Guy Kawasaki is a business entrepreneur hailing from Kalihi Valley, Hawaii. He attended Standford, from which he graduated in 1976 with a degree in psychology. He then then entered the MBA program at UCLA. His jobs over the various years include Diamond counter, spokesman for Apple Computers, and software publisher. He has written nine books and is the managing Director of Garage Technology ventures.
BzzReport by DeborahBoyer
As you can probably notice from my buzz reports I am involved as an entrepreneur and consultant with growing businesses and "those that serve growing businesses" in Kentucky and Ohio. (and yes we do have businesses that are growing and growing rapidly).
I am chairman of a group that is launching a start-up contest next year, so I am speaking to a number of groups about start ups, supporting them and starting them. I am able to use Guy's book as an example of the mind set we need to foster in those we think have growth potential.
In late november, I was asked to speak to a group about the upcoming contest. Since our web site is currently undergoing a redesign, I chose to use Guy's book as the backbone of the speech.
I covered the main 5 points, and then really focused on the mini chapter - the mensch one.
Maybe it is the season, but people really got excited about it and the discussion at the end was focused on the balance between giving and getting.
I saw a number of people right down things that I was saying, and I gave out a sheet with the book title (among other things) on it.
A young accountant and I were talking and he asked how I might suggest he give back to his clients - I suggested he give a couple of the copies of Guy's book.
I told him it would show them that first he was thinking of them, and second he expected great things out of them!
He said he would. I am going to follow up with him before Chritmas.
PS. Can you all ad spell check? view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
88
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BzzReport by olewen
I am an officer of a local software testers' professional association. Recently, several people associated with the organization (myself included) experienced major career changes, including a layoff. One person in our group has been considering whether to go back to school, start her own consulting firm, or find a new job. I'd been reading Guy's book, Art of the Start, and found its advice was very down-to-earth and easy to apply. It was particularly helpful for developing entrepreneurial ideas even within big companies. In our most recent officers' meeting, I recommended she buy a copy of this book, or at least check out the artofthestart.com web site to get ideas on how to start her career over and find out what she had passion about. Several other officers were interested, too, and I encouraged them to check out the web site. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
107
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BzzReport by AtlantaGal
I received the book back from Jason. He said he read it a little more quickly than normal cause he knew I wanted to get the book to another person before 12/31. He said "Although I don't normally read marketing type books, I found this one somewhat interesting in that it gave me a few ideas I could apply to my work endevours. I think I'll be recommending this book to a few coworkers because they may find it a useful tool for idea generation and thinking outside the box. Thanks for loaning it to me." I'll submit another report as I pas it along to another person. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
92
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BzzReport by cmhsmom
Recently I gave my Dad a copy of Art of the Start. He is a professor at George Mason University and is looking into starting his own environmental consulting company. Wenesday night I was talking to him over the phone and asked if he had a chance to look at the book yet and what his thoughts on it were. He told me that he had not yet gotten a chance to read the book. It is going into Finals week at his University and with final papers to grade and final exams to make he is just swamped. He did tell me though that he is really interested in the concept of Art of the Start and looking forward to when he will get a chance to really look through and read it. He plans on doing that when the semester ends and will keep me posted on how he likes it and whether he thinks it will be helpful. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
88
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BzzReport by miss_muffy
My friend Giselle came into my office very upset. She said," what am I going to do? I just heard that my department is getting laid off?"
I asked her if she was sure it would include her? Giselle said, " I am not sure, but just the thought makes me sick."
I said, "let's go to lunch and try and think up some things you can do to get prepared."
While we were eating, we discussed sereval options including getting a transfer to another department, becomming a stay at home mom and then I mentioned to Giselle, " this may be the motivating factor you need to push into opening your art gallery." Giselle said," oh but I don't know where to start?"
I said, " well I have a great book you can read, that is full of wonderful ideas on everything you need to start a business. It is called the Art of the Start,and I will bring it in for you tomorrow." Giselle said," thanks, do you really think I can undertake this? and I said," I think you should and this book will really help you out." view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
82
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BzzReport by dontheideaguy
I had an appointment to meet a new client to discuss starting a new social-themed project, and I took my copy of the book with me, as we were meeting in a public place -- I figure it's always good to be seen with the book, plus I'd need something to read if he was running late.
He WAS late, so I got to read-up on my favorite chapter (the first chapter) while I waited.
He arrived, and I kept the book atop my daytimer as we discussed his project. It's for a sort of rehab-house to give troubled youths a second chance, but what's interesting about it is that instead of applying for government grants and draining the publicly funded resources, my friend's concept is based on teaching the young men to be entrepreneurial and building their confidence and pride by teaching them to run their own small businesses. I think it's an amazing idea -- sort of a 'Junior Achievement meets Public Service'.
