The $100 Startup - Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future (Broché)

In The $100 Startup, Chris Guillebeau shows you how to lead a life of adventure, meaning, and purpose—and earn a good living. Contrary to popular belief, starting your dream business doesn't require a huge investment. You can begin small with your venture, committing hie time or money, and wait to take the real plunge when you're sure it's successful. In preparing to write this book, Chris identified 1,500 individuals who have built businesses earning $50,000 or more from a modest investment (in many cases $100 or less), and from that group, he's chosen to focus on the fifty most intriguing case studies.
In nearly all instances, people with no special skills discovered aspects of their personal passions that could be monetized, and they were able to restructure their lives in ways that gave them greater freedom and fulfillment. Here, finally, distilled into one easy-to-use guide, are the most valuable lessons from those who've learned how to turn what they do into a gateway to profitable self-employment.
It's all about finding the intersection between your "expertise" —even if you don't consider it such—and what other people will pay for. You don't need an MBA, a business plan, or even employees. All you need is a product or service that springs from what you love to do anyway, people willing to pay, and a way to get paid. Chris tells you exactly how many dollars his group of unexpected entrepreneurs required to get their projects up and running ; what these individuals did in the first weeks and months to generate significant cash ; some of the key mistakes they made along the way ; and the crucial insights that made the business stick.
Among Chris's key principles : If you're good at one thing, you're probably good at something else ; never teach a man to fish—sell him the fish instead ; and in the battle between planning and action, action wins. In ancient times, people who were dissatisfied with their lives dreamed of finding magic lamps, buried treasure, or streets paved with gold. Today, we know that it's-up to us to change our lives—and with all the tools and technologies we now have at our disposal, turning our ideas into income is easier than ever.
This remarkable book will start you on your way.