The Big Idea: How to Make Your Entrepreneurial Dreams Come True, from the Aha Moment to Your First Million by Donny Deutsch, Catherine Whitney

From Barnes & Noble

If you're hungry for a "feel good" business book (and these days, who isn't?), here it is. On his nightly The Big Idea CNBC television show, Donny Deutsch spotlights "little people" entrepreneurs who made good. In this instructive companion book, he fleshes out the details of these start-up successes, following each grassroots project from breakthrough idea to fruition and expansion. An empowering clinic for can-do people.

From the Publisher

It's the moment when you say, "There's gotta be a better way." It's the moment when you ask, "How can I solve this problem?"

Donny Deutsch's hit CNBC show The Big Idea has put the spotlight on that ordinary moment and the people who have the courage and stamina to make their dreams come true.

Some people think a big idea is like a lightning bolt striking out of the blue that slams you in the head. But it's hardly ever like that. The Big Idea isn't an act of God. It's an act of daily life. Simply put, the idea that will make millions starts with an observation.

A carpenter gets tired of almost losing a finger every time he slices a bagel. Bam! The Bagel Guillotine. A mother is frustrated that her pantry is full of stale food because the packages don't close. Bam! Quick Seals. Howard Schultz notices on a trip to Italy that there are coffee bars on almost every corner. Bam! Starbucks. None of them had a barrel of cash. None of them had a ton of experience. They had a big idea and the will to follow through.

In The Big Idea, Deutsch draws not only on his own tremendous focus and expertise, but on that of dozens of the successful entrepreneurs whom he has interviewed, to help you create your own enterprise. From the "Gut Check Moment" to "Mom Power," The Big Idea takes aspiring entrepreneurs along every step of the way. The Big Idea is your road map to the American dream.

Publishers Weekly

In this highly readable companion to his nightly CNBC television series, The Big Idea, former ad man Deutsch profiles the entrepreneurs who have visited his show and the lessons he's learned from them. The author relishes stories of "little people"-mothers, students, retirees and "former screw ups"-who had only a good idea and built multimillion-dollar businesses without MBAs or sometimes the support of their friends and families-individuals like Lisa Lloyd, a single mother with a poverty-line wage who borrowed money and sold her car to create her first batch of plastic hair clips that created elaborate braids with little fuss. After receiving positive encouragement from local salons, Lloyd licensed the product to a national barrette manufacturer, where it has enjoyed $30 million in sales to date-and made Lloyd a rich woman. Entrepreneurial success stories are complemented by practical advice and resources for building a business. The author's enthusiasm and interest in his readers is apparent on every page, distinguishing this book from the dry, disinterested business guides that fill the small business startup bookshelves. (Jan.)

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