Greg Holden
1 To basic and not enough practical guidance
This book was clearly for beginners only. Although the book says "for dummies", you'd really HAVE to be a dummy to get much out of this. The book is simply too vague when talking about important internet concepts and doen't show you how to REALLY get an online business going. I personally would reccomend 33 Days to Profits by Yank Silver www.33daystoprofits.com as a much better way to get PRACTICAL advice on starting an online business.
2 Good summary of...
what you need to get started, but not a great deal of detail. Also there was a lot of promotion for other people in the book, which I did not expect. The book makes it appear anyone can have a successful online business if they have the drive, but this is not realistic since there are many details that must be understood for a successful online business. My advise: Don't be overly optimistic because a stranger said you can be successful.
3 Another book of lists from Dummies, Inc.
This is basicly a book of lists--websites to visit, stuff to buy, etc. Aside from the fact that 90% of this information is available for free, a surpising amount is, well, just plain obvious. If you're not good at accounting, hire an accountant. You'll do more business if you accept credit cards. Good tips! Its also rather out of date and BTW, my copy had no CD.
I note that the same author has written Internet Auctions For Dummies, another vexing subject. Now if I only had Returning Books To Amazon For Dummies....
I did find a very good book which is just as basic but takes a logical, chronological, step-by-step approach, How To Start A Home Based Mail Order Business by Georganne Fiumara.
4 a reader
this is a very good book for beginer and other as well. step by step, easy to follow, important notices, great advices and more.
5 O.K. for Beginners
Like most of the Dummies books, this book is designed for the complete beginners, i.e. people who have absolutely no business and Web experience.
The book gives such advices as hiring a technical consultant, writing a business plan, manage your finance, etc. Wow :-()
It's better to buy several books that focus on different areas of the business. Get one for business plan, one for web marketing, one for negotiation, one for legal guide, one for accounting, etc. There are many good software programs out there that do all these now too. All of them would be better than a dummies book like this one.
6 The best I could've asked for!
I am so happy that I chose this book out of all of the others available. It is so easy to understand & packed with information that all of us starting an online business needs. I am one to fold page corners of pages that have info that is very important to me. You should see how many there are!! It is an excellent resource of info & I am very grateful to have found it.
7 Great read!
I think this book is great. It covers areas I hadn't thought of and recommends lots of useful websites in the Internet Directory to visit with tons of helpful information. It is well organized, easy to read and a great place to start. It has more information than I expected and well worth the money!
8 A great book to get started with.
The title of this book reads "Starting an Online Business for Dummies" and the book offers the novice Online business person an easy way to begin understanding the concepts behind much of today's Online business without overwhelming the reader. In many other books I've read, terms like, "Meta-tags","Banner Exchange","Keywords" and many other terms are used without the author of the book ever considering the fact that the reader may not be familiar with these terms, or bothering to explain them clearly. "Online Business for Dummies" takes the time to explain each new term which is introduced, and offers many clever anecdotes which not only keeps the reading enjoyable, but also helps the reader to remember and understand the concepts.
In our own Online business we used "Online Business for Dummies" to draw out a mind map which helped our tech oriented support staff to gain a better perspective on the typical support needs of novice Online business people.
If you are just starting out I couldn't recommend a better book to get started with. Learning the in's and out's of Online business is not a one step process, and I think that "Online business for Dummies" does a fairly good job of laying a foundation you can build on.
9 Starting An Online Business For Dummies
This book is truly incredible. I cannot even absorb all of the information in it! This is a MUST HAVE for ANYONE even thinking about starting an on line business. This is such an easy read and you can go on line and check out all the different web sites he has listed in the book. There is more information in this book than I ever thought possible. It is EXTREMELY helpful and written very well. It is the kind of book that you keep on your desk to constantly look up things. This is the best investment I have made in a long time. = )
10 Offers the Right Stuff to Get Online & Noticed!
Starting an Online Business for Dummies offers readers the right stuff they need to get online, to get noticed, and to remain competitive in today's highly competitive online business world. Readers will pick up on a number of important business development concepts, Website design considerations, and marketing strategies. They will also learn that the Internet is a cost-effective way to let others know about the products and services they have to offer!
