Chris Guilbeault - $100 Startup. Create a new future doing what you love. This book complements well

How are most companies born? In the worst case, a business plan is drawn up, the required investments and expected income are calculated - the classic scheme. It happens much less often when a startup comes from the idea of a product (product or service) that can make someone’s life better, more comfortable, or solve some problem. Such an enterprise has a greater chance of success.

But there is a third way to organize your business - start with what interests you. Perhaps the best, most promising of all possible options and the financial part is far from the main advantage.

Basis for "research"

American Chris Guilbeault found more than 1.5 thousand entrepreneurs, company owners, that had a number of common features:

Income more than $50 thousand per year (more than average wages most US citizens)
The amount of “investment” was less than $1,000 (the majority started with an amount of up to $100) - this was exactly their starting capital.
Businesses were created around what was interesting to their founders.
None of them had any special skills or education (much less an MBA).
Without borrowed or attracted capital: loans, debts, external investments.

After this, Chris chose the 50 most interesting stories, on the basis of which the book “Startup for $100” was written. Create a new future by doing what you love,” which is a kind of collection of advice, but rather a guide or even instructions for those who want to turn their hobby into a full-fledged source of income, from those people who know how to do it .

Chris Guilbeault

Young entrepreneur, traveler, blogger (visitation of the blog ChrisGuillebeau.com, Chris Guilbeau - over 300 thousand visitors per month), writer, community creator creative people World Domination Summit. Chris has a special talent for turning ideas into money, and he teaches this to others, helping people find their calling. At the age of 30, he has already traveled to more than 175 countries - almost the whole world. Volunteers in African countries.

Difference in approach

At the beginning of the article we talked about the differences in the approach to a startup. Chris Guillebeault, faced with the need for money, acted contrary to what most would do: he did not try to force himself into the framework of austerity, did not look for a high-paying job, but instead thought about how to create a useful product and sell it.

The first business did not bring a lot of money, but it gave him something more - independence and freedom in choosing what, how and when to do in his life. No reports, schedules, work schedules, no offices with their rules and routines, no meetings, conferences and other nonsense.

Startup for $100

Quite often, most people associate the word “startup” with: firstly, projects in the IT field, and secondly, with a huge scale. There are only a few sites in my head, like Facebook, Instagram and the like. Companies with million-dollar turnover, hundreds of employees, projects implemented in a few months, only to then be sold for a billion.

In fact, a startup is nothing more than an English-language substitute for our concepts, formed from the words: start / create / implement - on the one hand, and: your own business / your own business / your own project - on the other.

In his book, Chris Guilbeault will not tell you how to create a website that will bring in a million to its owner, which will allow the latter to show off in expensive suits at meetings with investors and bankers. Instead, it will show you how to realize your dream, turn your ideas into reality, while doing what you like and want to do.

About the book

On the pages of the book, the reader will get acquainted with a dozen stories of those people who have already succeeded in this. No metaphysics, visualization and anything else not related to practical activities. No secrets, tricks, cheat sheets. This is an “instructions for use” written in an entertaining way, practical steps, which will allow you to take responsibility, leave everything gray and dull, boring and meaningless in the past, in order to start creating something beautiful.

Chris Guillebeau will not insist that you immediately quit your job and join the ranks of the poor. Not at all. On the contrary, by investing a little of your own money and time, start moving in the right direction. And only after the hobby begins to generate income, after the home-grown company gets on its feet and gets stronger, after you are confident of success, will you be able to write the much-coveted resignation letter, leave the job you hate, your beloved boss and become free. Nobody said it was easy, you should be prepared for the fact that you will have to work hard.

The advantage of the book “Startup for $100. “Create a new future by doing what you love” is also the fact that in addition to recommendations, Chris provides specific numbers, exact amounts, clear procedures, analyzes and points out the mistakes of novice entrepreneurs.

Who is this book for?

Certainly not for those who believe that they can achieve something just by thinking about money and their wonderful future. Not for those who are satisfied with his current life - office work, career ladder and other joys.

But, on the contrary, for people who do not want to spend the rest of their lives doing unnecessary and, most importantly, boring, uninteresting, routine work. Instead, make your hobby, which brings pleasure, also bring money, gain freedom from bosses and imposed responsibilities.

Will the advice from the book work within our country? Of course, they are universal. Moreover, in the vastness of the countries of the former CIS there are significantly more opportunities to succeed than in the United States with its competition, a country where almost every second person is an entrepreneur.

More and more people are abandoning the traditional employment model with its strict rules and chain of command. They do what they love and open their own business. They create micro-enterprises that allow them to lead a free and meaningful life. This form of employment involves running a business individually.

