One of the main ideas behind this blog is to encourage you all to take advantage of the internet and the income-generating opportunities available to us all.
People are starting businesses everywhere and I think that's the coolest thing ever
On our vacation recently, I read The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau.
I'd say it's a good book, full of examples of "normal" people who are making full-time incomes online. Some were strategic about it and for others, it was accidental.
Things I liked:
- Real people – Chris includes stories from a wide range of people in all kinds of industries and of all kinds of backgrounds and educational levels. They are "normal" people. I like that because as a normal person myself, it inspires me and gives me hope.
- Real numbers – When I started doing this blogging-for-a-living thing back in 2010, one of the things that drove me batty was that fact that no one ever talked about real numbers. (Thus my post How Much Do Real Bloggers Actually Make?) You get hard and fast numbers here.
- Real research – Chris considered something like 1500 entrepreneurs to be included in this book. That's a large pool and a lot of research. I appreciate that.
- Real tips – There are definitely some real tips here that anyone can implement (although not nearly as many as The 4-Hour Workweek which tackles mostly the same topic).
What I would have liked more:
I would have liked more details about each of the businesses he covers. Specifically, I was hoping for more of the how people got from their $100-ish investment to $50,000+ income.
But I agree with his premise
The whole premise behind the book is what I've been saying for a long time now: the internet has leveled the business playing field.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that anyone can start a business with such a tiny investment. It takes work, of course, but gone are the days when MBAs, deep-pocketed investors, lengthy business plans and multiple employees were the norm for entrepreneurs.
Now, we ALL have a great shot.
I LOVE that.
I love it because it suits me. I'm frugal by nature and frankly, I'm commitment-shy. I don't want to be indebted to investors. I don't want to have to manage people. I certainly don't want to go back to school and pay for an MBA. Really, I just want to wing it and see what happens.
Indeed, the internet has changed things drastically.
A few things to know
The common thread among all the entrepreneurs included in the book is that they put a good amount of time and energy into their business and they were willing to carry some risk as well.
So, take your present situation into account. If you're not in a spot to do the same (P.S. there is NO SHAME in that), this is probably a good get-it-at-the-library kind of book that will inspire you, instead of a manual for what you can do next (although the nice thing is, even if you decide to act but decide it's not for you, $100 isn't a whole lot to lose).
I'm in line again
I rarely read books twice and I had to return The $100 Startup to the library as soon as we got home since someone else was in line to read it. But I want to go through it again so I've put it on hold and I'm waiting (if I can't wait I might use some Swagbucks and get the Kindle version, which is quickly becoming my preferred method of reading anyway).
What about you? Have you read it? What did you think?
Disclosure: There are referral links in this post. My full disclosure policy is here.
I've had this book on my Amazon wishlist for some time now. Glad to hear it's actually worth a read! I'm with you though– I'm quickly being converted to an e-book reader only. I never thought that would happen. There's something about perfectly straight highlighting that's doing me in!
Lindsey @ GrowingKidsMinistry.com
I love being able to highlight too…and then copy and paste it right into a post if I want to write about it. SO much easier than the old way!
Sooo…want to write a post on how to do that?
How to copy and paste from Kindle or Nook (I hope Nook too – since that's what I have) to a post?
Handy stuff!
hi Amy
I saw this book on Amazon, I'm also a big fan of Kindle, I just got mine in the mail, and am loving downloading and sorting my ebooks into categories (oops, I mean collections!)
I don't know if $100 start up is accurate. What does $100 actually start up anymore? Not much, maybe your hosting fee and a basic WP template, then add in days and months of researching what blogging is about, and making money from it, well, that takes a long to make any serious money. They don't mention that when they are trying to sell their $9 ebook selling you the dream do they!!
Anyway, nice to hear from someone who's read it, and obviously enjoyed it, I must get my hands on a copy soon them – deal.
Kate
You are right that there's a lot to take into consideration, but as far as monetary output (not including time of course), I definitely say I started for less than $100 myself!
Me too! I think it took me 6 months to spend $100 on my site, LOL
I read another post about this book by Amber Naslund. I read a sample of the book on Amazon and then bought the Kindle version. I haven't finished it but I thought the writing was very engaging.
PS I like the new look of your site!
Thank you!
Learning from those who have done it right is huge on my list! I love learning from business and religious leaders who have succeeded in their fields, but then I love finding out who it is that THEY learned from along the way. When I read that Michael Hyatt highly recommends this, I bought it (with a gift card!) for my Kindle. It was like I was reading a compelling novel that I couldn't set down—I kept wanting to know more! I agree with you that it's a great read. Though much of it was powerful, the part that impacted me most was the reminder to find that spot where my passion and the spot where "what people will pay for" or "what people want" overlap. Everybody wins! I've never worked harder, never been more inspired, and never had greater joy in what I'm doing! (Do the Kindle thing!!! I'm already on my second read-through…and I can highlight the items I want to recall!)
Yes, it made me revisit the idea of finding that sweet spot that I wrote about in Don't Just Make an Income, Make a Living.
I haven't read it but I look forward to doing so after reading your review. This is something my husband and I have talked about at length and are seriously investigating. Adding to my "to-read" list.
I had not heard of this book but it seems like a really good read and will be putting it on hold at my library. Love it! Thanks Amy
It encountered a few blogs recommending this book as a "must-read". I am now intrigue and I would really like to read this book. I also found this your book review very informative. Excellent job!
I had not heard of this book but now I will be heading to the library to check it out. I'm right in the middle of trying to start a at home business so the inspiration would be great!!!
I read this when we were on vacation a couple weeks ago. It is very motivating and I've been recommending it to people who are looking to change their work situation.
In fact, the book is probably one of the reasons I finally went from pondering a blog to taking action to set it up and get going! One thing that held me back was thinking I had to have everything perfectly planned, be well-versed in a very specific niche, and lots of other ideas that had me too much in my head and not enough 'on my feet' just doing it.
Basically I was stuck, and "$100 Startup" helped un-stick me and get me rolling!
I wasn't sure if this was another one of those books that doesn't give you the real story. I love the fact you get actual numbers and tips. This is the stuff everyday people need to read to get motivated and move forward in business.
Awesome! Thanks for the reading tip – I will definitely check it out!!
Sarah
http://acatlikecuriosity.blogspot.co.uk/
When you shoot for less than $100, you really are forcing yourself to get an education – which is a great foundation. Sometimes it is tempting to slap down some cash, so that you can get things done quickly and easily, but you miss so much of the learning if you do that.
Nice review. Too bad I'm too late… I already spend more than $100! It's nice to have all that research in once place on these internets. Similar to what you do Amy, to have the tools to get started in once place. There's too much creativity & good ideas out there previously subdued by the old guard of MBA's, banks, and brick & mortar stores to be held back now. Thanks.
I'm still waiting for my copy from the library. It looks very interesting. Thanks for the review.
Thanks for the review, Amy. I need to put this on my list of books to read.
Hmm…I've been going back and forth with this book! I've read all of the reviews, but I just don't think it feels feasible. I definitely think I'll check it out from the library first and then go from there. Thanks for the review, Amy!
Thanks for the recommendation. I downloaded it onto my kindle, it's an inetersting read.
I rarely buy non-Kindle books anymore but I bought this in hardback because I had a feeling I would really enjoy it. I just started it but already I know I am going to love it.