Book Description
Duct Tape Marketing is the small business marketing road map - A collection of proven tools and tactics woven together in a step-by-step marketing system that shows small business owners exactly what to do to market and grow their businesses.
This guide combines insights gained from over twenty years of successfully working, in the field, with real-life small businesses.
There are no theoretical complexities presented in Duct Tape Marketing - just simple, effective and affordable marketing that sticks.
CAREFUL! Duct tape is a serious tool... it sticks where you put it. So are the ideas in this book. If you're ready to make a commitment and are willing to make something happen, John's book is a great place to start.
--Seth Godin, author of Purple Cow
For all those who wonder why John Jantsch has become the leading advisor and coach to small businesses everywhere, Duct Tape Marketing is the answer. I have never read a business book that is as packed with hands-on, actionable information as this one. There are takeaways in every paragraph, and the success of John's blog is living proof that they work. Duct Tape Marketing should be required reading for anyone who is building a business, or thinking about it.
--Bo Burlingham, editor-at-large, Inc. magazine, and author of Small Giants: Companies That Choose To Be Great Instead of Big
Duct Tape Marketing is a worthy addition to the growing library of how-to books on small business marketing -- concise, clear, practical, and packed with great ideas to boost your bottom line.
--Bob Bly, author of The White Paper Handbook
With the world suffering from depleted reserves of trust, a business that sells plenty of it every day tends to create the most value. The great thing about trust as a product feature is that it delivers exceptional returns. With this book, John Jantsch has zeroed in on exactly what small businesses need to sell every day, every hour.
--Ben McConnell, co-author of Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force
John Jantsch has provided small businesses with the perfect perspective for maximizing all marketing activities - offline and on. Jantsch has the plan to help you thrive in the world of business today. Read it, all your competitors will.
--John Battelle, cofounding editor or Wired and author of The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture
Duct Tape Marketing is a great read for anyone in business. It has fresh ideas laid out in a practical and useable way. I highly recommend this book for growing any business.
--Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder of BNI and Co-author of the New York Times bestseller, Masters of Networking
Customer Reviews:
Small Business Must Have for your Tool Box.......2007-08-31
I can't say enough good things about this extremely useful tool. Duct Tape Marketing (or as Brian Small and I refer to it as "DTM") breaks the paradigm of what most small business owners "think" marketing is all about.
I've consulting small businesses in the way of marketing for years as well as worked to keep my own business(es) on track with marketing. Now it's as though I've taken a good tool in my toolbox and turned it into a hyper-drive power tool.
If you're thinking about starting a small business or have a well established small business then this book will make any time you spend on marketing much more effective.
This book was recommended to me by my friend and business com padre by Brian Small (www.briansmall.com) and in the last month I've recommended to many other small business owners. If you don't take time to work "on" your business then you're going to fall short of your potential. Make it a priority to read this book in a 4 week period.
Kyle Dreier
A Good Book on Marketing and Worth the Price.......2007-08-06
Although this book is not in my top ten of marketing books, it is still a good book with some useful ideas. There are many keys to successful marketing. Unfortunately, if one or more keys is missing, the total marketing effort can be wasted.
This book covers many of the keys. I wish it showed better how the pieces fit together to make a complete sale, but it does a good job on the keys it does cover. If you are a small business owner, read the book and use the ideas. You will see positive results.
One of the best books on marketing that a small business owner can read.......2007-08-03
To say "Duct Tape Marketing" is a great book is an understatement. As an entrepreneur who has founded two small companies, I found John Jantsch's approach to help customers to know, like and trust you more to be intuitive, yet very powerful.
He got my undivided attention from the point he proposed having you first identify your ideal clients (as early as in page 5) and asking you to fire about 20 percent of your past customers, if they no longer fit into the picture of your current business. Now THAT makes sense and it is SO powerful: I could recall the occasions when I was spending time pursuing projects that were not a good fit for the goals of our company, but we still pursued them ("Hey! It's business!"). Since I read that section, I've felt more comfortable not pursuing distracting projects.