Website design considerations featured in the book includes developing content, establishing a graphic identity, offering features like guestbooks and discussion groups, setting up sites to handle secure sales, providing various payment and shipping options, providing customer service, and becoming a resource for customers. Greg Holden points out that business people can attract prospective customers to their sites by offering important information, products, services, and features free of charge that will not only enhance the appearance and functionality of a Website but may also end up enhancing one's bottomline!
When it comes to marketing, Holden provides realistic and easy to use marketing strategies and advice developed to draw attention. Readers will learn about starting their own newsletters, using newsgroups and mailing lists, holding contests, establishing business partnerships, exchanging links, placing banner ads, and using meta tags to attract the attention of search engines!
Other important online business considerations covered in the book includes Website security, legal matters, trademarks, copyrighting, taxes, and record keeping. Holden offers instruction and advice on these and other matters and directs his readers to Websites where they can find further information. A 32-page "yellow pages" Internet directory is included in the book to give readers a jump-start on finding good online resources!
The CD that accompanies the book is loaded with the latest trialware editions of popular programs such as Paint Shop Pro, HotDog Pro, Norton Utilities 2000, Internet Explorer, Netscape Communicator, and the Adobe Acrobat Reader. A bunch of business programs are included as well to help businesses get up and running quickly!
Starting an Online Business for Dummies offers readers an excellent introduction to the art and science of setting up an online business. Every major aspect of starting a business is covered in adequate detail to help someone get started. Get a copy of this book and experience the thrill of operating your own online business - it can be very rewarding for you!
11 A must have for the inexperienced and experienced
This book clearly lays out the do's and don'ts of venturing and succeding on the wonderful, new frontier known as the Internet. It provides clear, concise ways of utilizing many inexpensive resources on the web that allow even the smallest business owner with the tightest budget to build and promote a successful web site. A MUST BUY!
12 unimpressive
i realize the book says for dummies in the title BUT first off some of the things the book states about dreamweaver are not true and are not possible - i didnt open the cd because from reading the book you knew most of the cd was demos which you would have to take off of your computer in a month anyway - the only information i got from this book was basic business start up legal information - it kept referring to information i am looking for but it states it is not covered in this book but the small business internet for dummies - after reading this book cover to cover though i am very hesitant to purchase another book by this author - the information i need is probably just referenced to and really in a third book anyway - overall i was very unimpressed by this book
only buy this book if you are BRAND NEW to the internet - like you just got online for the first time last week and think maybe making money online might be for you THIS BOOK IS FOR BEGINNING BEGINNERS ONLY
13 Well informed
It's just a book that just ' enough ' for people who really need to start a e-business.
Anway , try it if you need basic information
14 Basic information, but not hands-on enough
This book offers a good introduction to what you need to start your own online business. All aspects of starting such a business is covered, and after I read the book I could proudly say I knew the how's (as well as what's), and I was on my way starting a business.
But there are two major flaws to this book: first, it's not very readable, and second, it doesn't give you enough hands-on information. There are superfluous step-by-step instructions on how to use FrontPage Express, but the author doesn't tell you much about building store fronts or how to accept credit cards online, two of the more pressing topics for someone wishing to start a e-business.
The CD is a big disappointment. Just a collection of demoware and shareware. It is an environmental waste and makes the book a little pricier than it should be.
15 A good foundation book
A great book for anyone wanting basic knowledge of how to start an online buisness. I'd say it's definetly geared more towards online stores than selling skills online. None the less a good book for beginners, if you don't mind hearing the word Yahoo! advertised on everyother page.
16 I found this book to be an excellent source of information.
I instruct E-Commerce classes at a local junior college, and I will recommend my students buy this book. After reading several books on starting an online business, I found this one pretty much covered the major points that I discuss in my classes. Since starting up my own web design business, I find I use this book for ideas for my own company. It's a book you can constantly reference. Accompanied by a Web page design book like "Web Pages that Suck" (It really is good!), most of the bases are covered. Also, the cd had a lot of useful information on small business links and sample software.
17 Excellent, well-rounded "how-to" book
Greg did a find job of writing in the rapidly changing sphere of how to start a business online. He's found excellent advice from seasoned experts, and gives a tremendous amount of resources.
The CD that comes with the book is packed with useful programs for small biz owners, & he gives URLS for each program, plus well-written descriptions.
Starting an Online Business for Dummies offers great tools for a solid foundation. If someone is seriously considering an online biz, they'll do well to buy this book.
