Startup Stories

After more than twenty years of living and working with entrepreneurs on four continents, Professor Steve Phelan hasn't seen it all, but he has seen a lot! In Startup Stories, he distills his wisdom on how to become a successful entrepreneur into sixteen chapters, supported by the stories of everyday entrepreneurs he has met over the years.Most books on entrepreneurship try to teach you how to become an extraordinary entrepreneur, the next Steve Jobs or Elon Musk. The problem is there are only 2,000 billionaires on the planet, so the odds are slim that you will be joining their ranks. Instead, this book shows you how to make the most of being an everyday entrepreneur. Everyday entrepreneurs don't make the headlines, but almost half of the population will be quietly involved in an entrepreneurial activity at some stage in their lives. This book is for you. The book begins by framing entrepreneurship as a series of progressively challenging levels. Personal entrepreneurs use their entrepreneurial spirit to achieve their goals while working for others. Nascent entrepreneurs are in the process of birthing a business. Lifestyle entrepreneurs enjoy the autonomy of working for themselves but like to keep things small. Employer entrepreneurs, on the other hand, rely on hiring family members and other employees to boost revenues and results. Growth entrepreneurs would like to grow their business in a major concern, while super entrepreneurs are already operating in the billion-dollar range. Dr. Phelan examines the advantages, challenges, and opportunities of operating at each level. The result is a very human, very readable book that combines true stories with sound principles that are guaranteed to inspire and inform regardless of where you choose to start your entrepreneurial journey.