He then proceeds to walk you through the discovery and delivery of your marketing message in a way that speaks to the heart of those ideal customers you identified early on. The rest of the book is packed with tactics to get that message in front of your target audience and help them contact you and refer you.
These easily are the best 300 pages I have read since I became a small business.
Love it!.......2007-07-23
This book has WONDERFUL, thorough advice for the small business. It really gets the creative juices flowing. I highly recommend this book.
Want More Customers? Then Read This Book!.......2007-07-17
Regardless of what you already know about marketing a small to mid-size business, this book is for you. It's a powerful tool that focuses on your specific marketing needs and your specific capabilites. John Jantsch doesn't merely tell you what to do, he explains how and why to do it. The information is clear, concise, and surprisingly thorough. John covers a broad spectrum of important marketing issues, starting from the basics of defining your customer, to a well-written summary about the power and value of effective Internet marketing. If you're smart, you'll read this book and then keep it handy as an ongoing reference tool.
Book Description
The Mom Inventors Handbook. gives practical step-by- step advice for putting inspiration into action. The book takes inventors from idea development to marketing and sales covering everything from market research to prototype development, manufacturing and licensing and debunks some common myths. It simplifies the invention process; even providing stories from real mom inventors sharing their 'aha' moments and lessons learned.
Customer Reviews:
Step by step guide to creating and taking a product to market.......2007-07-27
Tamara works her way though all the steps for bringing a product to market. As the title would suggest her target audience is female but as a male I also found that it was very informative. She presents examples from her own work as well as that of others helping to show how varied and simple products really can be.
Get This Book.......2007-07-23
If you are an inventor or have thoughts about inventing a new product, do yourself a favor and BUY THIS BOOK. I created a product and recently launched my Web site to sell my invention, OnTray, on. This book was my road map throughout the whole process.
Laura Hamrick
Tremendous aid for understanding how to turn your new product idea into a successful business.......2006-06-10
I launched a new product line several years ago - learning a lot along the way. I am getting ready to launch a new line of products and decided to read this book. It was a tremendous resource! So many of the answers that I had to dig for and learn the hard (and expensive) way - are contained here in one easy to read book. I highly endorse it. It is also very motivational (as you read the stories of other people) that decided to take action and turn their idea into a successful business. Well worth the price. Very well written.
Informative and inspiring.......2006-03-12
Mom inventors wanting more info on what's involved in bringing a product to market will want to read this book. The book offers practical advice on researching your market, creating your product prototype, protecting your idea, manufacturing your product, and bringing your product to market.
What I like best about the book is that it features case studies and practical advice from real-life mom inventors.
There are also lots of helpful website links and other helpful resources at the back of the book -- very helpful for mom inventors who wish to do some additional research.
This is a terrific and inspiring book that will be very helpful to mom inventors at any stage of bringing an invention to market -- conception right through delivery.
Amazing, Informational & A Must Have.......2005-11-18
This book does it all for anyone wanting to create/invent a product that they hope to bring to market. Tamara shares in a very easy-to-read format her experiences, her expertise and saves the rest of us lots of time, energy and money. Her mistakes made along the way combined with her successes that continue to grow provide the reader with a wealth of knowledge about researching, developing, patenting, protecting, marketing (and more!) an idea/invention.
Pair this with the CD sets created by her dynamic and resourceful company mominventors.com, and you will walk away with knowledge you could not even get in business school! I wish I had read this three years ago when I first started my product line development. Thanks Tamara for sharing so freely and so generously to save the rest of us time and money!!!
Beth Butler
Creator of the BOCA BETH Program
Book Description
This book will guide marketers into the world of positioning and selling products and services. The authors lead the reader step by step through the process of developing a marketing campaign. They offer detailed descriptions of more than a hundred marketing tools from contests to affinity programs, from direct mail to billboard advertising. Anecdotes, graphics, and rules of thumb are also included.
