Thursday, April 14, 2011

Book Review: Starting a Micro Business by Carol Topp (and a GIVEAWAY!)


ISBN: 978-0-09829245-0-1

Retail price: $9.95

(Cincinnati, OH) With unemployment rates high, the teen population is finding it harder and harder to find work. Adults are competing for the same minimum wage jobs. But there’s an alternative—starting a micro business. What is a micro business? It is a very small, one-person business that you can start easily and quickly with what you already know or own. No money needed, low risk and no debt! Students can spend as much time running a micro business as they wish and can even close it down during busy times. The best advantage for teens to own a micro business is that it not only brings in extra cash (often more than imagined), but students end up learning a great deal about business, money and themselves. It may lead to an entrepreneurial life or at the very least, prepare students for higher learning opportunities.

Starting a Micro Business will help teenagers earn money while learning how to start their own business. A micro business is simple to start, usually home-based, low risk, educational and easy for a busy student to run. This book offers ideas, a business plan, starting with no debt, pitfalls to avoid and resources to get a teenager started making money running their own micro business.
From the book's website:

"Starting a micro business will help teenagers earn money while learning a lot. A micro business is simple to start, usually home-based, low risk, educational and easy for a busy student to run. This book offers ideas, a business plan, pitfalls to avoid and resources to get a teenager started making money running their own micro business."


Starting a Micro BusinessSince the book to be reviewed today is a book written primarily to teens, I asked my son, who is fourteen years old, to be a guest reviewer. This is what he says about it:

"I found Starting a Micro Business to be more helpful than the 'Dummy' books I have read on the same subject. The real-life examples are helpful. The information is useful and I hope to use the book in the future to start my own micro business. I believe every teen who wants to start their own business should read this book and that it will help them succeed."

I agree with him. Although small in size (112 pages), it is full of information for teens to help them get started with:

1. Getting an idea for their business
2. Writing a business plan
3. Avoiding common problems
4. Financing their business

If you have a young person in your family who is thinking about having their own business, this is a great resource to own. I give Starting a Micro Business for Teens 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

(Tomorrow I will have a bio of the author, Carol Topp, and an article on business ideas for teens.)

(I received this book from Kathy Carlton Willis Communications for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.)


GRAND PRIZE!

One commenter will receive: The Complete Set of Carol Topp's Micro Business for Teens Series

(Winner will receive the four books shown below)

Starting a Micro Business

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-0-1

Retail price: $9.95



Running a Micro Business

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-1-8

Retail price: $9.95



Money and Taxes in a Micro Business

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-3-2

Retail price: $9.95



The Micro Business for Teens Workbook

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-2-5

Retail price: $14.95
 
 
 
Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win!

2 comments:

Carol Topp, CPA said...

Thanks Judylynn & son for the review! I guess I accomplished my goal to create a helpful and realistic book to help teenagers start a business.

You read the first book, Starting a Micro Business and yes, I kept it short and sweet, so a teenager wouldn't be too overwhelmed. It's followed by a second book Running a Micro Business and then a third book, Money and Taxes in a Micro Business. Students can read each book as needed and as their business grows.

The Micro Business for Teens Workbook is designed for a student to apply what they read in the Starting and Running books and works great in a group or class setting.

I taught 10 teenagers using the workbook last semester and we had a lot of fun. One boy recently told me he is making $100 a month giving guitar lessons.

My website http://MicroBusinessForTeens.com has sample pages and a Table of Contents for each book.

Thanks for your help in spreading the word!

Carol Topp, CPA
Author Micro Business For Teens series

Kate {The Parchment Girl} said...

This sounds like an excellent book! It never occurred to me before that a book on this topic would be useful. When I was in high school everyone who had a micro-business just sort of started it without help from anyone or any books... but I think that having a concrete guide would be really helpful for the industrious.