20 Business Building Ideas from ‘The 1-Page Marketing Plan’ by Allan Dib [Book Review & Infographic]

20 Business Building Ideas from ‘The 1-Page Marketing Plan’ by Allan Dib [Book Review & Infographic]

The 1-Page Marketing Plan Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand Out from the Crowd- by Allan Dib I recently received this Marketing book in the post for free. I had been asked nicely in advance if I would review it. I like reading business books so I agreed (no fee involved). The book…

4 Point Formula to Win funding – The Startup Pitch [Book review]

4 Point Formula to Win funding – The Startup Pitch [Book review]

I assist startups via training and mentoring to pitch for early stage investment to include enterprise agency supports such as New Frontiers and Competitive Start Fund in Ireland. I was delighted to find a superb book by Chris Lipp called ‘The Startup Pitch : A proven formula to win funding’. At 160 pages, it is…

[Book Review Part 2] Recommended Startup Marketing Books for Fast Growth Businesses

[Book Review Part 2] Recommended Startup Marketing Books for Fast Growth Businesses

This is the second part of a two part blogpost about books directly focused on Marketing for fast growth oriented startups. My most recent post reviewed the superb ‘Traction: A Startup Guide to Getting Customers’ by Gabrial Weinberg and Justin Mares, 2014 and this post will review Startup Growth Engines: Case Studies on How Today’s…

[Book Review] My favourite Startup Marketing Books for Fast Growth Businesses

[Book Review] My favourite Startup Marketing Books for Fast Growth Businesses

In December 2013, I wrote a blogpost selecting my four favourite Lean Startup books from the many books on the area of Lean Startup. Since then I have been on the lookout for books more directly focused on Marketing for fast growth-oriented startups.  This article highly recommends two such books: 1. Traction: A Startup Guide…

[Book Review] Disciplined Entrepreneurship : 24 Steps to a Successful Startup by Bill Aulet (2013)

[Book Review] Disciplined Entrepreneurship : 24 Steps to a Successful Startup by Bill Aulet (2013)

I have just finished reading Disciplined Entrepreneurship by Bill Aulet, Managing Director, Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. Published in 2013, it is a superb book (Book available in Ireland via Easons). This review does not seek to summarise the book – for that I suggest you read this excellent post ‘A book in 5…

How to build a business from your skills, domain knowledge and life experience?

How to build a business from your skills, domain knowledge and life experience?

I recently wrote a blogpost for Tweak Your Biz discussing my answer to ‘What do you think of my business idea?’ To summarise, I always respond that it is your customers (and the market) that are the final arbitrator of whether you have a business. This blogpost is a follow up which asks, how do…

Alan Sugar and the success of Sky TV

Alan Sugar and the success of Sky TV

Chapter 12 of ‘What You See Is What You Get: My Autobiography’ by Alan Sugar (2010) is fascinating. It tells how Amstrad reinvented itself by helping Rupert Murdoch to launch Sky. I love stories. This particular story is fascinating as it shows superb lateral thinking by Alan Sugar and his team. Around 1988, satellite dishes and receivers were on the market for approximately £5,000. In June of that year, Alan Sugar agreed that Amstrad would develop satellite receiving equipment which would sell in the shops for £199.