Customer Reviews:
this is NOT true guerilla marketing.......2006-12-13
The authors' use of the term "guerilla marketing" is completely inaccurate. This book is about TRADITIONAL media -- guerilla marketing is the complete opposite. It was also written in 1994, before the advent of the commercialized Internet, so it's a very very very old school approach to advertising. It has some good information about traditional advertising for small businesses, but most of the reference information is way out of date. If you're looking for subversive, alternative approaches to marketing, read "Under The Radar" by Bond & Kirshenbaum instead.
Timeless tactics for small businesses.......2005-08-05
The beauty of this book is that most of the tactics inside it are as relevant and useful today as they were 20 years ago. I first got this book when my professor (a highly succesful multi-millionaire) recommended it to me. He said it was as good as any Marketing degree. Well I have my Marketing degree and would have to agree with him. The best promotional campaign is the one that costs the least but gets the most results. That is what you have here. This is especially helpful for small niche businesses. Those types of businesses can really take advantage of this book.
It is admittedly weak on the web side of things but I have never really found that to be a very useful avenue for anyone but the major players that can afford to buy costly advertising. No this is for small businesses that do most of their deals face to face.
Easy money.......2005-08-04
This book is great. It's easy enough to follow for the complete layman but inciteful enough for the experienced entrepreneur. I would recomend this book to anyone with a business of their own or just a passion for sales and marketing.
original marketers.......2005-04-17
there are countless copycat books on publicity and marketing. if you can't learn pr traditionally, then this is the next best thing. levinson and godin practices what they preach. both are well known around the world. their books are well known and classes are well attended. do not be fooled by others claiming they are pr experts when they are not well known or do not have any well known students or products.
Too Old.......2004-06-09
The information in this book is too old.
Book Description
The new bible for creating more powerful advertising
These days, the fundamentals of advertising that truly build great brands are often overlooked. But Steve Lance and Jeff Woll are leading a back-to-what-works movement with The Little Blue Book of Advertising.
This is a short, fun-to-read, practical book designed to be read quickly and referred to again and again. Each of their fifty-two ideas relates to day-to-day problems with real examples, then provides an innovative, sometimes blunt solution. For instance:
#3 Read what your customer reads, watch what she watches
#10 Quality is the absence of nonquality signals
#15 Sell the benefit, the advantage, and the feature—in that order
#19 Get the no-bodies out of your approval process
#41 Know when and how to scream “sale”
Just as Jeffrey Gitomer's hugely successful The Little Red Book of Selling became the gotta-have resource for salespeople, Steve Lance and Jeff Woll have written the perfect handbook for what does and doesn't work in today's advertising world.
Customer Reviews:
Good Book To Own.......2007-09-22
I am so glad I bought this book. I can look to it for inspiration when I want to advertise whatever I'm working on.
Advertising by Numbers.......2007-02-22
This book is full of old advertising cliches that at best, provides insights to the reader on why so many ads appear to have been written from the same playbook. If the authors represent the oversight and creative direction clients are getting at large ad agencies, it is easy to see how firms can waste millions of dollars on safe, formulaic ads that yield big fees for agencies and small results for shareholders.
Great inside view of big agency life.......2006-12-22
I absolutely engulfed this book. I found it not to be so much of an "how to" book as much as a full-of-gems and insights book. A great deal of these tips are spot-on applicable. I have recommended to co-workers, professors, students and friends.
lots of fluff.......2006-11-13
watch videos and go to the movies together, become an expert on the consumer, do quantitative research, seperate your brand from the competitor... these are some of the 52 ideas. lots of fluff, no guts. i was looking for more detail. how should i conduct research? how have other companies done it? what worked in the past? what didnt?
this is a book for an executive of a large corporation who has lost touch. not for someone who wants to start a business...
Little Blue Book of Adverstising - wise and funny.......2006-11-06
This is an extremely readable book, like taking an advertising / marketing crash course from the pros. It is chock full of solid advice, with direct and funny delivery. I bought copies for friends.
Book Description
This book is a virtual warehouse of marketing ideas, packed to the rafters with 1.500 great marketing tricks guaranteed to boost sales revenues, profits, and customer loyalty.
