Two of Inc. magazine's hugely popular columnists show how small-business people can deal with all kinds of tricky situations.
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reviews
Apr 26, 2009
Cheri
rated it: 
This book is a must read for every entrepreneur and business owner - I just hope my competitors don't read it!
Don't let the clever biz-lite title fool you: The Knack is substantial. On the surface this is a how-to primer for budding entrepreneurs. Norm Brodsky walks you through the steps and pitfalls you'll encounter at every stage, from start-up to Inc 100.
Yet it's not just for novices. Norm Brodsky lays out many traps that successful, seasoned entrepreneurs can find th More...
Don't let the clever biz-lite title fool you: The Knack is substantial. On the surface this is a how-to primer for budding entrepreneurs. Norm Brodsky walks you through the steps and pitfalls you'll encounter at every stage, from start-up to Inc 100.
Yet it's not just for novices. Norm Brodsky lays out many traps that successful, seasoned entrepreneurs can find th More...
Dec 10, 2008
Robert
rated it:
Although there is a great deal of valuable material in this book for those who are planning to launch a new company or have only recently done so, what Norm Brodsky and Bo Burlingham provide can also be of substantial value to all other executives who also wish to establish and then sustain the kind of a company that Welch describes. Their choice of a first-person narrator is a wise one because it ensures an immediate and personal rapport with the reader. Presumably the voice is Brodsky's. but t
More...
Feb 14, 2011
Ryan
rated it:
Excellent book. Tons of practical advice. I've spent my working life around some amazing entrepreneurs and the advice they give and the advice in this book are nearly the same.
The most important tip is for every businessperson is that you need a big gross margin if your business is going to grow and prosper. Should be 40-60%, though obviously higher is better.
Also, for the first few years of your business, you should write ALL the numbers of your business down by hand and cal More...
The most important tip is for every businessperson is that you need a big gross margin if your business is going to grow and prosper. Should be 40-60%, though obviously higher is better.
Also, for the first few years of your business, you should write ALL the numbers of your business down by hand and cal More...
Oct 07, 2011
Dee
rated it:
Absolutely Brilliant!!!
Remember how those stories in childhood we listen which imparts knowledge in many forms within us. We grow up with those stories and start living with the moral concept behind those.
Fast forward a few many years. For startups, 'The Knack' provides with many such real life stories teaching us or rather bridging the gap for us between theoretical or observational knowledge to real life practices. Norm Brodsky provides many examples and runs us throug More...
Remember how those stories in childhood we listen which imparts knowledge in many forms within us. We grow up with those stories and start living with the moral concept behind those.
Fast forward a few many years. For startups, 'The Knack' provides with many such real life stories teaching us or rather bridging the gap for us between theoretical or observational knowledge to real life practices. Norm Brodsky provides many examples and runs us throug More...
Dec 19, 2010
Marc
rated it: 
Three separate ratings would be a more accurate representation of my review of this book than a solitary star rating, so I'll break it up into three parts.
First, I "read" this book in audiobook format. So my first rating would be 5 stars to Sean Pratt for a tremendous job of narrating this book. Very easy to follow with a remarkable cadence and annunciation. My only quip would be that a few times he clearly said the wrong word in place of another which took me a few seco More...
First, I "read" this book in audiobook format. So my first rating would be 5 stars to Sean Pratt for a tremendous job of narrating this book. Very easy to follow with a remarkable cadence and annunciation. My only quip would be that a few times he clearly said the wrong word in place of another which took me a few seco More...
Mar 04, 2010
Eric
rated it: 
I was a little skeptical when I first picked this up because I feel like many business books don't have much new to say, but this is a great book. Norm has a great history and it's like sitting at the foot of a wise man who has walked the path before. He tells engaging stories from his businesses or from his mentoring. Also, I really feel like I have a much better idea of what it might be like to run a startup company.
May 14, 2009
If you are starting a business or an aspiring entrepreneur, this is a must read. A lot of business books are focused on large corporations or general business concepts, but The Knack is a real-world guide to self-employment and entrepreneurship. As an entrepreneur, I wish I read this book before I started my first business!