His concept doevtailed neatly into explaining Kawasaki's concept of "Make Meaning" and as I explained it I reach over to my book to reference the checklist -- as I did that, my client reached into his messenger bag (presumably to pull out a notepad) and when I turned back, he had HIS OWN copy pulled from his bag to show ME!
I laughed a bit, saying "Ah, I should have KNOWN you were reading it!" and we directed the rest of our planning discussion around the basic principles of the book.
His project is one of my favorites on which to work, and is currently in active production. view more & comment
BzzReport by dontheideaguy
My friend, Karan is about to ditch her corporate chains and go into the consulting business full-time.
Over breakfast we discussed tactics on making her business standout among the growing herds of consultants -- positioning, branding, focus, etc. were all topics and buzzwords being bandied about the breakfast table.
One of the program we developed together several years ago was a customer service training program called "Dazzle Training". One of the primary goals of Dazzle training was encouraging CSRs to 'make a difference' in their interactions, and to really "shine".
Karan wanted her business to be based on the principles of the Dazzle program, and I referred her to the GIST list in the first chapter (Great Ideas for Starting Things) with my focus on "Make Meaning" -- one of the truly amazing conspts of the book, and my personal favorite. I'll start another project without considering how it will "make meaning".
Anyway, I told her about the book and promised to send her a link to the ChangeThis manifesto which includes the first chapter for free.
She definitely seemed to understand the importance of the concept, and I fell she'll go out and purchase the book on her own... if not, I'll get her a copy for a Christmas gift! view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
90
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BzzReport by dontheideaguy
Each month I recommend a favorite book and music CD on my web log (http://dontheideaguy.blogspot.com/) -- last month it was Art of the Start.
I post a thumbnail image of the book along with a 2-3 line review of my favorite bit of info, and a link to purchase at Amazon.com
Today I switched Art of the Start out for the Tad Williams' book, so I checked my Amazon traffic summary on the title and found that in the last month 81 people clicked the link to Amazon, and of those people, two decided to purchase the book directly from that link.
I expect the same (or better) results for Shadowmarch -- I'll let you know in a month! view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
81
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BzzReport by dontheideaguy
Although I'm a full-time "Idea Guy", just Superman's job at the Daily Planet, my day-job is selling print and promotional projects.
While picking-up a finished project from my production department, I got in a discussion with three designers about stock photos and the websites where the best images could be found.
They'd never heard of iStockPhoto.com, and since I'd used it to obtain several photos for recent printing projects, I told them a bit about the site and their payment structure.
Since they were unfamiliar with the site, they expressed concern about the quality of the photos (since they are pretty cheap to license for print work).
As an example of the photo quality, I told them that Guy Kawasaki had involved iStockPhoto artists in a contest to create a cover for his new book, "The Art of the Start."
I described the cover to them and told them how cool it was with the image of striking match on a black background. I also told them how unique the dustcover was, in that it featured almost 80 other submissions on the back -- most using images available in iStockPhoto.com.
I gave the the URL for the site, and told them that if they visited the site to look for the special offer that included 55 download credits and free copy of Guy Kawasaki's book.
I promised to bring my copy of the book with me next time I picked-up a project, so they could see all the designs submitted to the contest.
Not sure if they bought the special (and got the book), but I DO know they visited the site to checkout the available photos -- of course, there isn't much chance they missed the ad in the lower-left corner for the "Start-Up Bundle" featuring the book! view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
83
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BzzReport by NKDoyle
My friend Ami is exploring the idea of starting her own business (creating handbags). The other day we were at the local coffee shop and we were discussing her new possible venture. In our disucssion, I got the impression that she was very confused as to where to even start. We discussed that the first step was to write up a solid business plan and I told her a great website to go to to find sample business plans...it is a website I frequented often when starting up my business.
I then told her, the next step was to take some time out and to read the book Art of Start. I told her that it is the best book out there to help you take your business concept from just an idea to reality.
She was really excited to have some reading material ideas.
I had the opportunity to speak with her over the weekend and she had just finished Art of Start and was thrilled with the ooomph in ideas and energy it gave her to get her business rolling! She bought the book off of EBay and she said it is one book she's going to keep for future reference! view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
101
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Based on 1 ratings.
BzzReport by theschirminator
I am very interested in starting my own business and when I got this book I was so excited to find that it had a lot of useful ideas in it.
I decided to bring it to work with me and BZZ my friend/co-worker with whom I may start my business.
I showed him the book and let it speak for itself. On our lunch break he looked through it and loved it. He said he felt as if it were written for him and that is answered a lot of his questions.
He asked if he could borrow the book and read it all since he loved what he saw just by leafing through it. He must have loved it, because he called me tonight and had already finished it!!