Customer Reviews:
Entrepreneur Magazine's Ultimate Small Business Marketing Guide.......2007-07-17
Ultimate Small Business Marketing Guide boasts over 1500 marketing tips and tricks. This helpful information is divided into sections related to everything from research and planning through dealing with employees and improving customer service to advertising and creative selling. Each tip is also labelled with symbols that indicate approximately how much money it would take to implement this plan, if you can do the work yourself, if professional services are available in this particular area, as well as additional online or print resources that may help in this regard.
This book is thick and quite complete with ideas that are explained in good detail. The information is extremely well organized and easy to understand, flowing naturally from planning through sales. There are also lots of good checklists and surveys to help keep the entrepreneur organized and focused. Most of the information provided focuses on brick and mortar businesses. Nonetheless, a good deal of these notions can easily be modified for virtually any business brick and mortar or online.
Plenty of Good Ideas.......2006-03-10
This book is not a cover-to-cover book about marketing theory, but rather a large series of examples that cover many marketing categories and topics. While I can't say I use a lot of these ideas everyday, many are good and for me, the best benefit is reading a wide variety of ideas in general. Marketing is more creativity than science in my opinion (once you identify a real market with some measure of certainty), so reading such a varied collection gets my mind thinking in new directions. That alone made the book worth it for my money. YMMV.
Sales 101,201,301,401.......2006-03-04
Very comprehensive from a topic standpoint! May not completely discuss a topic, but it covers them all. It also provides a tremendous amount of great ideas, which was what I purchased the book for.
Great source of marketing ideas for any organization!.......2006-02-24
I originally checked out a copy of this book from my local library. However after reading it cover to cover, I wanted to purchase my own copy. The author comes up with some really good and practical marketing ideas. I used some of the ideas in the book to come up with a couple of marketing pieces for the local non-profit organization that I am currently volunteering with. The book does a good job of telling the reader what to do, but it falls a little short in telling how to do it. Overall, it is a good book to have in my business library.
Entrepreneur's Ultimate Startup Directory by Stephenson.......2005-12-01
The directory teaches how to begin a start-up business. The basic steps are as follows:
- get started and avoid analysis paralysis
- decide on a title for the company
- start-up planning and implementation
- decide on whether or not it is home-based
- deal with legal dimensions
- do franchise research
- research the market
Sample businesses cited by the author are as follows:
- mobile computer training
- online wedding consultant
- 800 call center
- proposal writer
- used computer sales
- computer upgrades
- virtual tours
- leatherassociation.com
- second hand clothing store
- used wedding gowns
- education day care centers
The acquisition is well worth the price for the information content provided. The presentation is well-organized and easy
to read.
Book Description
- Beat the big-box retailers - Provide outstanding customer service - Use technology to your advantage
Customer Reviews:
Good content; light on colorful examples.......2007-08-17
The authors did a good job of explaining the academics of retail. They covered everything from strategies for purchasing, competing with big chains, advantages of technology and training for employees. This is a great book for those concepts. However, the authors explain these concepts in much the same way Ben Stein talks about dry eyes. Colorful retail experiences could be used to make fun examples and make the book more readable and less like a lecture from a finance professor. My only other gripe was that examples from the non-clothing world would have been great, such as selling technology items that lose value as they age on the shelf. Those gripes aside, I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to understand retail 101. You will definitely walk away thinking about your next trip to Abercrombie differently.
Excellent primer.......2007-08-15
Looking into starting a retail business prompted me to look for books that would give an insight into the world of retail. This book has not dissapointed. The writing is light while providing good information and real world examples.
The resource CD contains spreadsheets and documents such as job descriptions, payroll budget, supplier checklist, balance of business which provide a great starting point for the owner.
Ok, but out of date.......2006-07-24
This has some good information as noted by other reviewers, but also a few shortcomings. Some of its advice will be useful only for particular businesses. It contains many references to fashion retailing and will be very relevant for people doing that.
