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Formats
Paperback Details
  • 03/2015
  • 978-0-9907542-0-6 0090754200
  • 344 pages
  • $22.99
Ebook Details
  • 03/2015
  • 978-0-9907542-2-0 B00SXA4UMI
  • 344 pages
  • $9.99
Maya Sullivan
Author
Dare To Be Your Own Boss: Follow Your Passion, Create a Niche

Adult; Business & Personal Finance; (Market)

Millions of individuals desire to work for themselves yet they do not know what type of enterprise to start or when to make the leap. The essence of the book is about discovering your vocational passion, exploring opportunities and designing a business that is a good fit. The process of creating a niche involves perusing a variety of examples, 600 business ideas and various needs and desires of over 7-billion individuals worldwide. Being your own boss can be empowering, stimulating and overwhelming at the same time. Yet people have an opportunity to use their values, strengths and passion to make a difference and to be of service to others. Readers are encouraged to follow their hearts and pursue their dreams. The 300 resources, 16 market research methods and 50 action steps help in transforming your dream into reality.

Reviews
Many people dream about starting their own businesses and working for themselves, but few are confident enough to forgo a steady paycheck and leap into the unknown. Sullivan, a self-admitted serial career reinventor, seeks to increase the odds of success in this in-depth informative guide. The key, she states, is to discover what excites your passion and then match it with a venture. The book consists of three sections, namely “Becoming Your Own Boss,” “12 Areas of Opportunity,” and “Moving Forward.” Sullivan begins with the basics, identifying six benefits and six drawbacks of being the boss, with expanded income potential and enhanced well-being on the upside, and financial uncertainty and no subsidized benefits on the downside. She also explores options for financing that range from traditional investors to crowdfunding. Sullivan goes on to list “14 Keys to Ignite Your Passion and Enthusiasm.” Part Two focuses on categories of industries to explore, such as business-to-business, and goods and services. The last section is perhaps the most crucial, exploring the all-important concept of viability, followed by a lengthy list of resources for new business owners. While Sullivan doesn’t claim to have a roadmap to success, she does arm readers with knowledge that will be handy in getting there. (BookLife)
Kirkus Reviews

This combination self-assessment and idea starter should spark the interest of anyone with entrepreneurial drive.

Debut author Sullivan, herself an entrepreneur and small-business trainer, enters a crowded category but sets her work apart with its good intentions. Rather than supply the how-to advice commonly found in most be-your-own-boss books, Sullivan explores the motivational aspects of pursuing the entrepreneurial dream while also providing a wealth of business ideas. In the book’s first section, Sullivan offers such entries as “10 traits for entrepreneurial success,” “six benefits and six drawbacks” of being your own boss, and “14 keys to ignite your enthusiasm and passion.” Part 2 digs into the details of where an entrepreneur’s passion may lie. Here, Sullivan walks the reader through “12 areas of opportunity,” including both general and specific conceptual ideas. For example, the first two chapters in this section make a useful distinction between focusing on selling to consumers versus selling to businesses (B2B), while another chapter addresses selling to governments. Other areas key in on current trends that suggest possible areas of business opportunity: e.g., food and family farms, pets and companion animals, assisting seniors and people with disabilities, and “promoting a sustainable future.” A chapter entitled “Serving Needs of the Global Population” puts forth the concept of “social entrepreneurship.” The book’s final section concerns the entrepreneur’s assessment of the viability of a chosen idea. Here, Sullivan lays out a process for idea evaluation, offers helpful advice about how to do market research to determine an idea’s value, and provides an alphabetical listing of “50 Steps to Starting Your Business.” She includes a helpful multipurpose spreadsheet that can be used to rate areas of interest and ends with an extensive resources section. Sullivan applies a refreshing amount of altruism to her choice of categories that should give would-be entrepreneurs a sense of purpose as they consider what direction to take.

Clearly and cogently written, a thought-provoking book that provides useful guidance to entrepreneurial risk takers as well as a treasure trove of potential business ideas.

 

News
03/26/2015
New Book by Maya Sullivan Empowers Individuals to Become Their Own Boss

 

The prospect of being our own boss appeals to millions of people. Yet it can be challenging to know what type of enterprise to create or when to make the leap. Dare To Be Your Own Boss: Follow Your Passion, Create a Niche helps a person design a business that is both viable and fulfilling.

Stanwood, WA (PRWEB) March 26, 2015

The essence of Dare To Be Your Own Boss, Follow Your Passion, Create a Niche is about discovering your vocational passion, exploring opportunities and creating a business that is a good fit. Entrepreneurs include employees experiencing burnout, baby boomers who are too vibrant to retire and graduates who dread the thought of working in an office cubicle for 50 years.

Launching a successful venture is a five-step process:

The first step involves tapping into what sparks one’s enthusiasm. The book offers readers 14 ways to clarify what is important to them in a fulfilling livelihood. Clues to an ideal vocation are embedded in values, strengths, childhood dreams and other areas. Pursuing our vocational passion increases the potential for success and can emotionally support a person through all kinds of hurdles.

The second step encompasses looking at areas where there is a demand for products and services and then creating a niche. This includes selecting the types of groups to serve such as seniors, children or businesses. In others words the type of people one feels impassioned to serve. The book explores a variety of ideas and offers 300 resources and over 600 opportunities that can help in discovering thousands of potential niches.

The third step involves matchmaking, taking ideas from steps one and two then combining them to identify concepts that resonate. The greater the excitement for what a person is doing, the more likely she is to prosper.

Step four encompasses navigating the market research process. The book offers 16 sources of information and a list of 21 questions. Learning about the potential viability of a concept, the reality behind the dream, can save time and money. It involves looking at trends and kinds of businesses that could do well, even in weak economies, for well-managed enterprises.

The fifth step is about moving forward and taking 50 action steps to make it happen.

Exercises throughout the book help readers gain insight into their interests and level of enthusiasm. A complimentary spreadsheet makes it easy to record what is appealing. By the end of the book, readers will have built a spreadsheet that offers a big picture of their entrepreneurial traits, interests and potential ventures.

Being your own boss can be empowering, stimulating and overwhelming at the same time. Yet people have an opportunity to use their values, strengths and passion to make a difference in their unique way and to be of service to others. Readers are encouraged to follow their hearts and pursue their dreams.

The book is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and KOBO Books. 

Formats
Paperback Details
  • 03/2015
  • 978-0-9907542-0-6 0090754200
  • 344 pages
  • $22.99
Ebook Details
  • 03/2015
  • 978-0-9907542-2-0 B00SXA4UMI
  • 344 pages
  • $9.99
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