May 27, 2009
tara
rated it:
Sort of your typical business book, focused on BIG corporations.
BUT, the book did a few lessons that can be applied to any-size businesses. The author teaches that a "sales mentality" can get a busienss in trouble. More sales aren't always the key to success - you need a big enough profit margin.
BUT, the book did a few lessons that can be applied to any-size businesses. The author teaches that a "sales mentality" can get a busienss in trouble. More sales aren't always the key to success - you need a big enough profit margin.
Oct 12, 2011
Nick
rated it:
AWESOME. One of the best books from a guy that has had multiple startups and taken a company over the $100 million mark. He is honest, genuine, and writes well. Someday I'd really like to meet Norm and offer to buy him a beer.
Inspiring.
Inspiring.
Nov 17, 2010
Michael
rated it:
Easy book to read with good qualitative advice about starting and running a company. Some advice was counter-intuitive but with good explanations: might be better to go with no sales than low-margin sales because if you accept a low-margin sale, it'll make you feel falsely accomplished and unmotivate you from going after high-margin sales.
Jul 19, 2010
Wens
rated it:
Wonderfully practical advice from a serial entrepreneur for those who want to start their own business. Know your numbers, and always keep tabs on gross margins as well as sales.
Dec 08, 2010
Mark
rated it:
Some interesting stories, though not much new material, in terms of concepts. I liked the book, but felt the author spent a lot of time congratulating himself.
Nov 16, 2009
Nathan
rated it: 
Didn't resonate too well. I guess if you are running a pretty large business with a typical sales model more stories from here are going to come in handy.
Jan 05, 2012
Ankit
rated it:
The author has given a good account of problems faced by people while running their businesses. There is definitely a lot to learn from this book.
Jun 03, 2009
Shawn
rated it:
Probably a must read for entrepreneurs, and still an insightful, thought-provoking business overview even for those of us who are not starting our own businesses.
Oct 05, 2010
Thomas
rated it:
Has more to do with the nuts-and-bolts of small businesses than startups, but that's a good thing.
Jul 12, 2011
Tonny
rated it:
Great book for very basic but important information on small business ownership
Mar 22, 2010
Nathan
rated it:
Good practical advice from Brodsky. Loved his stuff on the importance of gross margins.
Aug 27, 2009
Brandon
rated it:
Certainly some great tips for business owners. It has information on the challenges that businesses face regardless of the size of your business. Great insight for future business planning. Especially liked Norm's breakdown of gross margins and why it's important to keep track of your sales numbers on a regular basis to make sure you aren't selling yourself out of business. I recommend this to any entrepreneur or would be entrepreneur.
Jun 14, 2010
David
rated it:
I really wanted to like this one. It had some good parts, but for the most part, I found it to be disorganized and way too wordy for the information in contained. Would have been an ok book had it been about 50% shorter.
With that said, the guy certainly knows business and there are some good business lessons here, if you want to dig through the noise. I felt my time would have been better spent elsewhere though and it's vary rare that I say that about a book, because I feel you ca More...
With that said, the guy certainly knows business and there are some good business lessons here, if you want to dig through the noise. I felt my time would have been better spent elsewhere though and it's vary rare that I say that about a book, because I feel you ca More...
Mar 30, 2009
Rob
rated it:
I really liked this book. I think it is awesome for anyone that is starting a new business. Even for those who already had a business. I have read Norm Brodsky's column in Inc. magazine for years now and I love how he explains things. Good book, try it out!
Mar 20, 2011
Christina
rated it: 
Practical advice for a small business audience. I enjoyed the commentary around workplace training, team building and the general management advice.
Nov 10, 2009
Tom
rated it:
In the style of the Dragons Den books, real life practical advice from entrepreneurs.
Jul 27, 2009
Daniel
rated it:
I saw these guys at Street Smarts Live in Austin and they were great. The book is good so far ...
Apr 18, 2009
I am ashamed, and I haven't completed this book yet. plan to this week.
Feb 12, 2012
Feb 11, 2012