The major shortcoming is that the technology chapter is woefully out of date. Written in 1998, it contains such chestnuts as, "We believe that every one of the personal computers in your store should have a CD-ROM drive." and "Providing information over the internet is a much better business proposition than selling products over the internet. Even if you could get your home page address to a huge number of potential customers, we do not believe that you should try to sell things to them." Considering I bought ther book online, I must respectfully disagree with the authors. This is not to say the chapter is entirely irrelevant. No better website advice has ever been given than, "Customers are not interested in bells and whistles when they visit a website. Instead, they want useful information and they want it quickly." I would give a new edition of this book with an updated technology chapter a four star rating.
THIS BOOK IS THE BEST RESOURCE.......2006-04-13
Look no further for information on how to launch your retail business! This book has everything you need and more! Ted Topping is such an amazing resource on all things retail - he guides you in a practical, professional, thoughtful and caring way through every step of starting your retail business. If you want to be successful in starting your business - or if you need advice on your current business .... READ THIS BOOK!!! It is an invaluable guide which you will refer to for years to come.
Excellent! Love the templates/worksheets in the back!.......2005-08-05
This book is so easy and straightforward. This book is definitely a keeper! Also I love the templates in the back, especially the competition checklist.
Book Description
The Consultant's Manual If you're serious about starting your own consulting practice, there's something you should know … … No matter how knowledgeable you are in your field.… No matter how expert your advice or impressive your credentials.… If you don't bring an air of consummate professionalism to every phase of your practice—from proposal-writing and fee-setting, to drawing up contracts and issuing reports—you'll almost definitely lose out to the professional who does. But don't worry, because with Tom Greenbaum and The Consultant's Manual in your corner, you can make sure that never happens! Growing out of the author's Harvard consulting course, this book offers level-headed, expert advice on virtually every practical aspect of starting, building, and marketing your consulting practice. Centered around the theme of developing and working an exhaustive business plan for your firm, it leads you step-by-step through the research, planning, and problem-solving stages. Positioning your firm, giving it a name, targeting your market, establishing a sales culture, maintaining top-flight customer service, cash flow, billing, and fee setting … it's all in here, and much more.
Customer Reviews:
Les consultants du swing.......2004-01-15
L'expert-conseil se trouve couronne de succes lorsqu'il fait bien son boulot et, tres important, lorsqu'il ne bouge pas sur les honoraires a recevoir. Il ne faut jamais oublier que les clients sont des decisives chez eux, qu'ils cherchent toujours a minimiser les frais et maximiser le travail des autres. Alors il vaut mieux demander les honoraires les plus hauts possibles parce que la concurrence et la technologie, ca change tout vite. Il y a des instants ou l'expert-conseil devient lui-meme client payant, c'est-a-dire dans les imprimeries et les agences de publicite. Ces fois-ci il n'a qu'a se presenter comme chef de famille, un gagne-pain comme tout le monde qui a des frais et qui a donc besoin des jours de paye toutes les quinzaines. L'expert-conseil arrive a attirer les clients et, tres important, en reste paye, lorsqu'il passe a la radio et a la tele, parle aux reunions des gens de l'industrie et des affaires, enseigne des classes du soir, ou bien ecrit des articles et des livres.
No frills...and not the fun part for many!.......2001-12-03
It doesn't come with a free CD, accompanying website or an appendix of checklists. There's not even a photo of the author. It's not about how to consult (the part you're excited about!), it is, rather, about how to run your consulting business for a living (the part you're not particularly excited about, but is necessary). Based on Greenbaum's Harvard consulting course (which is what attracted me to the text, along with, honestly, its affordability), the subtitle "A Complete Guide to Building a Successful Consulting Practice," really sums it up. Just because you have a developed area of expertise does not mean you will be a successful consultant from your own financial perspective. You have to manage and grow your business.
A business plan is just as important for a service business as for a product-based enterprise; perhaps even more so. A carefully constructed image ("company identity") including promotional materials parallels development of an effective business plan. A personal selling strategy needs to be in place, including details of billing and contracting, before you begin, or at least get in too far. The chapter on "Planning Your Company's Finances" was of particular interest to me, since it is often taboo in casual conversation among colleagues.
I initially thought the author was extremely hard-sell, but to be successful long-term, confidence and forethought are essential. Competition is fierce in many fields, and you need to get and keep your slice of the target market pie. As I read further, reality set in, and this book is reality and experience-based.
