The $100 Startup

Lesson 1. Introduction.

Are you tired of doing only what you’re asked to do? Have you had enough of selling something you don’t believe in? Is your 9 to 5 job ruining your life? If so, Chris Guillebeau has you covered in his book “The $100 Startup”. The book motivates the reader to start a business of their own and escape from traditional employment. It teaches one everything they need to get started. The book also gives a few examples of people who followed the same rules and have the steering of their lives in their own hands.

Most people want to start their own business but don’t have a clear idea about how to do it. They have skills and passion but fail to make the business sustainable. In this book, we learn different strategies for starting businesses and making profits from them. 

Lesson 2. Your own boss.

Many people around the world are creating microbusinesses by finding customers for their products and services. While this concept is nothing new, it is recently booming at a global level. The rise in microbusinesses sheds light on many different techniques and strategies to run a successful business.

It all starts with the passion for doing something of your own. Getting started is half the work. People usually fail right at this stage. They think they don’t have enough money, or skills, or buyers. It takes a lot less to start a business. People with no formal education, no money, and no experience are setting up businesses every day. The author states that many people have started businesses in less than $100 and are earning in the range of tens of thousands of dollars annually.

People often develop rare skills through their hobbies. They get good at something, but they fail to see the potential in selling it. Often, there is a market ready to pay for something you already do. You just have to know what sells. A piano teacher made a software to track the progress of his students and lesson schedules and eventually ended up making over $30,000 annually off of it.

The internet has made it extremely simple for individuals to advertise and sell their products and services. One just has to be willing to make the effort to start.

Lesson 3. What, and for whom?

The only difference between a hobby and a business is that you get paid in your business. While people start businesses out of passion, only passion isn’t enough. You have to find a balance between something you