Are You Ready to Start Your Own Business?: A Sanity Check for Those Who Dream of Self-Employment Paperback – April 21, 2015

This is a marvelous guide for anyone or group considering starting their own business. The "Personal Readiness Inventory" is an excellent beginning step before resources are committed. Why was I impressed by that section? After 5 1/2 years with my own company, I joined the faculty of Michigan State University, where we developed an "Export Success" program, working with groups of small to medium sized Michigan businesses to help them go international. The first step in that process was a "COmpany Readiness to Export," assessment, where we took the companies through a self-assessment like the one that Cynthia describes in the early part of the book. The factors she has included are excellent, as I reflect on the days when I started my own company, so I speak from experience (my company was Global Trade Services, Ltd.).Chapter 3 is superb, that is, in determining what you will need re "Input from Others." Whether you are an individual, a couple, or a small group considering starting your own business. You can't do it alone! Having the right partnering firms and services are critical to success, and must be lined up before the launch of your business. At the early stage, they can be very candid with you about what will be involved in starting a business, from their viewpoint. Building close relationships with those service providers is a critical factor in your success. With my international company, freight forwarders, independent inspection firms, and accounting firms were critical partners, and both helped build profitability and helped me avoid what could have been significant losses. Based in Washington, D.C., the relationships I developed with the key government agencies involved in international business were a huge assistance to me. The book describes all these kinds of services that you will need. Actually, you could look at this web of relationships as you "ecosystem." I found it useful to develop a chart that showed all my partners in my "ecosystem." You could take what you develop from addressing Cynthia's chapter and plot your own ecosystem.The chapter on developing the Business Plan describes the elements of an effective business plan more concisely than I have ever seen (and I've been involved in business/strategic planning all of my career, and had corporate responsibilities for business/strategic planning. With this book, you will get guidance through the process of business planning without having to read countless books on the subject!Finally, in Chapter 5, the book addresses the issue of being realistic about what your business can accomplish, and serve as a guide throughout the development of your business. It will be worth your keeping the lists included under "Common Causes of Business Failure" in front of you throughout the early years of building your new business!In summary, I highly recommend this book to anyone or any group considering starting a business. They could not find a better guide!Myron M. Miller

Cynthia Baughan Wheaton is a brilliant writer, and I found her book to be very effective and helpful as a self-employed psychologist. I found her style of writing to be simple and clear and not overwhelming. Of particular interest to folks considering starting their own business, I think that her personal readiness inventory is superior, as it is a practical, very helpful tool that assesses whether or not somebody is truly ready to make the leap to begin their own business. Also, Mrs. Wheaton, in my opinion, does a masterful job guiding individuals who are already self-employed, and helps them become less overwhelmed regarding self-employment taxes, Filing, Financial tips, how to save and plan for quarterly taxes effectively, etc. I personally found this very empowering as that has been one of the areas that has daunted me, and her book was a resource that helped me with taxes in a way that no other resource has before. Furthermore, I was very impressed with her both practical and quite analytical common reasons that people who are self-employed may not be successful, and I believe that she is 100% accurate. Knowing this information beforehand can help people who are planning to start a business to avoid potential pitfalls. Finally, as a person of Christian faith myself, I admire the way she beautifully inner - weaved the concept of faith throughout her book. I would highly recommend this author and her book to anybody considering self-employment, and have found her to be a wonderful resource thus far. Clearly a five star review! Sarah Faber Cameron, licensed psychotherapist in private practice

I started my own business 15 years ago. Unlike many small businesses, it succeeded. But there were so many things I didn’t know. I made a mistakes. This book is the one I wish I had back then. It is organized. It covers the key topics but, more importantly, it asks the right questions. If you are considering starting your own business, but this book. You’ll be glad you did. If you have a businessThat has stalled, it could help you go back to the basics and diagnose what’s wrong. Highly recommend !

As a business teacher for 31 years, I found Cynthia Wheaton's book, "Are You Ready to Start Your Own Business?" a must read for anyone considering starting a business. I found this easy-to-read book very enlightning. Important questions to ask yourself at the end of each section were very helpful. This book can be used as a workbook to answer questions and make notes. The step by step way to make a business plan was right on the money. Cynthia's personal business experiences were interesting and enjoyable to read. And I loved all the various inspirational quotes in each section of the book.This guide is a great source of information if you desire to start your own business. I'm passing it on!

I love this book for entrepreneurs! Ms Wheaton packed a lot of solid information in here. I started my first business last year and this helped keep me focused while letting go of things that wouldn’t prove productive for growth. Well worth the read!

What a great read for anyone who is considering starting a business! I only wish that I had this helpful resource when I started my business years ago. What I love about this book is that it is filled with helpful tips and thought provoking questions that help the reader navigate or consider what it really takes to be successful in the business world. Since many businesses don't make it past the three year mark, I believe this is an absolute must read for every wishful business owner in the making!