Be honest, and go for win-win situations; you are in business to make money by providing honest, consistent, quality customer service. The last few chapters, particularly the chapter on ethics, provide nice segue to perhaps another book.
For the money, this is a good survival manual from the consultant's point of view for a beginner or a professional already in the field. It's an easy read meshing the marketing and business principles you'll need to supplement your given areas of expertise. For more complete (and pricey, but worth it if you're serious) information and advice, check out Elaine Beich "The Business of Consulting and Beyond" and/or Peter Block's "Flawless Consulting" sets of workbooks/case studies plus texts.
I Dreamed of Consulting.......2000-10-11
Making money as a consultant means meeting prospective clients who are decision makers within their businesses and standing by your fees, because you never know when competition and technology will get the better of you. Also, it means getting business prospects to think of you, not only as a customer of advertising and print shops, but as a breadwinner too who likes cashing regular paychecks. You can get paid to make business-boosting connections by appearing on radio and television, giving industry and trade talks, teaching courses, and writing articles and books.
So Thomas L. Greenbaum is particularly helpful on the financial side of becoming a consultant. His book, THE CONSULTANT'S MANUAL, makes consulting dreams come true, along with Geoffrey M. Bellman's THE CONSULTANT'S CALLING, Herman Holtz's THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CONSULTING CONTRACTS, Peter Meyer's GETTING STARTED IN COMPUTER CONSULTING, Janet Ruhl's THE COMPUTER CONSULTANT'S GUIDE, and Howard Shenson and Ted Nicholas' THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CONSULTING SUCCESS.
Book Description
A revised and expanded new edition of the classic guide for inventors
When this comprehensive resource for inventors was first published, bringing a new product to market was costly, time-consuming, and very risky. But today, new technologies including the Internet have drastically changed the world of inventing. In the past, inventors had to handle production, manufacturing, packaging, and distribution by themselves. Today, large companies are constantly looking for new inventions to license, and new technology makes it easier than ever for inventors to outsource what they can't handle themselves.
A leading expert on invention and innovation, author Don Debelak has brought this one-of-a-kind inventor's guide fully up to date. This new edition is packed with trustworthy, proven advice on product design, manufacturing, patenting, licensing, distribution, financing, and more. Plus, the latest innovative strategies in funding, outsourcing, and Internet marketing make this the most complete and up-to-the-minute guide available for inventors like you. Inside, you'll learn how to:
- Recognize a valuable, moneymaking idea
- Determine if your product is market-ready
- Create a custom, step-by-step product-to-market strategy
- Adjust your strategy for changing market conditions
- Find financial help from investors and partners
- Use turbo-outsourcing to bring your product to market in a year or less
- Find a manufacturer to cover up-front development costs
With more funding, licensing, and outsourcing options available, it's easier and cheaper than ever to get your product on the shelves. So why wait? Whether you're an experienced inventor who wants to sell more of your creations, or just someone with a million-dollar idea, this is your guide to financial success. Don Debelak's expert advice and timeless wisdom have already helped thousands of people turn their inventions into cash. Don't miss the boat!
Customer Reviews:
Do not buy.......2007-09-19
...this is way too complicated and does not need to be. The writing is too dense and honestly not entirely acurate.
This Is Where You'll Find The Help You Need........2005-10-17
I bought Don Debelak's book, "Bringing Your Product To Market In Less Than A Year" because that is just what I wanted to do. I applied for a patent on my new and better method of doing something that was long overdue for improvement.
I read the book and made a list of questions to ask Don, or one of his staff. Before approaching him, I visited his website, dondebelak.com and viewed everything clickable. At his site, I was glad to see that he offered three different methods through which he, or a staff member could assist me. I chose the most reasonable, by e-mail, as that way I have all the good info at my fingertips. The other options are by phone, where I'd have to remember everything they explained to me. The third choice is having one of his staff members visit my place of business, which is my home.
