Any budding entrepreneur with questions about a business dilemma or how to balance personal and business life will find some tried-and-true , applicable wisdom in Jim Hirshfield's new book, "Fortune and Freedom: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Success." Hirshfield's qualifications include an MBA from Harvard and 26-years experience as the CEO of a cable company he founded. "Fortune and Freedom" outshines the myriad of other available business self-help books because it's about how to have a good life and enjoy the financial freedom of entrepreneurship, not a get- rich-quick scheme. "Fortune and Freedom" takes the stance that the business aspects of one's life cannot be separated from the rest of life, so it provides essential advice for how to effectively manage one's time to succeed across the board. "Fortune and Freedom" will also teach readers how to prepare themselves to own and run a business, how to decide how their project should be financed, how to find the right deal, how to negotiate and much more.
Fortune & Freedom: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Success
Jim Hirshfield
Millennium Ventures Press (2008)
ISBN 9780979812705
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (4/08)
In his book “Fortune and Freedom: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Success,” author Jim Hirshfield explores all aspects of what it takes to become an entrepreneur. Who better to write this guide than someone who has been in the trenches as an entrepreneur for more than thirty years? During that time he successfully bought, owned and sold several companies. In this book he successfully translates his experience into a guide that current or aspiring entrepreneur’s can use as a barometer to success.
There are many questions to consider before becoming an entrepreneur that “Fortune & Freedom” highlights such as:
Should I buy an existing business or start one from scratch? Each type of business has many pros and cons.
How should I finance the project? With my own money, investors or lending institutions.
What kind of experience should I have before embarking on a career as an entrepreneur?
Does the freedom and opportunity of being an entrepreneur outweigh the security and resources of being an employee?
Those questions are just a few that are answered in this book. As an entrepreneur myself I was very glad to see so many relevant concerns of mine answered throughout the book, and to find out that I have made some very good choices along the way. I am currently in a situation where a company that dominates my market is trying to buy out my business with stock options and a job offer. The author’s previous experience with that scenario has helped me to reconsider my position.
Jim Hirshfield’s “Fortune and Freedom: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Success” is a must read for anyone who is interested in becoming an entrepreneur or who is already traveling down that road. This is a short book that can be read in one sitting, but is so full of helpful information that I will probably refer to again and again as I move forward with my business and future businesses.
Don’t Wait, Lead Now is a must-read for emerging leaders and anyone in leadership that wants to up their game— full of practical, real-world examples that highlight the traits and behaviors that create high-performing teams.
