An inspiring “how to” guide for anyone who has dreamed of being their own boss
David Thomas Roberts’ inspirational book Unemployable was an enjoyable read from start to finish. In a simple, conversational style, he tells you everything you need to know to start your own business, even helping you decide if you’re one to take a risk. By “unemployed,” Roberts means a person who wants to be his own boss, work his own hours, and own his own company.
As someone who sees herself as “unemployed”, I really enjoyed this book on a personal level. He dug into my character traits and the joys and challenges I have encountered running my own business. I found his enthusiasm palpable as his enthusiasm and energy comes through in his writing.
Roberts was there, did that, failed, and started over. He talks honestly about his first business, a business he started when he was young and that he lost. He learned from that experience and is now extremely successful. He tells his story so that we can learn from his mistakes and hopefully not repeat them.
Roberts’ book is full of other useful information. He defines the types of businesses that exist (franchising, sales…etc.) and goes on to provide the reader with strategies for success, such as creating a business plan, financing, and how to make sure you have supportive people on the inside. circle. He is inspiring, but also talks about the essentials like finance and accounting.
In one chapter, he tells of an 80-year-old man whom he visited until 3 am one morning, because the man was a brilliant businessman. He learned a lot from him and encourages us to seek mentors in our own field of interest.
I like that Roberts has so many personal stories in this book. He’s almost like he’s a mentor, and he’s here to tell us what to do and what not to do.
There are summaries at the end of each chapter called “Lessons Learned,” which are useful if the reader wants to reread the chapters and reread or take notes. I also enjoyed the inspirational quotes at the beginning of each chapter. The chapters are short, to the point and very concise. It also has a glossary at the end of the book with some business-related terms like term life insurance and return on investment—all the good things to know before you branch out on your own.
My favorite term in this book is “Renegade Capitalist”, which is a person who challenges the “norms” of the typical business world and creates a path of their own choosing. We are seeing more of these “Rogue Capitalists” today, with easy access to the Internet allowing many more people to telecommute or advertise from their home office. Oh, and Roberts also tells you how to market his product.
This book is a great read for anyone who has ever considered starting their own business, whether it be a large franchise or a small home-based eBay store. I plan to give this book to my 16 year old son as he is looking for what he wants to do as a career and can’t see himself sitting in a cubicle from 9 am to 5 pm
I think Roberts has a lot of food for thought in this book, and it would benefit him if he is fully interested in running his own business, or just thinking about it.
