What I’m reading now

The Rules of Entrepreneurship, by Rob Yeung (published by Cyan Communications) - reviewed by David Thompson, VP of people and organisational development, ABN Amro

‘If you could start your own business, what would it be?’ It’s one of the greatest Friday night pub questions, but for most of us it remains a dream that will never be realised. However, if you’re tired of being, as Dr Rob affectionately calls it, a ‘wage slave’, then The Rules of Entrepreneurship could be your first step to freedom.

This engaging little book delivers exactly what it promises: practical, straightforward and realistic advice. Its most refreshing revelation is that you don’t have to fit the ‘wacky maverick’ mould so beloved by the media to be a successful entrepreneur. All you need is a well thought-out plan, a product or service that’s been ‘researched to within an inch of its life’, and the realisation that people are the key: understanding them, networking with them, and selling to them.

It won’t be easy, Yeung warns, but it will be challenging and fun. From creating to planning, from selling to expanding, this book has got it covered. All you need now is the back of a beermat to get cracking on your business plan.