It takes a lot less to start a micro business than you think. The most ordinary people open their own micro-enterprises every day, often without any big money, no experience, no MBA degree, not even a well-developed business plan.

Example. Two recently graduated designers came up with the idea of selling high-quality travel maps of their own making online. The result: the guys began to earn so much money that after nine months they quit their jobs and devoted themselves entirely to the new business.

The piano teacher wrote computer program to record attendance, control payments and schedule classes. This project became a full-fledged source of income for him - more than $30,000 per month.

There is nothing stopping you from achieving the same success. You need:

a product (or service) that can be sold;
customers willing to pay for it;
payment mechanism.

Don't be afraid to take action. Your own uncertainty and fear can create more difficulties than competitors or external market circumstances. Don't give in to these feelings. Take the plunge.

Enthusiasm alone is not enough for a successful business; We need more clients and relevant skills

Many people dream of making money doing what they like best. But a hobby will never turn into a real business if no one pays for it.

Find an area where your passions, skills, and the needs of others intersect. Offer specific benefits or customer value to customers. Think carefully about how you can benefit other people.

Turning a passion into a business directly is difficult. Master a related field - help others do what you like.

Example. An avid traveler, Gary Leff started his own business booking flights and creating itineraries for people who have accumulated bonus miles and don't know how to put them to good use.

If you lack the skills for your chosen field, use the “skills transformation principle”: you may not have the specific skills needed for a given project, but you may have abilities in related areas. Make the most of your existing talents and at the same time acquire missing abilities.

Example. Kat Alder, who worked as a waitress in London, had a great way of communicating with people. She founded her own PR firm. The girl had no experience in this area, but her communication skills helped her learn the basics of a new business.

Not every hobby can be turned into a business. You can't make money from your passion for pizza. But you can open a pizzeria. Analyze opportunities to meet people's needs using the skills you have.

Identify deep customer needs and develop an appropriate offer

Your product must provide benefits to customers. To do this, you must know who your customers are. Demographic characteristics alone are not enough target audience: age, gender, income. Find the personal characteristics that unite your audience: hobbies, skills, values.

Will your product be of interest to these people? Make contact with potential clients and ask them questions. Use informal conversations or questionnaires. Determine whether customers are willing to pay for the proposed product. Product changes may need to be made. Launch an advertisement for a product - how many orders will you receive? Is it justified? this project? After such analysis, begin production.

The true desires of clients may not coincide with the declared ones.

Example. Air passengers have been complaining about cramped airplane cabins for years. But as soon as airlines offer more spacious seats, but at a slightly higher price, it becomes clear: people prefer cheaper carriers, even if their cabins are cramped.

Look beyond obvious needs to uncover unspoken desires.

Example. Newlyweds often say wedding photographer Kyle Hepp that they don't want to take regular wedding photos. Despite this, she still takes some traditional photographs, knowing that the bride and groom's relatives will be happy to receive them.

Be creative with your marketing and focus on customer benefits

In your marketing efforts, focus on the benefits you are willing to provide to customers. IN advertising text Don’t focus on boring technical details, but focus on key consumer benefits: how exactly your product can make people’s lives easier.

Key benefits relate to the emotions you help your customers experience.

Example. California ranchers say, “We don't sell horseback riding. We offer freedom." A yoga school is not actually selling you lessons on how to do exercises, but helping you relieve stress and relax in a calm, secluded environment.

Be entrepreneurial, minimize advertising costs, be creative in your marketing: network with journalists, collaborate with other companies, write guest blog posts. This is more effective than traditional marketing and is several times cheaper.

“Strategic Giving” is a powerful, unconventional marketing tool. Give your product to your client for free or provide useful service- he will tell others about your activities.

Example. Unemployed architect John Morefield opened a stall called “Architectural Consultation for 5 Cents” at a farmers market in Seattle. He really gave professional advice for a coin, but clients were so satisfied that they often hired him for additional work already full time. John's story even made it onto CNN and other news channels, making him a well-known figure and generating an influx of new clients.

A successful product launch requires careful preparation and the ability to convince customers to buy now

There is nothing worse for an entrepreneur than spending several months developing a product and then not being able to sell a single copy. To prevent this from happening, carefully plan and prepare your entry into the market. The release of a product must be preceded by a powerful advertising campaign, in order to properly “warm up” customers and make them wait impatiently for new items several months before the start of sales.