I phoned and asked for Don. I explained what I was trying to do, and told him I had just finished his most recent book, and that I needed help, preferably by e-mail. He said "fine", and asked a few questions. Then he stepped me through what he saw as the best way to describe the invention, and we talked about the business plan, and what category of venture capitalists would be most interested in this type of invention.
The next day an e-mail laying out the next steps that needed to be taken and how to go about it was in my email box. I found what I was looking for, the person with all the knowledge that I was lacking, and he took me by the hand and led me through it. If you'd like to contact Don by e-mail, you can reach him here, DonDebelak34@msn.com .
(...)
One Year is Pretty Iffy, but the Rest is Dead Right.......2005-08-20
Getting a product to market in a year may (note MAY) be possible if a bunch of things go right. This makes several presumptions that have to fall in line exactly right. For instance some products (like in the medical field) take longer than a year to go through the approval cycle. Electronics have to have FCC testing, perhaps CSA (Canada), all of which takes time. Plastic parts may have to have a mold made, that takes time, and if it isn't right the first time, well you get the idea.
What Mr. Debelak says is that if you start from day one with the right product, use some of the new techniques he talks about (outsourcing the production to a contract manufacturer for instance), then if all the gods are smiling at you, maybe you can do it in a year.
Ignoring his one year time frame, his book is right on the money in a lot of areas. His practical advice on patents is dead right, they may or may not be of value to your particular venture.
His comments on financing are excellent, but here you're going to need a good bit of luck. There are a lot of people looking for financing.
In fact, everything about starting a new product require a good bit of luck. Just remember it's been done before, and it will be done again. Here are a good set of guidelines to get you started.
Book Description
Effective, affordable, low-risk online marketing techniques for small business owners
Most small businesses are not taking advantage of the powerful and inexpensive Internet-based marketing tools and techniques that are available to them. These tools and techniques can mean the difference between a viable business and closing up shop. But most of what small business owners hear or read about the Internet applies to large businesses with greater resources than their own, or comes from unreliable or shady sources. The Ultimate Guide to Electronic Marketing for Small Business gives the small business owner or aspiring entrepreneur the real-world tools and tactics to market their small business around the world with little investment and even less risk. Full of practical ideas on reaching new customers and increasing sales, this book will make a real difference in the success rate of small businesses and start-ups everywhere.
Customer Reviews:
The Ultimate Guide to Electronic Marketing for Small Business: Low-Cost/High Return Tools and Techniques that Really Work.......2007-07-16
The Ultimate Electronic Marketing for Small Business is the non-techies' guide to marketing on the internet. This book takes the reader through the basics of getting his or her own domain, finding someone to design a website, and creating dazzling website copy that will not only draw customers to their website but also encourages potential customers to spend money. Among the most emphasized topics are the benefits of viral marketing methods such email lists, newsletters, and free ebooks.
The Ultimate Electronic Marketing for Small Business takes a bit different approach from other internet marketing books. Most books of this type assume that the small business entrepreneur will be creating their business themselves from building the website through all aspects of promotions and sales. This book, however, illustrates that you can find individuals with specialized skills such as website design and ghostwriting to create professional results without spending a fortune. Moreover, in handing over these tasks, the entrepreneur can spend more time on activities that actually draw in more money. I personally like the hands on aspect of website design and writing but I respect that not everyone enjoys these tasks. Therefore, I believe that the hints in this book could be beneficial to those individuals.
fundamentally sound book.......2007-04-07
Ok - This book is not full of the most advanced strategies out their.
But they are the basics you must know if you want to survive
on the internet. You know I built a multi-million dollar online
business off the principles inside this book. When I played sports
my coach always said get back to the fundamentals. This book is a
fundamentally sound book. I've known Tom for a few years now.
He's a great guy and has a huge heart. You never can go wrong
with him. My clients that have worked with him love him to death
because of the success they achieved with his guidance.
I'd go grab this book now and not waste another sec longer.
Matt Bacak
Author of The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan
and Secrets of the Internet Millionaire Mind
This book simply delivers!.......2007-03-18
Anyone in business, who has a website, is thinking about having one, wonders why some websites work and some don't, or has any interest in Internet commerce should buy this book.
