Built to Sell
Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You
By: John Warrillow
Published: April 28, 29011
Format: Hardcover, 176 pages
ISBN-10: 1591843979
ISBN-13: 978-1591843979
Publisher: Portfolio/Penguin
This book is about how to create4 a business that can thrive without you. Once your business can run without you, you'll have a valuable - sellable - asset", writes entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and angel investor John Warrillow, in the preface to his engaging and idea packed business parable Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You. The author shares the fictional account of business owner Alex Stapleton, who despite a loyal customer base, is unable to take the business to the next level of becoming a sellable company.
John Warrillow shares the concept of creating what he describes as a sellable company. To convey the principles that comprise a sellable company, the author offers a business fable to illustrate the ideas. The main character, Alex Stapleton is at a crossroads in his entrepreneurial career. While successful as a small business owner, he finds himself spread too thinly, as he is responsible for too many areas in managing the company. When he decides it's time to sell the company, he discovers that his presence is so integral to the overall business, that it has much less value without his management presence. He meets his old friend and successful entrepreneur Ted Gordon, who guides Tim toward transforming his company into a sellable business.
John Warrillow (photo left) offers a rare glimpse into the heart of a business through the eyes of an entrepreneur seeking to create a company that can be sold readily, at a premium price, and doesn't lose value with the removal of the previous owner. Since every business owner must eventually leave the business, an exit plan for the entrepreneur is essential for any company. The character of Ted Gordon helps troubled business owner Alex Stapleton navigate his way through the critical steps of preparing his company for sale.
The fictional Ted Gordon demonstrates to Alex that every aspect of the company's product or service must meet certain criteria to ensure that the company is built to sell:
* It is teachable. Products and services must be teachable to any employable or be automated to deliver results.
* It is valuable. The company doesn't compete on lower prices but on superiority in its products or services.
* It is repeatable. The company builds strong continual revenue streams through repeat customers.
For me, the power of the book is how John Warrillow presents his concepts for developing a business that is built to sell through the vehicle of a highly readable business story. The use of fictional people helps the author to illustrate how the sellable company is built through the use of a narrative fable. The principles offered in the book become readily understood, and the engaging storyline provides incentive for the reader to follow even the concepts that may be more complex through their steps toward their conclusion. The author also presents a nice summary of the tips presented in the book, as well as a very practical added chapter on implementing the nine principles effectively in any company.
I highly recommend the enjoyable and business transformational book Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow, to anyone seeking an entertaining yet highly educational book on creating a business that is built to sell. With every entrepreneur eventually needing an exit plan, for any number of reasons, this book will serve as the road map for reaching the desired sale destination.
Read the valuable little gem of a book Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow, and discover how to turn a business that would be very difficult to sell, into a company that will sell readily and command a premium price. This book provides the tool kit necessary for building a sellable company in any industry.
