speak (Michael Gerber coined the concepts of working ON your business instead of IN your business and how to actually create a "business" for yourself instead of just creating a job), but Built to Sell takes these concepts and assembles them in a quick, easy to read fashion. The result is getting sucked into a story that any service business owner can relate to. Then, upon putting it down, I was hit over the head with all the things I could change about my practice to help it to grow BEYOND me and eventually live on WITHOUT me. Because after all, it's not really about whether or not you are trying to sell your company. But wouldn't it be nice to have the option?
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Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2015
I'm not joking when I say that this book changed my business. It really helps that the storyline follows a guy and his business that are similar to mine. And it helps that the principles I needed to apply to my own business are taught so clearly here. I've used this book as my blueprint and because of that, my business has grown and I've actually had to work less! Definitely worth the read.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2018
I enjoyed this book and the lessons it had to teach. I was able to finish the whole story in a single evening, but it was well worth the price.
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Hugh Culver-author Give Me a Break
What ever business you are in, read this.
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2018
Loved it, recommended it (many times), inspired me to plough even deeper into my subscription-based business.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2020
Great insight, would recommend.
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Great Book That Everyone in a Decision Making Position Should Read
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2018
Can't tell you how many business owners recommend this book, and for good reason. It is really how everyone in management should approach their company and their job.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2014
For all those who read the E-Myth by Michael Gerber, this book is also on the same lines but focuses more on how to make the business ready to sell. Whether you sell or not a lot of the ideas are perfectly useful in creating a scalable, self sustaining, cash-in-the-bank type of business. Thank you John for writing this book. I am wiser for having read it.
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Must Read for Small Business Owner
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2013
I found the book to be very instructive on how to build a business that can scale. If you are happy being critical to the day to day operation of your business this is not the book for you. However, if you long to take vacations without killing your business
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