He will be giving the book back tomorrow, but he said he is going to buy a copy for himself because it was just too good. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
88
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BzzReport by npapaya
I went to a meeting for black women in the area- we're contemplating starting a group of some kind. The host's husband was milling around and talking about his political activities and how he's studying the Dean campaign and the grassroots enterprise of it. I mentioned that I had read a great book about starting things by an interesting author- The Art of the Start. Strangely enough they actually know Guy- they've met him from their days back in the West I think, but hadn't heard of his new book. I also put in a plug for the manifestos on Changethis.com. I followed up our exchange by emailing them the link to Changethis.com the following day and offering to loan him the book if he'd like more details. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
90
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BzzReport by finagir
I was taking an adult class, Accounting for
Small Businesses, and I had the book, "The Art of the Start" with me that I would read during my breaks. The class was 3 hours, so I got 3 breaks. Then I was sort of eavesdropping on a conversation that 2 other women were having about starting up a small business, so I joined in and told them about the book I was reading. A couple of other people became interested and joined in as well. The 2 original women seemed very interested in the book and wrote down the name and authors name and said that they would look into getting the book for themselves. I didn't realize that I would be getting this book at the same time I was taking a small business class, but it worked out well, and gave me some ideas on how to better perform in the job I have now, which is running a small business. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
80
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BzzReport by DadOTwins
I am working on my MBA at a school in Washington DC. The main campus is in Virginia Beach, VA, and DC is just a satellite campus. Most things like the library are in VA Beach, other resources like support staff interaction are available to us in DC electronically. The library here in DC is trying to build its resources, and little by little is getting books in, but it seems (at least to me) that these have been mostly for the law and divinity schools. I spoke to the librarian here in DC, and she was excited to have anything I would be willing to donate. So the other day I dropped by with Tom Peters? ?Project 04,? ?UNSTUCK,? and ?Art of the Start.? (All the books I?ve received so far from BzzAgent) She was thrilled to get these in, and impressed that they were so recently published (in fact, when she handed them to an assistant to check in, he immediately started thumbing through the Tom Peters? book ? couldn?t tell what he was saying to himself, but it looked like he was already enjoying the book before it even made it to the stacks). She thanked me for contributing to the library, and making such a great contribution ? so I pass on that thanks to you Jono and gang.
I?ll still be buzzing these books, but now I can tell my classmates to go check them out in the library.
(Don?t know how to report this, as 3 different campaigns are involved. So, I?ll report the same report for each campaign ? delete the extras or whatever you want.)
view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
91
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BzzReport by djnaustin
I went to the busnines dept. in the B Dalton bookstore in Rouge Valley Mall in Medford, Oregon. I looked for Art of the Start. They didn't have it. I went up front and asked them if it was a book that they carried.
He told me that it wasn't something that they had in stock right now, but that they could order it for me. I told him how it was an awesome book for anoyone wanting to start any type of business. I also related to him that I found that this book was less confusing than some of the other books on starting business than others I have read.I also told him that I was looking for a bookstore that carred it so I could tell people where to buy it.
Unfortunatly, he didn't look very impressed by what I told him and only said "Maybe we can order one in for the shelf." He listened, but I honestly don't think he cared about what I was saying. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
70
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BzzReport by devonxxx
I was attending a casual gathering at a friends house and brought the book along to pass on to the host (of course I casually presented the book to her after all of the guests had arrived) and it bacame the start of a 2 hour long discussion on owning a business and starting a new business. As it turned out, many of the guests already owned their own business and a few were tossing around the idea of home based business'. The book was passed around the room and the hostess even scanned sections of the book for guests that were interested in particular aspects of the book. The book didn't really pertain to anything in my life but it was well recieved by others. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
91
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BzzReport by cnh1036
This may be an unusual use for this book, but in my job as a retail manager sometimes we find it hard to hire the right people for the job. This results in a large turnover and lost money training people that will quit sooner rather than later. Currently my store needs quite a few people and my Human Resources manager has been a little frusterated in finding the right ones. The other night I was sitting at home reading through this book and I came across the Art of Recruiting chapter. I took the book to work and shared the chapter with my Store Manager and Human Resource manager hoping that some of it may help us to better find the right people. They both especially liked the part about going with your intuition in making hiring decisions. They asked if they could borrow the book for further review, I agreed and left it with them. I'll let you know what they think. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
85
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BzzReport by sueclo
A very good friend of mine told me the other day that he is definitely thinking of opening his own business. He asked me if I knew of any good books to read on the subject. I told him about art of the start. I explained the book the book is a guide for anyone starting anything. It is a book that tells of the experiences of other business owners and the lessons they learned. He thought that this book sounded perfect for him. I wrote down the title and author and he is going to go to the library and see if they have it, otherwise, he said he would buy a copy for himself. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
78
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BzzReport by JimmerC
On hearing that one of my relatives is thinking of starting up his own business in a couple of months, I decided to give him a call. We talked about it for a while and then I told him about the book art of the start. I told him I think it would help him out a lot. It had great suggestions and questions and answers on a lot of different subjects relating to business. After we spoke about it a while, I told him I would drop off my copy of the book for him to read for a couple of days to see how he liked it. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
75
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BzzReport by Scrooge76
This is actually two things at once - I'm writing a review online AND giving the book as a gift!
