Educational Media Reviews Online

This extraordinary series speaks directly to the prospective entrepreneur with potent and timely guidance. Throughout, the expansive and inclusive work gives apposite reassurances and warnings regarding small business ownership. The information is well organized, with PowerPoint-esque graphics and exposition of learning objectives. Many times, information is not merely stated, but presented as challenging questions for self-reflection for prospective entrepreneurs.

Disk 1: Planning Your Business: Research, Goals, and Business Plans
This disk is largely motivational, stating that successful small businesses often start with capricious inspirations. It compels the prospective entrepreneur to thoroughly examine one’s drive to start a business so as to affirm one’s passion for the field. Moreover, it offers a sequence of probing questions in order to establish that one is not merely trying to escape the “9 to 5 grind,” but has the personality traits and work ethic to successfully launch an enterprise. This volume profiles a good entrepreneur as one who constantly challenges oneself, and one who enjoys competition and leadership. It discusses the importance of planning, not just in terms of financing, but concerning impact on one’s family and well-being. This volume breaks from the personal analysis to stress the importance of identifying a niche and a feasible manner in which to fill it. The disk closes with an overview of the types of business (sole proprietorship, partnership, and corporation) and good summations of their respective advantages and disadvantages vis-a-vis taxation, liability, and management.

Disk 2: Starting your Business: Financing, Branding, and Regulations
This volume offers a great deal of tactical advice (as opposed to the previously seen overarching guidance), such as a seeking a mentor, examining other local businesses, and considerations to make when naming one’s company. As in Disk 1, this volume uses a pro/con format in discussing types of financing, and leasing/owning equipment and real estate. There is a brief overview of regulations, and a jovial but stern assertion of the paramount importance of a willingness to seek out proper forms regarding finances and regulation.

Disk 3: Finding Your Customers: Marketing and Advertising Your Business
Returning to more strategic advice as seen in Disk 1, this disk presents ideas on how one may build a customer base. The audience receives a concise overview of how best to communicate a company’s message to potential customers. Keen insights are found throughout. The disk demonstrates the need to monitor the successfulness of media advertising, and the willingness to drop an unfruitful advertising tactic. Overwhelmingly, the guidance of this volume centers upon growing products, services, and decision making processes based upon customers’ motivations and behaviors.

Disk 4: Managing Your Business: Prices, Finances, and Staffing
Here one may find the broadest guidance in the series. Prospective entrepreneurs are advised to keep a close watch on customers, local trends, and industry trends when determining prices. The volume carefully demonstrates the importance of tracking sales and the interrelationships of pricing and marketing. With regards to personnel management and hiring, the work offers a selection of very general advice, centering on observing employees’ behavior and motivations just as one would with customers.

Disk 5: Looking Ahead: Exiting Your Business
Though an unpleasant thought, this disk systematically examines a selection of warning signs for a failing business, and provides an overview of how to proceed through a business failure or bankruptcy. On a more positive note, this volume examines the possibilities of selling a business, and the anatomies of mergers and acquisitions. The series concludes on a very brief but upbeat note, observing that even if a small business fails, second time entrepreneurs are often successful after learning valuable lessons from previous mistakes.

This series proceeds beautifully from point to point, and operates like a grand flowchart for decision making when contemplating starting a business. Furthermore, it will serve as an excellent resource for present entrepreneurs, as it continually makes mention of information resources from the Small Business Administration and recommendations of software for record keeping. This is a profoundly valuable resource with cautions, inspiration, reassurance, and wisdom.