Your shoes are charred from stomping out brush fires. You have nightmares about UFOs--Unreachable Financial Objectives. All-star interviewees turn into duds. Meetings cause more problems than they solve. The office is a ghost town at 5:01 p.m. Does this sound familiar?

Tom Gegax knows what that is like. Years after running his Tires Plus franchise by the seat of his pants, blissfully unaware of how little he knew about getting the most out of people and managing a world-class organization, Tom was faced with a cancer diagnosis and a business at the brink of disaster. Resolved to change things around, he improved his mental clarity, health, and relationships and noticed that the more he profited on a personal level, the more his company profited. Tires Plus grew into a $200 million business with 150 upscale locations. He had learned the first lesson in Enlightened Leadership 101: Focus on the well-being of your employees and customers--as well as your own--and success will follow naturally.

In The Big Book of Small Business, Tom shares his hard-earned lessons on how to become an enlightened, effective leader, and on how to do the small things right so the big decisions work. This all-in-one toolbox for small businesses is jammed with warm-hearted, tough-minded practices and street-smart tips, covering every aspect of a growing business:

• Starting, funding, and getting your new business off the ground
• Crafting a mission and growing a corporate culture that works
• Hiring the best people and maximizing their potential
• Communicating and negotiating with your employees, customers, and suppliers
• Creating processes for continuous innovation and growth
• Protecting your business from unforeseen dangers
• Planning for growth
• And much more . . .

As thorough as a textbook and as lively as a news magazine, The Big Book of Small Business is the most comprehensive and practical book on how to take a small business to the next level, and an indispensable slingshot for the millions of scrappy Davids taking on corporate Goliaths.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Book with a great overview
Comment: This book is great. I actually rented it from the library first. But aftere reading the first 2 chapters I knew I had to own it. I am using a highlighter in the book. It's a great overview of everything you need to know to open up a business (or if you are thinking about it). Worth the money.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent wisdom and inspiration for the entrepreneur
Comment: As a new small business owner, I've devoured several books written on the topic of starting a business. Most have a few good kernels of knowledge in them somewhere, but none are as consistently helpful as this book.

The author, Tom Gegax, has a great deal of personal experience starting and growing companies, most of which seem to be in the tire industry. If you're business is not merchandise-based, but service-based, this book is still very pertinent. Topics like vision and values are discussed, as well as some interesting marketing ideas. Adapting the information into a business plan for a Web company was easy and enjoyable.

Be prepared for Mr. Gegax's very zealous approach to business. It borders on fanatical at times. If you shy away from corporate structures due to their "you must believe" mindset, you'll flinch a few times while reading, but it's still excellent counsel.

From a tactile standpoint, this book is great. The binding is well constructed, and the print is slightly large and easy to read.

I cannot recommend this book enough if you're starting your own business. Double that recommendation if you own your own business and need a shot of inspiration.

I also recommend Joe Kennedy's Small Business Owner's Manual available on Amazon.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: The first "Cliff Notes" for how to run a business.
Comment: If you could take all the best practices of business today and consolidate them into one manual, you would have an invaluable book but it would be about the size of the average American house. I believe "The Big Book for Small Business" by Tom Gegax is the "Cliff Notes" version of these best practices, I found this guide to be extremely valuable as an entrepreneur who owns four businesses and have made it required reading for all my employees.

Since one of my businesses is in an emerging market, I have done the unthinkable. I have sent my competitors CEO's copies of the book as well because I also believe in what Tom so eloquently stated, "A rising tide raises all boats". If we as industry can all utilize the advice contained in this book, our industry will grow to its incredible potential.

This is the best business book I have ever read and find myself coming back to it time and time again for strategy and execution ideas. This is 100% meat and zero fluff. My sincere congratulations to the author for delivering a business book masterpiece.

Best Regards,
Brian Brasch, President
Branick Industries Inc.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A great "How To" Piece on Owning and Operating a Small Business
Comment: Tom Gegax has done it again with The Big Book of Small Business...an outstanding "how to" commentary on starting and running a small (or not-so-small) business. A "must read" for anyone looking for a ready resource and "kitchen helper" in owning, operating and otherwise "worrying" a closely-held business. As the previous head of the Private Company Practice Group in my law firm, I can see how this book would have been of great help to many of my clients. As a person who once taught a course in Business Planning, I wish that at the time I had had Tom's book in hand to help students learn many of the practical aspects of running a business: managing people, strategic planning, negotiating commercial relationships, compliance etc - the list goes on.
Again, congratulations to Tom Gegax.
William R. Hibbs, Retired Partner, Dorsey & Whitney, PLLP, Minneapolis

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A wonderful source
Comment: Absolutely a fabulous book. Anyone who has ever run a business or plans to in the future will find this book a great asset. Tom Gegax delivers another winner.
William Cabot

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