Morongwa Makakane’s information-rich business guide bypasses misleading hype with a realistic picture of the mechanics of starting and building a business. A successful South African entrepreneur, she delivers the sort of sound advice that is often glossed over by other authors addressing the same subject.
The problem with many business books addressing this topic is that they glorify and embellish how easy it is to start a business, despite statistics that state otherwise. The U.S. Small Business Administration reports more than 50% of small businesses fail in the first five years. From the outset, Makakane’s message is loud and clear: if you’re not willing to roll up your sleeves, sweat and make your business a 24-7 obsession, you’re not going to make it. Many entrepreneurs start businesses for the wrong reasons, i.e., they want to make a lot of money; they’re bored: they can’t find a job. Makakane’s advice: if you’re not up to the task, abort, because you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
Those willing to take up the gauntlet, she writes, must accept the fact that launching a business involves a process that should be followed to the letter in the very early stages. “More often than not,” said Makakane, “would-be entrepreneurs get so excited about their epiphanies – the moments when they imagine the possibilities of a given idea – that they forget to find out whether that idea is viable, doable, profitable and sustainable.”
Clearly, entrepreneurship is not for everyone. But if you’ve always wanted to know if you have what it takes, this step-by-step guide to launching a business is highly readable and highly recommended. Industry trade associations will want to consider recommending it to prospective business owners.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
