The Knack: How Street-Smart Entrepreneurs Learn To Handle Whatever Comes Up (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
In “The Knack”, Norm Brodsky shares his passion for business and explains, through advice drawn from his highs and lows in business, what it is that makes a company successful. He starts by putting in plain words the one key metric that will make or break a business: gross margin, which he recommends to track by hand to really understand where it comes from. His advice then runs the whole gamut of business skills, including softer skills such as negotiating, building relationships with customers, relating to employees, reacting to employee theft, treating your competitors well, etc. He also explains why having many small customers is better than having a few big ones,I found “The Knack” captivating and would recommend it not only to entrepreneurs but to anyone interested in understanding how successful business leaders must think. Most of the advice is applicable beyond entrepreneurship in the corporate world or in one’s personal life. The book is well written and well organized, and I found the summaries at the end of each chapter very helpful. I jotted down so many quotes that I think reading the whole book again will be simpler than going through my notes! I was a little skeptical when I first picked this up because I feel like many business books don't have much new to say, but this is a great book. Norm has a great history and it's like sitting at the foot of a wise man who has walked the path before. He tells engaging stories from his businesses or from his mentoring. Also, I really feel like I have a much better idea of what it might be like to run a startup company.
What do You think about The Knack: How Street-Smart Entrepreneurs Learn To Handle Whatever Comes Up (2008)?
Good practical advice from Brodsky. Loved his stuff on the importance of gross margins.
—Haley
I am ashamed, and I haven't completed this book yet. plan to this week.
—charlie2
This is a good practical book about running a business.
—Tesquest
