The Breakthrough Book for Startup Businesses

Posted by sdp

October 23rd, 2009

Theodore Parker said, “The books that help you the most are those that make you think the most.” Here is a good book for business people, The Breakthrough Company by Keith R McFarland, a business consultant for the wildly successful IT company called Microsoft. Its 288 pages are packed with valuable insights and guidelines for simple startup companies. Basically, this book provides an important connection between beginning small companies and how these transform into corporate giants.

Most fledgling entrepreneurs and small business owners dream big but start small. In the scheme of things, that is how it usually starts out. But sometimes, the problem lies in how to make the leap from a small computer shop, for instance, into a big business company like IBM. McFarland generously shares case studies from the experience of nine startup companies that achieved success in their various fields—from snowmobile manufacturers to providers of paycheck systems. The author wanted to show a practical business model which small businesses could use as guideline or template for their own niches. He picked low profile companies that gradually grew into big, successful ones.

McFarland promotes entrepreneurship at the basic level. He says that the strengths enjoyed by small companies such as flexibility and quick internal results could be stunted or blocked by business owners who do not know how to institute needed changes. He emphasizes that every employee in a company, even the Chief Executive Officer, should support and revolve around the company, and not the other way around. This is the paradigm shift he espouses and calls it “crowning the company”. By looking at the overall welfare of the company, and not focused on personalities that run it, a step is made in the direction of progress for the company that generations of employees and managements could benefit from.

For example, original business owners should step down from their high positions when the need arises or open the company to public equity for the greater good. On the other hand, employees should also show sincerity and responsibility for the company in order for it to achieve a high level of business output in all levels. McFarland also tackled how to companies could deal with growth slumps, or what he calls “the business Bermuda Triangle”. Indeed this book is a good investment to have for startup businesses. For around $20, just a few dollars leftover from a cash advance, people could purchase this helpful book. Who knows, they may be inspired to start their own home-based businesses.