Review: Should be called "Beginners Guide to Creating an Internet Presence"
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 13, 2012
This book is a great reference for understanding all the pieces necessary to set up your Internet presence, and it does a very good job of providing an overview of where you may need to put attention. It doesn't really talk about *how* to start a business, and although it touches on some marketing aspects, it tends more to a broad brush approach, which is why I think the title is a bit misleading and why I gave it 4 stars.Make no mistake, this information is invaluable, and if you are new to the Internet, then this book will be a very useful start for you - as well as a way to make sure you are tracking all the things you should be. The internet can be a confusing place - use this book to familiarize yourself with what needs to be taken care of and keep track of the pieces. (Hint: use it to create your own checklist of things to pay attention to for your business.)The content itself is very good. The author has taken a logical approach and laid out many of the things you need to think about. She has included lots of options to consider, and several of the latest advances to be aware of depending on what what you want to do with your business.My reasons for not giving it 5 stars (and I wish I could give it 4.5) relate to its ambitiousness in promising that it gives "all the steps to set up an online business". This is where my personal bias comes in, having worked with many small businesses and solo-preneurs to create successful online and brick-and-morter businesses.Certainly you could take the "build it and they will come" approach, but if you want a real business, there are so many details that need to be taken care of before you jump onto the Internet. As a successful entrepreneur friend of mine once told me, throwing technology at anything only complicates it. You need to take care of the foundation first.So, do your homework to make sure you are ready to start your business, THEN pick up this book when you are ready to take it online - because that's when you will get the most value from this book.