Johan de Borst, a new Doctoral researcher at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, has recently launched a book called "The Stingy Startup - how to start a small business with no money". Johan de Borst, a new Doctoral researcher at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, has recently launched a book called "The Stingy Startup - how to start a small business with no money".
His PhD research is supervised by Associate Deputy Principal Professor Sara Carter, OBE, and Professor Jonathan Levie, UK Co-Director of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, the world's largest ongoing study of entrepreneurial dynamics.
Professor Levie commented, "This is the first business book that has made me smile on every page. Johan de Borst has done first time entrepreneurs a great service - he has translated some difficult abstract academic concepts about the practice of entrepreneurship into plain language and made them sound like common sense, so you don't even know you are learning a theory of starting a business. What's more, he walked the talk with the development of this book, using 'Stingy Startup' practices from start to finish."
Johan said, "This book is designed for the everyday entrepreneur. People with a burning desire to start a business but with limited resources. People have been creating and selling stuff to other people since society began and today it is easier than ever before. The Stingy Startup is simple to read and you may be able to read it in one or two afternoons. The book provides practical approaches and examples to starting businesses with lots of easy to understand examples. It has a clear message: 'your number one goal is to make your first sale within 2 weeks of reading the book'.
"The idea is to use resources you already have and to take action that leads to ongoing sales - and eventually, after a target period of six months, the goal is to have a steady source of revenue that combines to form a business that generates personal income and wealth and may become a source of community employment. Throughout the book there is even a cartoon strip featuring "Mr Stingy"; he simplifies the main themes and messages of each section of the book to enhance learning in a fun way."
The book is on recommended reading lists at Strathclyde and at Babson College entrepreneurship courses.
Johan de Borst is also an MBA graduate of Babson College in Boston, USA, the number one ranked school in Entrepreneurship for the last 20 years. In 2012 he was the European Scholarship award winner for Babson College and the Management division faculty award winner for the two year MBA program. While completing his Bcomm., at UCD in Dublin in 2008 he became Ireland's College Entrepreneur of the Year. He has extensive experience with very early stage startups and has operated multiple business ventures.
The book is available today at Amazon in paperback and on Amazon Kindle, it is even free to download with an Amazon Prime membership.