Form a trusted circle before entering the market potential buyers through advertising. Get customers interested long before the actual product launch. Build their anticipation by talking about the project you're working on, emphasizing its benefits to them, and describing details of upcoming sales. When the long-awaited launch day arrives, make the purchasing process as easy as possible.

Launching a product is a very nerve-wracking time for an entrepreneur, and when actual sales begin, he is extremely relieved.

The special price for a product must be valid for a strictly limited time. Remind customers of this as the deadline approaches, encouraging the hesitant customer to buy immediately. Once the agreed period has expired, keep your word and no longer sell the product at a low price.

Business must make money. Don't forget about costs and income

Business must make money. Otherwise it's just a hobby.

Consider financing, costs and income.

Financing

It is not necessary to take out a loan. Your costs can only be buying a laptop and creating a website.

Example. Shelley Vitry started her food tour business in Denver with $28. initial capital, and ended up earning $60 thousand a year.

If you need more money, but you can’t get it from the bank, turn to non-standard fundraising methods, such as crowdfunding (collective financing).

Example. Shannon Oakey, who dreamed of opening her own publishing house producing books and magazines on needlework, managed to raise $10 thousand on Kickstarter when the bank refused to give her a loan.

Expenses

Keep costs low. Invest only in things that directly impact sales. A luxury website is only worth the investment if you are confident that it will bring in new customers.

Income

Act proactively, don’t wait until you have to urgently patch holes. Calmly consider how you see the future of your business and customer service. What new products are you working on? How to increase sales volume? Are there long-standing problems that need to be addressed? Monitor one or two key metrics (daily sales volume or average order value) to keep your finger on the pulse of the business.

Establish regular receipts of payments, do not underestimate the price of the product and regularly make adjustments that can significantly affect profits

How to make your business as profitable as possible?

It is necessary to establish a regular flow of payments by developing a subscription program. With only 400 subscribers and a monthly subscription fee of $20, you can earn almost $100 thousand a year. When setting prices, you should rely on the proposed consumer benefits, and not on the cost.

Example. Gary Leff helps clients plan vacations using bonus miles. He charges a flat fee of $350 for his services, regardless of how long it takes him to search for information and order tickets: 5 minutes or 5 hours. In any case, the consumer value is the same.

Feel free to raise your prices periodically. Clients often react to news of a promotion much more positively than one might expect: “It’s about time! You are worth much more than you ask for."

Offer customers a limited price range. Don't set a single price - this way you can further maximize your profits. The overwhelming number of options can be confusing, but there are some customers who prefer the “premium” version. Offer them an improved version of a basic product at a higher price.

Constantly adjust your business to achieve maximum profitability. Pay special attention to indicators:

site traffic,
share of buyers among the total number of visitors
average purchase amount.

These factors have a huge impact on your bottom line. Your job is to continually experiment and make small changes to see what brings the most profit.

Choose your own business scale: remain a small entrepreneur or expand by increasing your staff

Each entrepreneur has his own plans for business development. “One-man show”, fantastic growth or something in between - all the options in equally acceptable. Ways to develop a business:

Vertical- expanding the range of services for existing customers. If you are selling software- Offer training courses to the same clients.
Horizontal- development of new offers for other categories of consumers. One web designer came to the conclusion that custom websites were unaffordable for some clients. She developed several standard design templates and offered them at a reasonable fixed price.

As your business grows, you may not be able to handle all the work alone. The solution is outsourcing, transferring some tasks to third parties. Hire third parties for everything from cleaning your home office and organizing meetings to actually manufacturing the product. The feasibility of outsourcing depends on the type of business and the personality of the manager. If your business is based on working with clients or you have a mania to control everything, outsourcing will only do harm.

If you plan to sell your business in the future, it is important that your business has the potential for development. It must be accessible to development (so that the buyer can, if desired, expand the scale of activity by training a dozen new employees) and be of value to consumers (so that the increase in production volumes is balanced by an increase in the number of customers).

Avoid writing complex business plans so you can focus on real action

Real actions always take precedence over plans. Don't waste time making complicated plans that never come to fruition. Make the plan extremely simple: the business plan should fit on one page and only indicate the direction of development of the enterprise.

What are you going to sell and to whom?
Why would these people want to buy it from you?
How will you receive payment?
Intended Marketing Actions
Basic business indicators

Set yourself a clear deadline for launching the project. This additional guarantee implementation of the plan.

The mission statement of the enterprise should also be simple and concise. Ideally, no more than the length of a Twitter message (140 characters). Try formulating something like this. This exercise will help you clearly express the true purpose of your business.

Example. "I'm helping business people who monitor their health, plan workouts to maintain good health and physical fitness.”

