There's never been a better time to start a business—or so the conventional wisdom would have you believe. But with up to 90 percent of businesses failing within the first five years, it's time to take off the rose-colored glasses and think twice before you invest your precious time, money, and energy.
The Entrepreneur Equation helps you do the math before you start down the entrepreneurial path so you can answer not just "Could I be an entrepreneur?" but also "Should I be an entrepreneur?" By understanding what it takes to build a valuable business as well as how to assess the risks and rewards of business ownership based on your personal circumstances, you can learn how to stack the odds of success in your favor and ultimately decide if business ownership is the best possible path for you, now or ever.
Through illustrative examples and personalized exercises, tell-it-like-it-is Carol Roth helps you create and evaluate your own personal "entrepreneur equation" as you
–learn what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in today's competitive environment;
–save money, time, and effort by avoiding business ownership when the time isn't right for you;
–identify and evaluate the risks and rewards of a new business based on your goals and circumstances;
–evaluate whether your dreams are best served by a hobby, job, or business; and
–gain the tools that you need to maximize your business success.
The Entrepreneur Equation is essential reading for the aspiring entrepreneur. Before you invest your life savings, invest in this book!
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"I love that Roth makes people who think they want to be entrepreneurs take a cold, hard look at the reality. Running your own business isn't glamorous. It doesn't pay a lot. And it's thankless. Are you SURE you want to do it??"
— Susan (5 out of 5 stars)
“In a sea of feel-good ‘yes-you-can’ books that lure people into mindlessly wasting their limited time and resources on business ideas that don’t stand up, The Entrepreneur Equation stands alone as a masterly, compelling reality check that every would-be entrepreneur disregards at their peril.”
— Les McKeown, author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling book Predictable Success“The book perfectly mirrors [Roth’s] no-holds-barred style and conveys her genuine empathy and desire to see every entrepreneur succeed.”
— Laura Provenzale, head of Consumer & Retail Investment Banking Group, Raymond James“Carol delivers innovative, rock-solid thinking that has the power to fix what is broken in business. The Entrepreneur Equation is a fresh new approach to what entrepreneurship really means today.”
— Liz Strauss, business strategist“Carol delivers the reality check that today’s entrepreneur needs to succeed.”
— JJ Ramberg, host of MSNBC’s Your Business and CEO of Goodsearch.com“One thing readers can be certain of is that Carol Roth will tell it like it is. Her no-nonsense, direct, humorous, and engaging style is part of what makes The Entrepreneur Equation one of the more enjoyable business books to read. But the author also has a serious purpose: to ensure that anyone thinking about starting a business is prepared for it…The Entrepreneur Equation is a definitive guide that will help any would-be entrepreneur objectively assess whether or not to venture into business ownership. Carol Roth’s advice and wisdom will likely make that decision a lot easier.”
— ForeWord Reviews“The Entrepreneur Equation is a best friend’s advice, risk management handbook, and an entrepreneurs’ prequalification checklist all rolled into one. It’s communicated in a heartfelt anecdotal style by someone who has been ‘in the trenches’ and who truly cares about the people who aspire to be entrepreneurs.”
— Paul Nizzere, former CEO of Pelstar and president of Windsor Park, LLC“Finally! Someone asks the million-dollar question—and then answers it. It isn’t about CAN you be an entrepreneur? It is really about SHOULD you be an entrepreneur? You can spend thousands of dollars and years of your valuable life figuring it out. Or, you can read this book.”
— Shama Kabani, author of The Zen of Social Media Marketing and president of the Marketing Zen Group“By reading The Entrepreneur Equation, you’ll not only think differently about what entrepreneurship means for you but also create an opportunity to get the best, most successful return on your investment.”
— Harry Schulman, past CEO of Applica and director of Amoena, Hancock Fabrics, and Backyard Leisure“Carol Roth leverages her experience as both an entrepreneur and a strategist for businesses to provide valuable and unique insights on entrepreneurship in today’s business landscape. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or even an existing business owner, The Entrepreneur Equation provides a road map to help you determine how and if owning your own business will help you achieve the American Dream.”
— Adam Kaplan, chief portfolio officer of Banyan Mezzanine“I wish I’d had The Entrepreneur Equation when I started my business. It would have saved a lot of time, stress, and heartache through the growth while I made a go of it alone…If you’re thinking about starting a business, already running a business that is not profitable, or you haven’t been able to take your business to the next level, this book is for you.”
— Gini Dietrich, CEO of Arment Dietrich, Inc.“As an entrepreneur who’s built a successful company with a bit of luck and a lot of perseverance, I know how important it is for business owners to have access to advice from someone like Carol. The Entrepreneur Equation will lead you down the right path, as you ask of yourself if you should be an entrepreneur and do a true self-evaluation of your potential for success.”
— Percy Newsum, president of Integrity Toys“In an era where ideas are heralded as the be-all, end-all of business, the importance lies in execution. Carol gives readers a road map to transform their dreams into viable businesses, allowing both aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners the best chance to build successful, profitable businesses.”
— Cameron Herold, former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and CEO of BackPocketCOO.com“Aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners alike can generate the best return on their success simply by investing their time reading The Entrepreneur Equation. Written in Carol’s frank and fun style, this book gives you the key tools that you need to stack the odds of success in your favor.”
— Loral Langemeier, CEO and founder of Live Out Loud, international speaker, and bestselling author“In The Entrepreneur Equation, Carol will help you confront what it really takes to be an entrepreneur and run a business for success (because there are no guarantees).”
— Martin Chimes, serial entrepreneur, former CEO of Corporate Express Australia, and chairman of Unistraw International Ltd." Most books on starting your own business do a lot of cheerleading. This book helps you take a hard-headed realistic assessment of whether you should just keep the day job. Great stuff. "
— Gregory, 7/20/2011" Excellent book - should be required reading for all entrepreneurs! "
— Teri, 7/14/2011Carol Roth is a “recovering” investment banker, an entrepreneur, a TV pundit and host, and author. Her books include The Entrepreneur Equation and The War on Small Business. She has worked in a variety of capacities across many industries, including as an outsourced CCO, as a director on public and private company boards, as a strategic advisor and C-level consigliere. She advocates for small business, small government, and big hair.
Mike Chamberlain is an actor and voice-over performer in Los Angeles whose audiobook narration has won several AudioFile Earphones Awards. His voice credits range from radio commercials and television narration to animation and video game characters. Stage trained at Boston College, he has performed works from Shakespeare and the classics to contemporary drama and comedy.