Here's the story: I'm putting together a combination Christmas and birthday order for a friend who has just left his job at AOL to go spend time with family back home in Oregon and then travel and see friends (he somehow managed to get two months pay after he left AOL, the no good, rotten, stinking...) across the country. Then he's going to do something else, but what he doesn't know (neither do any of us!).
Since he's wandering the world, I am going to send him some "inspirational" books, all from BzzAgent... The Art of Shen Ku (an old campaign), Join Me (thought he'd enjoy something light-hearted), and the Art of the Start (one of the things he's thinking about doing is starting his own business).
So the books are on their way and here's the review that I wrote for Amazon.com (I gave it five stars, since I really did love the book!) for Art of the Start:
TITLE: Great for anyone starting any venture, not just a business
DATE: December 19, 2004
REVIEW: As someone who has volunteered many times for non-profit organizations, and has worked in small businesses AND is a perpetual "starter" of things (two publications, several web sites, two organizations, several re-branding campaigns, and dozens of product launches, not to mention numerous "incidents" which shoudn't be mentioned!), I can vouch that this is a great book for anyone looking to start anything. Its not just for entrepreneurs... its for the corporate employee looking to get a project, new division, or product off the ground. Its the charitible fundraiser looking to start a new fundraiser (or a new charity!). Its the product manager trying to launch a line extension. So on and so forth.
In this book, Guy has assembled great advice from a variety of sources, and translated it in a way that makes it easier to digest and apply to your real-world challenges. Even if you're actually starting something, it still makes a good general business book, and if you're just thinking about getting something started, pick this up and it might motivate you! view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
71
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BzzReport by scarecrow
I was at the mall in Concord today browsing for gifts for my employees. I ended up in a book store looking in the business books to see what was out and see if they had any of the ones I had read. An employee of the bookstore came over and asked if there was anything he could help me find? I had been at the time looking to see if they had ART OF THE START in stock, I was considering giving it to one of my friends at work who is trying to start thier own business. I could not find it on the shelf and decided to ask... So I asked if they carried THE ART OF THE START. The employee said it sounded very familiar and began looking for the book on the shelf. After a few minutes neither of us could find it. He said that he would go look it up in the system and see if they had it. He came back a couple minutes later and said it did not come up in the system but he knew he had seen it. So we again began looking for it on the shelf. After a coule more minutes we were at a lost and I told him the author had also written a book called Rules for Revolutionaries. His name was Guy Kawasaki. He said he would try those in the system, just then as he began too walk away I noticed one copy on the top shelf. I said I found it, he came back and checked it out and said that it was strange that it did not show up in the system. He took the book and checked out and opened it up. He said well there you go and sia dto have a good day. I thanked him for his help.
Side note update: Back when the FREE PRIZE INSIDE campaign started I had bzzed the same store about it and the cereal boxes. Well I was in there on the shelf were two front facing rows of FREE PRIZE INSIDE in cereal boxes... view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
75
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BzzReport by malonejc
My mother, sister, and myself were sitting here at home when I clicked on the link to the design contest results. "God", I said in astoundment as I saw the many iterations of possible book covers. My mom said, "All of that for one book?". I said, "Yes, which one would you have chosen?" Her and my sister looked over my shoulder as I told them how the book talks about the most important tools needed to start a business successfully. My sister and I chose the second place winner because we believed that the egg in front of the dark background showed the "birth of a business" in a business like tone. My mom could not decide and commented "It's too many to choose from!" view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
65
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BzzReport by mjbaby
A friend's father recently lost his job as a pastry chef and has been casting about for another position without much luck. Over lunch today she tried to convince him to open his own catering company. He said that he doesn't know anything about starting a company.
"Well, in addition to lots of resources at the library or Barnes and Noble," I told him, "there's a website and book you should read, if only for ideas. Both the site and the book are by a man named Guy Kawasaki - he was big at apple back in the day."
Mr. P. continued to wave away our suggestions but my friend continued:
"Dad, let's check it out. You're driving me crazy with this."
"Mr. P," I interjected, "the book has all kinds of information on creating a basic plan, a presentation, how to organize the business, get good talent and all kinds of other stuff. The website has some free resources, too. The worst that'll happen is that you'll learn something you decide not to act on. Between it an B&N you'll have all the info you need to make a decision. I've been using it for my business even though I'm not a startup anymore - that's how much I recommend it."
