Self-Made Boss summary

Small businesses do so much more than contribute to the economy. They’re a big part of our social fabric: they give neighborhoods character, and they’re part of the lifeblood that holds communities together.

The United States has a lot of small business owners – approximately 30 million, in fact. If you’re looking to join their number and want to set up a small business of your own, then these Blinks are for you. If you’ve already struck out on your own and you’re seeking advice and inspiration from other small business owners, they’re for you, too. 

You can find a lot of inspirational business books from Fortune 500 CEOs – but what if you own a neighborhood pizza joint and you’re looking to source the best Buffalo mozzarella? Or you just opened a bookstore and you need to build your social media presence? You need practical business advice that’s tailored to your situation. 

The authors call this book a starter kit. That means that in these Blinks, we won’t be getting into the weeds with many of the topics that might be relevant at various stages in starting a business, like tax strategy or how exactly you set up a profit-and-loss statement. (When it comes to that sort of thing, the details vary a lot based on industry and location anyway.) Instead, we’ll outline the basics of what it takes to become a self-made boss and point you in the right direction for getting started. 

In these blinks, you’ll learn

• what a mom-and-pop ice cream shop has to teach all business owners;
• the two things you can do to weather most business setbacks; and
• how to create buzz for your business by word-of-mouth.