Beware of unsolicited advice, even if people wish you well. Most of them don't have own business, so their advice is useless and only distracts you from your goal. You don't need anyone's permission to succeed in business. Trust your own judgment and take the plunge.

The most important

It takes a lot less than you think to throw off the shackles of traditional employment and start your own micro-business. Analyze your passions and talents to determine where they intersect with your clients' needs, and get to work.

When developing your product and organizing your marketing efforts, focus primarily on customer value. As your business grows, you can make certain adjustments to maximize profits.

How to start your own micro-business?

Stop working your pants from nine to six and become your own boss - it's easier than it seems.
One enthusiasm for successful business not enough; We also need clients and relevant skills.
Identify the deepest needs of customers and develop an appropriate proposal.
Be creative with your marketing and focus on customer benefits.
A successful product launch requires careful preparation and the ability to convince customers to buy now.

How to make a microbusiness profitable?

Business must make money. Don't forget about costs and income.
Organize regular payments, don't underprice your product, and regularly make small adjustments that can make a big difference to your bottom line.

What should be the ultimate goal of a microbusiness?

Choose your own scale of business: remain a small entrepreneur or expand by increasing your staff.

How detailed should a business plan be?

Avoid writing complicated business plans so you can focus on the real action.

The $100 Startup by Chris Guilbeault will help you change your life. It contains recommendations from those for whom owning their own business has become the key to self-realization. All her heroes, without possessing any special skills, managed to turn a hobby into a source of income and radically change their lives, and in return received freedom and satisfaction. Try starting small. Opening your own business will require very little time and money, and only when you are confident of success, will you take the last, decisive step, leaving your old profession, and begin to live the way you want.

Sometimes you can find a combination of pleasure and income without leaving your current profession. However, sometimes you have to work hard to get away from traditional earnings and discover alternative sources income. In any case, you will need to create a small startup with your own money, devote a little time to it and wait until this company is ripe for serious success in order to reap the fruits of your labor, stop depending on circumstances and start living the way you want.

Who is the book “Startup for $100” for?

This book is for those who strive for a fuller, more interesting and meaningful life. It will be of interest to those who want to stop depending on circumstances and start living the way they have long wanted. It is definitely worth reading for those who want to stop doing boring, unnecessary things, and start doing something that is both interesting and useful for others.

We know how important it is to do what you love. We know how difficult it is to start a new business. We were interested to know how to create real business for real money.

We liked that the author of this book is not limited to general recommendations, but gives the exact amounts, the procedure necessary in the first months, in addition, he analyzes the mistakes that novice entrepreneurs made at first.

Feature of the book “Startup for $100”

In researching this book, Chris Guilbeault found 1,500 entrepreneurs who now own businesses that generate $50,000 or more in annual income, even though they started out with very modest investments (in many cases, it was actually less than $100). He then studied in detail the 50 most interesting representatives of this group. Based on the data from this research, a simple and understandable book was written, containing valuable advice from those who know how to turn their work into a source of joy and pleasure. Moreover, Chris does not limit himself to general recommendations, but gives exact amounts and procedures required in the first months; in addition, he analyzes the mistakes that novice entrepreneurs made in the early days.

From the author

When I needed money, I didn’t think about how to cut costs or find a job, but about how to create and sell a certain product. That is, he did everything contrary to generally accepted norms, since budgeting usually begins with an assessment of profits and an analysis of available opportunities. I did it differently: I started with a list of what I would like to do, and then thought about how to implement it. My small business did not bring in much money, but it allowed me to pay bills and gain something more valuable - freedom. I didn't stick to any schedule, fill out time sheets, write meaningless reports, follow office rules, or even attend required meetings.

Please note that the book “The $100 Startup” is not about how to start a large Internet startup or create an ordinary company, put on a business suit and beg for money from the bank. Here is a story about people who managed to realize their dreams and make decent money doing what they are really interested in. Maybe we can try to repeat their success? Let's adopt a general strategy and learn from those who have succeeded.

There are no secrets, cheat sheets or other tricks in the book “Startup for $100”. There are also no visualization exercises. If you think you can make money just by thinking about it, put it on a shelf and meditate. On the contrary, the book contains only practical advice about how to take responsibility for your own future. Read it if you want to create something beautiful on your path to freedom.

Is it possible to change everything, live life to the fullest and do only what you like? Can. Is it possible to make money from this? Yes, and here are stories of people who succeeded. Is there a way to achieve this? Yes, and he is in front of you. Thanks to him, you will find the long-awaited freedom.

This book is about how to live an interesting and meaningful life and at the same time make good money.