In the end, my friend brought her laptop to the table and brought up www.artofthestart.com. When I left, her father was clicking around, smiling. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
67
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BzzReport by wackosae
A good friend was in town for the weekend, who I know is interested in entrepreneurship. I explained that I had just finished "The Art of the Start" and how it had re-ignited my interest in starting a new company. He was very interested in knowing more about the book, and I explained how it contained very down to earth, layman's explanations about the various steps in the startup lifecycle, and how it really offered some inside information about what was truly important. He was very interested, and asked to borrow the book. He has returned to San Francisco, and has been IM-ing me that the book is having the same effect on him -- re-igniting his passion to start something! view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
69
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BzzReport by tomboy68
I have a friend who has been talking about starting his own business for almost as long as I have known him...many years, to say the least because we met in jr. high school when we were both full of ideas and knew that we would change the world with them. Needless to say, we have both found ourselves in jobs where we are not the top boss, as much as we would like to be.
He and I met after work to talk and relax, and once again I heard the same old topic of conversation coming up. This time I came prepared. We he started to complain about his job, and how he could do so much better running his own business, I reached into my briefcase and pulled out "Art of the Start." I handed it to him, told him to read it, and then put some of the thoughts he's always had into actions...and most importantly, that I wanted a VP position and an office with a nice view when the company was established. For a second, he looked at me like I had lost my mind, but then he took the book.
I know that he has read at least part of the book, and when he talks about starting his own business, I can tell that he has put some serious thought into the process. The book is definitely making difference for him, and maybe one day in the near future, he'll put the plans into action. This book could be the one serious push, the last piece of the puzzle that he needed to get the ball rolling. Don't be surprised if I bzz that he has started his own business, and then maybe Bzzagent can work for him and bzz about his product one of these days! view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
59
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BzzReport by Kato
I was reading art of the start on the Metro and the gal next to me saw the title and asked what it was about. Interestingly, she was just starting her own software company and was curious as to who insights Guy had. I told her I particularly liked the section on writing a biz plan, and that I had found the sections on networking also helpful. She mentioned that there were 4 other founders and that she was looking for a 'new year' type of present for them and thought this might be a great girf for her partners. She took down the names and title of the book. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
65
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BzzReport by Ksiddall
I was preparing another BzzReport regarding The Art of The Start and went to reach for my copy and realized it wasn't where I thought I'd left it. A co-worker had asked to borrow it and I was going to take it up to him after I completed my Bzz. So I called the house to see if I had left it there and one of my sons answered the phone and went to check on it for me. He found it right away and opened it and noticed the inside of the jacket with the alternate book cover designs. He said that these were pretty cool. I told him what I knew about the contest and he wished that he could have known and participated in such an event. He said that he wanted to thumb through the book a bit before I took it back to the office. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
72
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BzzReport by hockeydon
Hav not had many opportunities to buzz about this book. I am in the process of starting a new career so this book has been helpful to me. Spending time with family at Christmas, my brother-in-law starts talking about starting a tech company after he is finished school. I decided to BZZ The Art Of The Start. I asked if he knew who Guy was and being the good computer science student he is, he did. I started talking about the book and how easy it is to read and it just makes sense. Guy is straight up and pulls no punches with this book. I told him about the art of pitching chapter and how that could help turn the idea into reality. He want's to borrow the book and who knows we may go into business together. If I hear back before the end of the campaign I'll be sure to right. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
76
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BzzReport by marrbear
I purchased Art of the start for several of my friends who seemed generally interested in the book. Gave one as birthday gift and one as a christmas present. There is some changes that will be going on at work I believe this book could helpful to my friend because of the alternatives that this book offers.They have heard me talk of this book on many occasions and always seemed interested in what else this book has to offer. Mine is a bit ragged by my friends so I decided to purchase a copy of their very own. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
62
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BzzReport by cre8tveminde
A friend of mine has long talked about starting his own custom motorcycle business. He seems to be really excited about it, and definitely has the talent, but not enough motivation. I showed him The Art of the Start and told him to give it a read. Today I talked to him about it and he was so revved up and has actually made progress!! He told me he had sent in the paperwork to register his company name and has even started an actual business plan. This campaign has helped a very good friend start the realization of a dream. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
62
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BzzReport by astalnaker
My online Amazon review of this book can be found here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/1591840562/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/102-6708861-7262549?%5Fencoding=UTF8&customer-reviews.sort%5Fby=-SubmissionDate&n=283155
Here is the text of my review. I gave the book 5 stars and titled my review - "great book for those with the entrepeneurial itch!"
If you are interested in starting your own business, or just curious to find out what the best way to go about that is, I would definitely recommend reading Guy Kawasaki's latest book - "The Art of the Start". It is very easy to read, written in an entertaining yet very information-packed format. Mr. Kawasaki is a true expert in this field and he shares many of his personal stories in the book that will be very helpful to those struggling with the myriad of issues that face those trying to start a company.
