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For awhile now, I’ve intended to provide reviews on various business books I’ve read. I thought I would start with one that I read a couple years ago entitled Start Your Own Business by Rieva Lesonsky. I would first like to note, however, that I read the third edition whereas Rieva has since released a fourth edition. It is possible that additional topics have been added beyond what I cover in this review.

Boasting itself as “the only start-up book you’ll ever need”, Start Your Own Business has very much to offer in its extensive 700 pages. The content is organized in a chronological manner with relation to the business process. From organizing your strategy to filing your taxes, this book covers all the fine details.

Starting in the early chapters, there is a plethora of information on helping you to determine if you’re “ready” to become an entrepreneur, whether you should start from scratch or purchase a store, and useful suggestions on whether you should dive in head-first making your entrepreneurial attempt one that is full-time or easing into as something part-time. It also covers the basic topics in business, such as selecting a business entity type, deciding upon a name, conducting basic market research, and an explanation of what goes into writing a business plan before getting started.

Even though you may have a game plan, you’ll still need funds to get you started. The following part of the book walks through the most likely candidates on how to go about financing your business. From family and friends to angel investors to debt and equity financing, Start Your Own Business walks you through the key steps for piquing interest in others and cashing in on the options available to you.

Although you may have figured out your financing, there’s still more to be done before getting your business off the ground. The next set of chapters includes many more topics on preparation, such as: choosing a location (including content for those setting up a home-based business); managing inventory; preparing mailing/shipping accounts; developing an employee benefits plan; hiring employees; and getting insurance for your business.

In a later section of the book, Start Your Own Business also covers topics relating to advertising and marketing on the Web. My personal opinion is that this section would be more suitable alongside the above information since it relates to location. Despite its placement in the book, there is much value to be had in the chapters relating to using the Web to achieve success.

After all the preparation and organization that Start Your Own Business covers, it’s time to learn what goes into running your start-up. Marketing and business promotion techniques are covered, and many effective selling techniques are provided. Part of the technique involves steps to take to ensure exceptional customer service that keeps your customers coming back, effectively saving you money on marketing efforts for customers you have previously reached.

The closing chapters of the book discuss the many details of bookkeeping. Included is information relating to the creation of financial statements, general financial management, and handling taxes. Because there is so much involved with bookkeeping, many resources are provided, including forms in the book as well as URL’s where more publicly available information can be attained.

The bottom line: Start Your Own Business is an ideal primer for someone looking to enter the world of entrepreneurship. If you’re serious about building a start-up or simply want to learn about how to go about specific aspects of creating a business, I highly recommend this book.