Sometimes you can find a combination of pleasure and income without leaving your current profession. However, sometimes you have to work hard to get away from traditional earnings and discover alternative sources of income. In any case, you will need to create a small startup with your own money, devote a little time to it and wait until this company is ripe for serious success in order to reap the fruits of your labor, stop depending on circumstances and start living the way you want.

Who is this book for?

Why we decided to publish this book

We know how important it is to do what you love. We know how difficult it is to start a new business. We were interested in learning how to create a real business for real money.

We liked that the author of this book does not limit himself to general recommendations, but provides exact amounts and procedures required in the first months; in addition, he analyzes the mistakes that novice entrepreneurs made in the early days.

Book feature

Keep in mind that this book is not about how to start a large Internet startup or create a regular company, put on a business suit and beg for money from the bank. Here is a story about people who managed to realize their dreams and make decent money doing what they are really interested in. Maybe we can try to repeat their success? Let's adopt a general strategy and learn from those who have succeeded.

There are no secrets, cheat sheets or other tricks in this book. There are also no visualization exercises. If you think you can make money just by thinking about it, put it on a shelf and meditate. On the contrary, the book contains only practical advice on how to take responsibility for your own future. Read it if you want to create something beautiful on your path to freedom.

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It’s strange, but a search on the hub did not yield any mention of the book by Chris Guillebeau - The $100 Startup (in the original: Guillebeau Chris: The $100 Startup. Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, DO What You Love, and Create a New Future).
However, this can be explained by the desire of most hackers to stop working for someone else and stir up the coolest startup, which will soon turn into a mega-corporation like Google, Facebook, Apple, or at least Microsoft.
Yes, no one settles for less, and while waiting for investors to start giving millions for the next brilliant idea, we continue to commute to work, get tired of dull meetings and deal with other people’s deadlines.

Chris Guillebeau's book is not about that at all.

This book is about how to start living. How to throw away boring and uninteresting work and start doing something that is interesting to you and useful to others. All you need to do is understand what you want from life, finally start doing what you love, and understand how you can make money from it.

As the author writes, to create this book, he found one and a half thousand entrepreneurs whose business brings in >= 50 thousand dollars a year, but they started with very modest investments (often, the amounts really did not exceed 100 dollars). Having chosen 50 of the most interesting entrepreneurs, Chris Guilbeault structured their experience and described it in this book, in the form of advice and step by step instructions.

The book does not discuss the issues of creating a large Internet startup; it's about creating small business, which will not bring you a lot of money, but which will give you a very valuable thing - freedom.
The freedom to not adhere to any schedule other than your own. Freedom not to write meaningless reports. Freedom not to participate in boring meetings.
This is a book about how to realize your dreams and make money doing what you are really interested in.

Quotes from the book:

“Value is generally created when a person does something useful and shares it with others.”

“The mysterious recipe for the magical power of micro-business:
Passion or skills + benefits = success"

“The main principle of building a business, which has proven its effectiveness many times: create what people need and give it to them.”

“The most important thing is to combine your passion and skills with something that will benefit other people.”

“Try to give people what they really want. How? Try to understand human nature. Take this simple truth as a basis, and then everything will go like clockwork.”

"1. Select a product.
2. Create a website, the simplest one possible (there are special platforms for creating free websites).
3. Develop an offer (this is different from a product).
4. Select a payment method (you can start with a free PayPal account).
5. Make your proposal public
6. Repeat, taking into account previous experience."

“If your business helps others, you will always have plenty of work to do.”

“You are not paid for your hobby as such, but for the help it provides, directly or indirectly. This is the main thing."

“good companies offer solutions to problems”

“Business revolves around my life, not the other way around.”

“Territorial independence can be achieved in different ways, but business in the field of online publishing is especially convenient in this sense. (Besides e-books, there are many other varieties.)"

“Be guided by the following principle: we love to buy, but we don’t like to be sold to. Traditional marketing is based on persuasion, new marketing is based on invitation.”

“First of all, answer the main questions of any microbusiness:
Does the project offer a specific product?
Do you know people who want to buy it (or know where to find them)?
Have you chosen a payment method?

“We all have more than we think. Let's use these resources for good purposes."

“a simple technique for quickly generating additional income is to create a service based on a product or a product based on a service”

“Achieving personal freedom involves creating value for others. Make this rule your top priority. Constantly ask yourself the same question: “How else can I help people?”

"Your main enemies are not competition or any external factors, but our own fears and inertia.”

"Don't waste your time living someone else's life."

And yes. I have already quit my job.

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