by Boomert - Start Me Up! by Sonia Williams 09 Dec 2009

Much of what currently falls under the banner of business books would be better defined as homespun philosophy retold for a business audience. While recent bestsellers such as Peaks and Valleys and Our Iceberg Is Melting confirm there is a market for such literature, there is an equally large market for practical guides that chart the territory more literally, taking the reader from business conception through to operation. Sonia Williams, fresh from the success of her earlier Show Mummy the Money, has clearly written Start Me Up! with this market in mind. Indeed, this book is packed with surprisingly simple ideas that could easily set any budding entrepreneur, recent retiree, or stay-at-home mum on the fast track to business success. I found the chapter on emerging trends particularly insightful, covering, among other things, the increase in experience-based small businesses (ballooning, Ferrari rides) and the proliferation of gourmet fast-food alternatives. Other chapters cover the writing of an effective business plan and building an e-commerce website. More business sampler than scintillating read, Start Me up! is nonetheless an accessible book, permeated by a can-do spirit designed to help spur the reader on to their own small-business dreams.