Business Opportunities Weblog

May 9, 2006 by Dane Carlson | 2 Comments

Sarah Bosch continues her reviews this week with Ruth King’s The Ugly Truth about Small Business.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, more than 50 percent of small businesses fail in the first year and 95 percent fail within the first five years. Crucial decisions will come at every angle and making the wrong one could spell the difference between success and defeat.

Ruth King, author of The Ugly Truth About Small Business: 50 Never-Saw-It-Coming Things That Can Go Wrong…and What You Can Do About It, knows what she is talking about, having owned seven business in the past 25 years. Her book is a collection of stories, lessons, and words of wisdom from 50 entrepreneurs who faced problems in their own quests to own a business. This book gives inspiration through education and analyzes problems that have been encountered by others pursuing dreams of a small business success.

It’s very common to jump into a business without understanding what will be encountered. And not being prepared gives the small business owner a handicap right from the get-go. The book is organized into individual stories about the hardship of small business and what you can do to about it. The stories end with lessons that each entrepreneur took from their experiences and how to apply it to any business. Quotes, words of wisdom and helpful hints are scattered throughout the book.

Reading this book has helped understand what can be expected when starting a business, and offers up strength knowing that others face difficult problems, but are able to conquer them. One of the best things that I took from this book was that sometimes, failures lead to success – but only through tenacity and determination.

The Ugly Truth About Small Business is the ultimate self-help book for the business owner. Packed full of stories, words of wisdom, quotes and you-can-do-it advice, it was easy and quick to read. Although extremely enjoyable, I liked that it wasn’t sugar coated. The book reinforced the fact that being an entrepreneur is scary, difficult and stressful.

The best thing this book offers up is confidence, even in the face of adversity. Highly recommended!

In Books, Guest Posts, Reviews | 2 Comments