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Built to Sell

Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You

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Built to Sell

By: John Warrillow
Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
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About this listen

A business parable about how to create a start-up that won't trap you when you want to sell it. According to John Warrillow, the number one mistake entrepreneurs make is to build a business that relies too heavily on them. Thus, when the time comes to sell, buyers aren't confident that the company-even if it's profitable-can stand on its own. To illustrate this, Warrillow introduces us to a fictional small business owner named Alex who is struggling to sell his advertising agency. Alex turns to Ted, an entrepreneur and old family friend, who encourages Alex to pursue three criteria to make his business sellable:

  • Teachable: focus on products and services that you can teach employees to deliver.
  • Valuable: avoid price wars by specializing in doing one thing better than anyone else.
  • Repeatable: generate recurring revenue by engineering products that customers have to repurchase often.

©2011 John Warrilow (P)2011 Gildan Media Corp Business Development & Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship Personal Development Personal Success Small Business Business
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A must read for any entrepreneur. Great read when you are starting out which can save you a lot of headaches.

Great Read

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Highly recommend this book for anyone in business. Whether you are intending to sell the business or not there are many powerful learnings to implement into your business. Take notes and implement.

Easy listening with heaps of great learnings

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Very worth the time to read (listen). Concise and filled with insights that one can implement.

Valuable

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I’ve read maybe hundreds of business books. This is the one. I respected and loved how it weaves business teachings into a story.
This is one of those (rare) books that changed everything.

This was the one

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The insights that come with this book are inspiring and the narration on point. Learned much and will be continuing to follow the author and narrator.

Insights Galore

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Being the owner of a group of companies (for 40 years) that include services making logos and customers art. Due to technology, I would have gone bankrupt doing what John has suggested in the book by just doing logos. We create them for free. It's part of the service. I agree with standardisation but.....
Getting past this, the book is well designed and worth listening to. Creating a Unique selling proposition is what young John was actually advising and that is exemplified at the end of the book. John knows what he is talking about and I fully empathise with his cash flow experiences. Government and banks are the worst payers. People, Banks have credit cards and they can use them...

BtS Chapter 16 is the one that you should listen to and listen to on a weekly basis.
I am now working on a 10-year plan to sell, my group. Prob in parts
I am glad I listened to this book.


Worth listening to BUT don't sell just logos :)

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I was a bit skeptical at first because of the storytelling format of the book, as it uses a fictional scenario (an amalgamation of the author’s experiences and lessons in starting, operating and selling businesses) as a medium through which it communicates information. But I was pleasantly surprised with just how much practical information is communicated in this book. Not only do I now know which common pitfalls to avoid in business, this book has renewed my appreciation for storytelling as a medium for teaching and learning. Definitely recommend a listen!

Surprisingly good listen! 10/10 Recommend.

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I highly recommend this book to anyone who’s building a business or thinking about building a business especially if they are running a service business. Fantastically educational and at the same time entertaining.

Fantastically educational and entertaining

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Got used to the reader. Succinct relevant advice. Recommended even if you are in business

Succinct advice

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i'm looking to see how to build business. this book is excellent for people looking to build a business and hoping to be less involved. look the process how Alex from the book use to be full hands on to less hands on and more self manage by his staff selling one thing . def a listen to

excellent stories

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