Time marches on. Final edits for my new venture have been signed off. The book launch is only a month away, on 15th August 2018.

Even if you have no intention – ever – of having your own business, maybe a son or daughter, a grandchild, or even a friend would appreciate this little gift.

A general step-by-step guide to keep beside you, which uses stories based on true experience to illustrate different scenarios. Most of it is just old-fashioned common sense, but when you start a new venture, common sense seems to go out of the window. This guide will help you focus on making your new business a success.

Perhaps you’d like a taste of what’s to come:

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The Man with a Jaguar

A few years ago, I was a client adviser in an office on Seaside Road, a deprived area of Eastbourne, when a man came in from the street.

He was dishevelled, distraught, angry and disturbed; out of his mind. He shouted at me in anger, as if I were the cause of it.

He had no money, he said, and he desperately needed just a few pounds so that he could put some petrol into his Jaguar and take it to meet a customer who wanted to buy it. With money from the sale, he could pursue his business, and all his troubles would be over.

“How can I help you?” I asked.

All he wanted was a few pounds – didn’t I understand? He roared at me at the top of his voice.

“What kind of business do you have?” I asked.

That wasn’t his problem – he knew all about his own business. He – just – needed – a – few – pounds.

The man sat there and glared at me. It didn’t add up. A man with a Jaguar in a spate over a few pounds? Now it was my turn to feel desperate.

“Can’t you ask the buyer to come to you?”

“How can I ask him, when I haven’t even got any money on my mobile phone?”

Shaking with rage, he delved into the inside pocket of his jacket and brought out the latest model. An uncharitable thought flashed through my mind. He could sell that mobile, for starters. I could also offer to let him use our office phone but, somehow, I knew that wasn’t the point.

“I’m an artist,” he said. “This is one of my paintings.” I gasped.

I’m no connoisseur, but this was an amazing picture. He scrolled down, each painting equally striking. I was impressed. I looked at him with new eyes, praising his talent, inviting the receptionist to admire his work. He calmed down, thanked us, and stepped out of the office.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Eighteen months later he returned. My heart fell. But he was calmer this time, and not so dishevelled.

“We’ve seen each other before,” I said. “Do you remember?” He nodded.

I refrained from asking about his Jaguar, and I started him on a business plan. And I know why I love my work as a volunteer for People Matter, a little local charity with a big heart for people who need to earn a living.

***

GOING IT ALONE is on special pre-order offer of £$.99 until 15th August 2018.

It includes the opportunity to download free software, in the form of an Excel Sales and Cashflow Forecast, which you can adapt for your own purposes.

You can follow this universal link to access it on Amazon:

https://bookgoodies.com/a/B07DN2RRXD