I heard of this book and thought it sounded interesting, but when my husband decided to launch his own business recently, it moved to the front of my mind. He and I have both read this and both of us have come away with some wonderful insights and ideas. It not only informs but inspires, and really lights a fire under those of us that are ready to march forth and conquer!
This is definitely worth the money and would be a great addition to anyone's business library! Just pick it up and skim it and I'm sure you will see why!! view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
64
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BzzReport by Villageanne
I was just talking on MSN IM. Talking to 2 members of the Board of directors about our goals for the new year concerning the Food Pantry. We were thinking about starting some sort of fund raiser. WE are having a major problem raising money to purchase food for the needy with. Our community is made up of mostly low income. As we were talking, I suddenly remembered an article in the book "The art of the start"....something about Foster a community.. I went and grabbed it.... Found it and quickly started typing in some of the info about focus on ppublicity.. We had been neglecting that. We may have better results if we let the public know more about what we are doing.In the same section of the book, they suggest going to the web site of your favorite company and try to find information about how to apply for grants. I directed them to the books website for some info that they can read. We have never did that either. We now have a place to start the new year with. Hopefully we will be able to generate much needed money. The other board members said that they would search the net and have something ready for the next meeting. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
71
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BzzReport by olewen
A co-worker told me several months ago that he's leaving our company to go into consulting. He goes into the new venture in January. He's on the ground floor of a great opportunity, and he's an energetic, enthusiastic person. He was concerned about how to start and how much risk he should bite off at one time. He really wanted to develop a personal business plan, something that would serve as a reminder of his goals and focus.
In the last month, he has come to me more for advice and to share what he's planning. The work I've done within our company is very similar to what he'll be doing, and I knew a lot about the strengths and challenges of the company he'll be partnering with.
In the last month, I had also read The Art of The Start, and realized how effective some of Guy's lessons would be for what my co-worker's getting ready to do. He didn't need a 500 page business plan; he needed a concise and targetted business model. He needed something that he could focus on and evaluate himself against while flying from one project to the next, while resting in a hotel room, while taking a lunch break during a training class he'd be presenting. Guy's book had perfect advice for what he needed to do.
A few weeks ago, I sent him a link to Guy's web site, and suggested he download the first chapter of the book. When he asked why, I told him how perfect the advice was for him, particularly in defining a mantra and a usable business plan. I reminded him that I'd grilled him pretty hard over the last few months, at first skeptical whether this was a good move for Mike. He'd refined and focused his explanations as we talked, and I helped him think about what he'd need to do financially to be prepared to bootstrap this business for the first 6 months. I told him how true Guy's advice was about getting a woman to evaluate a business plan (page 15!), and he agreed I'd been the best co-worker for him to brainstorm with. I showed him my copy of the book and showed him page 38 - the table on how to make your service personal to your target market. I told him how cool it was for me to see clear language outlining this stuff. Heck, I'd been in financial services for decades and was used to very dry "how to" books on business planning. None of those would have been useful for him; Guy's book would be, and I told him that.
Yesterday at work, he told me that he'd been so impressed after reading the first chapter that he's bought the book an loves it! He leaves the company on Friday and it sounds like the advice in Guy's book will be very helpful to him in his own "start"! view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
66
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BzzReport by Daffyduck
Part of our "goals" every year at work are to read business books of our choice. I mentioned I was reading Guy Kawasaki's "Art of the Start" and she said, "Oh, the Apple guy" and asked how it applied to our company. I told her that the part that applied specifically to us, was the naming convention. We recently changed our company name, and our parent company is located in France. I told my boss that according to this book, the French went about it all wrong. Now, while some of the things they did make more sense for a company in Europe, we have a very strong presence in the U.S. and these things don't translate well. For example, our name used to be an acronym that easily rolled off the tongue and stood for something. The first letter of this acronynm is among the first three letters of the alphabet - a good convention according to Guy. The name was changed to a made up word. The made up word is based on a mythological person (who had dubious sexual practices), and then altered. The alteration includes the letter X - while wildly popular in Europe, doesn't translate that well here, according to Art of the Start. In addition, the new name starts with a letter beyond the first third of the alphabet. Also, our new URL is completely unpronounceable, doesn't really read as a word. Since this is our 5th name in the 6 years I've been here, I learned some things that hopefully we can apply to the next name change - because you know there'll be one! view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
68
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BzzReport by b9dhazel
email response to request to be on the new company's advisory board:
29-Dec-2004
Greetings,
Please tell me more about your new company. I probably am not the right person but may be able to give you some names to contact.
I am a marketing and sales management consultant who does a lot of work with companies on building great, innovative whole-brained teams.
