If you own a business or want to start a business, do I have the book for you: The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. With its provocative title, this book, by Mike Michalowicz, reads like it a collaboration between Steve Jobs and Chris Rock. It’s fun to read, and humorous, but when it comes to talking about “cleaning up your business,” the author gets right down to earth and gives practical advice that everyone can follow. He lauds the beginner and the do-it-yourselfer as the most capable of all business men and women. Too much education, he fears, can ruin a business person’s intuition. Says Michalowicz:
“Have no experience, no baseline to judge your progress against? Thank God! You’ve got a shot at making this work.”
The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur has been described as a “get real” approach and “a swift kick in the pants.” He urges business owners to take action now to make their goals come to life, and shows you just how to do it.
A career as a small business owner is one of the most rewarding, though risky, business opportunities to pursue. While others take salaried positions in corner offices, you may be working out of a warehouse or a small rented space. But that business will be yours entirely. You will manage it and feel the satisfaction if it succeeds. If it fails, you’ll have to ask yourself “where did I go wrong?” and put the pieces back together again. If you tend to be risk-averse, then owning a business may not be for you, but if you are fascinated by the process of running a business and following the ups and downs of the economy, then try becoming a small business owner.