Dan Kennedy’s Business Success Without BS

I must admit that this book review is one of the most difficult I have ever written. There are usually only a handful of nuggets of gold that I can easily point to in a book review. With Dan Kennedy’s No BS Business ~ Success – The Ultimate No Holds Barred, Kick Butt, Take No Prisoners, Tough & Spirited Guide, I found something tangible and applicable to entrepreneurship in every chapter.

As I read books, I keep a highlighter and sticky note pad handy to mark points to ponder or implement. You should see the many sticky notes sticking out of this book. I’ll share the most moving insights and encourage you to read the book to find out what speaks to you.

My absolute favorite passage in the book is on page 11 and if you are a truly energetic entrepreneur I imagine it will speak to you too. Here is “The fact, and it is a fact, the line between ‘work’ and ‘play’ is completely blurred for the true entrepreneur and the corollary fact that the business life of the entrepreneur is often, frankly, bluntly, more important for him (his) that his personal and social life are a great source of confusion, annoyance and tension for those around him”. (Note that I’ve inserted the reference to “her” because I don’t want the “nice guys club” to overlook that this also applies to many female entrepreneurs.

Kennedy counters this statement with sage advice that you do not want to marry your business, but rather marry your business goals. His point is that you own the business, don’t let him own you. Throughout the book, he shares ways to systematically delegate and reduce your business’s reliance on you. To truly experience wealth, security, and freedom, you must embrace this notion and it is one of the hardest for entrepreneurs to do. The key, align yourself with smart team members so you don’t lose sleep because you think if you don’t, it won’t get done right.

Here are a handful of the nuggets that spoke to me (and trust me, there are plenty more).

* Hire support people to help with marketing, but be careful who you hire and always check references.

* Sell yourself in the sale. It is one of the most important skills an entrepreneur needs to be successful.

* Believe in your own abilities. You are probably much more advanced than you would have imagined and may be successful in your field.

* Never rely on just one person to play a critical and key role in your business. Always have support or a backup plan.

* Don’t get so absorbed in your success that it affects other aspects of your life.

Again, these are nuggets that really spoke to me. Kennedy provides sound advice and strategies that can be applied any time, including how to deal with the legal aspects of business, how to stay sane in a crazy world, how to manage cash flow, how to achieve maximum productivity, how to attract good luck and plus. This book is well worth reading.