Birthing the Elephant: The Woman's Go-for-It Guide to Starting and Growing a Successful Business »

BRUCE FREEMAN, nationally known as the Small Business Professor, is a syndicated columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. He is the president of ProLine Communications and serves as an adjunct professor of marketing and public relations at Kean University. Bruce lives with his wife and two daughters in Livingston, New Jersey.

 THE AUTHOR SCOOP

Have any good pet stories? I dedicated this book to the five women I have lived with including "Cuddles" the family cat. My younger daughter, Erica, does not allow holiday cards to leave the Freeman house without her name on it. Cuddles is a cute "orange tabby" cat.

As a Professor, how do you grade? I tell my students that when I am grading essays, they should hope that when I am grading their paper I finished one glass of Cabernet.

First job out of college? I was in ladies bras and lingeries (Kaiser Roth Corporation)

Do you try to do too many things at one time? With one tuchus, you can't dance at two weddings.

What is your favorite music? Jazz

 

KARIN ABARBANEL runs a marketing communications firm and served as Avon Corporation's spokesperson for its "Corporation to Cottage" initiative. She is the author of How to Succeed on Your Own and coauthor of The Art of Winning Foundation Grants. Karin lives in Montclair, New Jersey.

 THE AUTHOR SCOOP

What was your first writing gig? I can still remember my dad dictating a letter to me for Mrs. Pumpernickel, his imaginary editor – asking her for more money, of course! I couldn’t write yet, but that didn’t stop me from filling page after page of my very own legal pad. Then my dad put the letter in an envelope, walked to the mailbox with me, and pretended to send it. What a thrill! Do you have any pets? Dr. Watson, my four-legged, nonvirtual assistant is endlessly patient, loves everything I write, never complains if I miss a deadline, and always lets me know when the FedEx truck arrives. He even takes me out for a walk when I need a writing break. He loves Cheezits. Of course, he’s a highly educated fellow, with a PhD in Snackology.What was the biggest surprise for you in writing Birthing the Elephant? How ingenious launchers are: Women are endlessly creative when it comes to substituting brains for bucks – whether it’s setting up a satellite office at a local Denny’s or arriving at a radio station at 6 AM with a "pizza for plugs" order (heavy on the pepperoni) just to get some free advertising! Were there any particularly funny or unusual stories you discovered about women entrepreneurs while doing research for your book? There are so many: the basset hound who dragged a 50-lb bag of flour into one entrepreneur’s kitchen, pouring it all over himself and everything else; the husband who delivered bagfuls of lipstick at the back door of Bergdorf Goodman’s; the innkeeper who fantasized about serving guests cocktails with cheese & crackers in a frilly apron, but spends her days mowing the lawn in big rubber boots!Where did you and your coauthor brainstorm for Birthing the Elephant? I should say Holsteins, a local hangout where they filmed some heavy scenes from the Sopranos, but Bruce and I actually had our book meetings at a classic NJ diner where he usually ordered a healthful muffin and I chowed down on a cholesterol-laden omelet guaranteed to fatten even my brain cells!

Customized for the female entrepreneur's unique psychological experience of launching a business, BIRTHING THE ELEPHANT goes beyond logistics to prepare women for the emotional challenges they will face, with expert advice on reshaping one's business identity, giving up the paycheck mentality, anticipating problems, and avoiding costly mistakes. This supportive handbook gives the small-business owner the staying power to survive and succeed in the business of her dreams.A female entrepreneur's guide to navigating the psychological aspects of launching and building a business during the critical first 18 months. Women-owned businesses are increasing at twice the rate of other startups, with 500,000 launches each year. With a foreword by cosmetics guru Bobbi Brown.ReviewsRead all about it on: http://news.shelf-awareness.com/nview.jsp?appid=411&j=535397#2499225-Shelf Awareness"...emerging entrepreneurs will find advice that's worth the price of the book alone."-Booklist"This positive and practical guide for the first-time entrepreneur details the life cycle of a small-business launch with real-life stories and a slew of helpful hints and strategies."-Publishers Weekly PW and AARP's Roundup of Spring Books for Baby Boomers 4/15/08It's main segment on the page this week "Cash Flow: Subbing Brains fro Cash" featuring a contributor to the book and Karin plus, if you click on "small business: view all videos," you can see Karin's sole interview from the week before: "Cash Flow: 4 Spending Mistakes"-SmartMoney TV"With the number of women-owned businesses growing in the U.S. at the rate of one every 60 sconds-roughly 600,000 launches a year, according to the authors-the audience for this positive, cheerful, practical book should be substantial."-Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly

Starting your own business is tough, but learning to think like an entrepreneur is half the battle, say small-business consultants Abarbanel and Freeman. Part portable success coach, part step-by-step guide through the life cycle of a small-business launch, the book presents real-life stories-from the famous, such as makeup entrepreneur Bobbi Brown and stylish maternity-wear pioneer Liz Lange, to startups in the worlds of baking, filmmaking and high tech software. A great deal of space is given to tools for developing the emotional mind frame to succeed outside the comfort of the traditional workplace, and the authors devote particular attention to commitment, courage, persistence and other traits. Later chapters delve into the nitty-gritty of asset assessment, money management, support systems, success strategies and common pitfalls. This information is backed up with handy chapter-closing quick tips, checklists, action steps, real-life examples and a helpful resource guide. With the number of women-owned businesses growing in the U.S. at the rate of one every 60 seconds-roughly 600,000 launches a year, according to the authors-the audience for this positive, cheerful, practical book should be substantial. (Mar.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Acknowledgments     viii
Entrepreneurs and Experts     ix
Foreword     xi
Introduction     1
Design Your Destiny     5
Real Stories behind Real Start-Ups     19
Substitute Brains for Bucks     38
Take the Leap     62
Stage 1: Start Your Start-Up     82
Stage 2: Run Your Own Show     108
Stage 3: Turn Breakdowns into Breakthroughs     133
Stage 4: Find Your Business Rhythm     157
Avoid the Ten Biggest Pitfalls     178
Welcome to Your New Life!     194
Resources     198
Notes     203
Index     205
About the Authors     210