Most websites, quite frankly, suck. They might be beautiful and artful at best, but they are "brochure-wear" - mine originally was. It replaced the need for a paper brochure, and like a brochure, almost no one read it. Certainly random web surfers and searchers, no matter how interested they might have been, rarely found it. I gradually got my site working like an effective website should, and it's getting better fast with this book's help. I wish I had The Ultimate Guide years ago when I launched my site!
Tom breaks his strategy into three prongs, and even if you are interested in only one or two this book has enough value that you probably need it.
Prong #1: Build a great website. A great website, among other things, is ones the search engines love and send you people who will be happy to find it.
Prong #2: Build an email list of people who want to hear from you. Periodically send them things of value, for example a useful ezine/enewsletter.
Prong #3: Develop and sell information products. It doesn't matter what your main business may be, having some low cost (and up) products so people who like your "free stuff" can see how good your "non-free stuff is." If, as in my example, you are a consultant and speaker, people who buy products for maybe $20-$100 will be more likely to hire you for your normal fees. It's a BIG leap of faith for someone to hire you for consulting or to deliver a keynote speech, i.e. for thousands of dollars, as their first transaction with you!
I knew Tom Antion existed for a while. I'm wary of most Internet marketers and gurus, because most of them are full of nonsense. Tom, and his book, delivers.
Ultimate Guide to Electronic Marketing for Small Business.......2006-11-18
You won't find "fluff" in Tom Antion's book. It is jam packed with great ideas and is a definate desk reference.
I would advise reading this book all the way through, then go back and re-read the book with an ink pen in-hand, so that you can make note of the information and ideas that will assist your internet marketing goals.
Metha Sizemore
Sizemore Seminars
Internet Marketing - almost everything YOU need to know!.......2006-05-25
I'm surprised there have been some mixed reviews here. OK, Tom Antion is not talking rocket science (to coin a phrase) but there is an abundance of good motivational information in this book.
Sure, there are a lot of links throughout the book which are affiliate links .. but we're talking business here. If anything, these give further impetus to be a bit more enterprising, and understand that people are primarily wanting useful information.
This book doesn't include all the latest marketing gizmos. But this is definitely worth reading, at least several times, by anyone who is serious about wanting to make money on the Internet. And this book proves it can be done, provided you're prepared to put in the time and effort. My impression is that Tom genuinely wants to help other people who want to help themselves.
Customer Reviews:
If you're serious about it.......2006-11-15
If you really want a good practical book about making newsletters for a living this is a good start. The 1994 date means the internet is ignored, but there are several forms to help you get started doing a business in newsletters.
Books:
- e-Business: Organizational and Technical Foundations
- eBay Powerseller Secrets:Insider Tips from eBay's Most Successful Sellers
- Effort-Less Marketing for Financial Advisors
- Emotion Marketing: The Hallmark Way of Winning Customers for Life
- Essentials of Contemporary Advertising
- Five Star Service, One Star Budget: How to Create Magic Moments for Your Customers That Get You Noticed, Remembered and Referred
- Fourth Generation R&D: Managing Knowledge, Technology, and Innovation
- Global Marketing (4th Edition) (Pie)
- Google Advertising Tools: Cashing in with AdSense, AdWords, and the Google APIs
- Great Demo!: How To Create And Execute Stunning Software Demonstrations
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Elements of Resume Style: Essential Rules and Eye-Opening Advice for Writing Resumes and Cover L
- How to Handle Difficult Parents: A Teacher's Survival Guide
- Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone
- A Mother's Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul
- Chinese Business Etiquette: A Guide to Protocol, Manners, and Culture in the People's Republic of Ch
- Halo, Books 1-3
- Frommer's Amalfi Coast with Naples, Capri & Pompeii
- Secrets of the Wealth Makers: Top Money Managers Reveal Their Investing Wisdom
- World Economy: Global Trade Policy 2004
- African Rhinos
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling
Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking
Citizen Marketers: When People Are the Message
Think Two Products Ahead: Secrets the Big Advertising Agencies Don't Want You to Know and How to Use Them for Bigger Profits
The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)