B9D offers consulting in sales and marketing management only for companies tht involve technology, telecom, insurance, consumer electronics and related industries.
We are not specialists in advertising but I might be able to help you find someone. Please give me more information about your needs and hopes for this person.
Also if you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend the book The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki. It's perfect for what you are doing at the moment.
Let me know if you want some names after you give me some more background.
Best wishes,
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Jun 12, 2009
68
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BzzReport by JimmerC
I had been reading art of the start when my brother came over to the house. I put the book down on the kitchen table and when he came in he noticed the book. He said he liked the cover a lot and while I was telling him about the book, he looked through it. He thought it would come in handy for him, as he has been thinking of possibly starting up a business and this book would be great to read. He enjoyed the other cover ideas on the back of the cover sheet too. I told him he could borrow the book and read it and tell me how he likes it. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
74
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BzzReport by sage_grouse
I am a product manager, so I was interested in the book because of the applications in launching new products. I was showing this book to my manager, and he was interested in the aspects of launching new businesses (he constantly is looking for side businesses). As he and I were talking, our creative director came over to talk about going out to lunch. He noticed the book and related that he would be working with Guy in his new job (he was leaving the company), and discussed with us the success that Guy had at Apple. The creative director was quite interested in the book. My manager was impressed, and asked to borrow the book for awhile. While he was reading it, our Vice President noticed it in my managers office, and I talked with him about the applications that the book had for product launches, and then related to him the information that our creative director shared with us. He seemed mildly interested.
My manager reviewed the book for a few days and returned it. I keep it with me at work and will review it occasionally, which usually sparks converstaion and mild interest. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
80
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BzzReport by elmolinero
I read through th ebook and thought of what a great primer it makes for anyone starting a new business. Having started a company a few years ago and subsequently selling it to one of the big 5 consulting firms at the time I resonated with a lot of the lessons learned in the book. You can tell that Guy comes at the content from a position of knowledge, not just theory.
My friend's husband is about to quit his full time job since he recently purchased a boxing gym. I had told him about the book and he seemed quite excited about it. I recently passed it along to him to read. Once he is done I have agreed to be his "coach" through the process of "knocking out" the competition.
The exercises in the book are great because they really make you reflect and apply what is being said in the book. In this way, as you read the book, you can more easily internalize the new informaion because you have attached relevance to what you have learned through the exercises. It is a great new spin on the classic "math textbook" pedagogy. i.e. teach a concept, practice on it and then build from it.
This book was a nice surprise from the cherrleader-like and often pontificating tone that management books can take. While other authors try to fill you with theories and leave it up to you to think of how to integrate th eknowledge into your life, Guy actually gives you a start with th eexercises. In many ways, the book practices what it preaches. Well done!!! It will make a nice companion piece to "The Macintosh Way". view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
62
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BzzReport by tropics48
A neighbor came by with their son on Halloween and we got talking, and he was telling me about a business he wanted to start. That made me think about "The Art of The Start", so I had him hang on while I went to retrieve it for him. I showed him the book and told him "how "The Art of the Start" is the new gotta-have-it manual for taking your idea from startup to success by Guy Kawasaki and how he explains what works and what doesn't for anyone starting anything: a business, a venture within a business, a nonprofit organization, you name it." He looked through it and seemed interested and asked where he could get it. I suggested he look for it on Amazon, and told him he could go to Tickle.com to take Guy Kawasaki's Entrepreneurial IQ Test. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
65
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BzzReport by 4myJess
I emailed 2 people about the book who want to start their own business. I discussed the chapters of the book, how to start, where to start, how to advertise themselves, their business, raise capital, hire the right people, most that Mr. Kawasaki discusses in his book. Each person was highly interested in the boo and I sent it out to my oldest son who has been working for himself since 14yrs of age. He's reading it now and was very impressed by the 'right to the point' approach given, clear cut information easy to understand and ultizie for his company. I'm anxious to get the book back again and read it again myself to aide me in how to buzz better! view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
69
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BzzReport by puckerbutt
I told my cousin about the book "Art of the Start" by Buy Kawasaki because I had been told that he had been trained to work on computers, but he couldn't find a job. When I ran into him one day, and I asked if he had much luck, and he hadn't. I suggested that the book "Art of the Start" would be an invaluable tool to help get him started on knowing what to do especially if he wanted to start his own business. He's a smart guy, but he didn't know how to market himself. He called me the other day to say that his business had started slow, but he's gotten lots of word of mouth work and ideas on how to get more exposure. He is impressed with the book. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
80
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BzzReport by GoBizLA1
I was staying at my friend Susan's house for a few days. While working on my laptop, I pulled out my copy of, "The Art of the Start", to review some information to pass on to a new CEO who was starting a software company. Susan came into the room and asked if I could review a project outline she was trying to figure out how to start. I mentioned the book, saying that it was helpful when you wanted to start anything. I told her I was using it to help a person start a company, but it was really useful as a guideline for beginning any project.
She took the book, thumbed through it and came to page 39, "Apply the Opposite Test," and said, "This is great, just what I needed, I'm going to go grab it on Amazon." She told her boyfriend about it who was in the room as well. She hosts a well-known blog, which I hope will mention her experiences of the book and the positive impact it has had to help her start a project that was significant to her. view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
71
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BzzReport by GoBizLA1
Each month I attend a women's circle focused on spirituality and business pursuits as well as life empowerment. Many of the women have worked at Fortune 500 companies, corporations, small businesses, and recently home businesses.
Each woman speaks about the businesses they are involved in, just starting or desiring to start.
I printed out copies of the, 'Make Meaning" slide presentation found on ChangeThis (Guy's presentation) and gave each woman a copy of that one slide with a master copy of the presentation they could get from the site if they desired. As the group is based on making your life meaningful and living with meaning, this was a great way to introduce the book and share my own enthusiasm.
We discussed the points on the slide and people were sincerely appreciative of the information and I repeatedly heard, "this validates the way I want to be in the world." I gave an example of how I have used the book and the slides to give to friends who are starting businesses. Especially helpful is the section on business plans which I shared with the group. People repeatedly ask me to help them with their plans while falling in to the same rut as everyone before them. Now I can say (and laugh! with them), "see page 70-71" in The Art of the Start, when I'm wading through a 60 page plan that should be 20-25. A couple of the women in the group thought about this and sighed with relief, "you mean I don't have to write 50 pages like I've been told?" view more & comment
Jun 12, 2009
73
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BzzReport by GoBizLA1
Start up Stichomancy
I was sitting in the Starbuck's Cafe in Studio City, drinking a mocha, reading The Art of the Start and waiting for a friend. This particular Starbuck's is always crowded, with traffic from next door restaurants, a card/party supplies store and a drugstore.
I put the book down as I took a sip of my drink and a man walked by my table, glanced at the cover of the book and stopped. "That looks interesting, can I take a look?" he asked.
He was in his 50's, conservatively dressed and a little stiff in demeanor. But I could tell he was seeking something new in his life. So I said, "Sure, take a look, but... can I ask you to randomly open the book to a page and read it and tell me if that applies at all to what you've been thinking about?" He looked at my smile; suspect but agreed. He flipped to a page and read it. He took quite a bit of time, reading a little more, stopping and reading more. He then looked at me, said, "thank you, that was interesting but I don't believe in that type of new age approach, (randomly opening something and thinking it applies), but the book is good." I told him there were lots of ideas for him to look at about starting a business, helping a business along at any stage really, as it has helped me or starting a project. He left rather hurriedly.
A couple of minutes later, he came rushing through the door, straight to my table and said, "Look, I know I said I didn't believe in that spiritual stuff and way of looking at life, but, when I read the passages that I did - it spoke directly to what I've been wrestling with for a month." People at tables nearby were listening in now, more intently.
I explained that every so often I like to play with what I call, "Start Up Stichomancy." Stichomancy is a form of divination where you randomly open to a passage from a book (this form was historically applied to the Bible or other Sacred Text) and focus on the meaning of what you read. Or you can hold a question in your mind and then open the book and see if anything "speaks" to you.
We enjoyed a conversation for about 35 minutes, when my friend who was late, had arrived.
Michael (the man I met) said he had to "buy that book" (he pointed to The Art of the Start) and he looked like a different person when he left - refreshed, less stressed and quietly contemplative.
I don?t always share the book in this way, but I felt drawn to do it with this person. It was a calculated risk, but one that I felt comfortable with. To me that is part of being an entrepreneur ? a mixture of skill and gut feelings (or intuition).
For me, I had a great time because I was able to blend my personality and unique expression, while helping someone on many levels. This is the type of creating buzz that I really enjoy - having fun, doing something that is personally meaningful and sharing a great book in a fun way for me.
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Jun 12, 2009
73
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BzzReport by jn1234
Occasionally over the last few years my dad has talked about starting his own custom furniture making business, but he has never followed through and begun the process of starting a business. This time when he mentioned it I told him I had just the thing for him. I gave him Art of the Start, telling him a little bit of what the book was about. I explained that parts of it probably are a bit more than what he needs, but there was plenty of useful information and that it might be beneficial as a reference tool even if he didn't want to read the entire thing. I also showed him the cover design contest (and he told me what he himself would have designed). At the time he didn't seem particularly interested and I pretty much expected it to collect dust on a shelf somewhere. But, a few hours later I caught him reading the book. Now, a few days later, he still picks it up a few times a day and reads a bit more. view more & comment
