Entrepreneurship: Stories

How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world's fastest growing software company in less than a decade? For the first time, Marc Benioff, the visionary founder, chairman and CEO of salesforce.com, tells how he and his team created and used new business, technology, and philanthropic models tailored to this time of extraordinary change. Showing how salesforce.com not only survived the dotcom implosion of 2001, but went on to define itself as the leader of the cloud computing revolution and spark a $46-billion dollar industry, Benioff's story will help business leaders and entrepreneurs stand out, innovate better, and grow faster in any economic climate.
In Behind the Cloud, Benioff shares the strategies that have inspired employees, turned customers into evangelists, leveraged an ecosystem of partners, and allowed innovation to flourish.

Ben and Jerry’s Homemade Inc, has done more than win the taste buds of America—it has earned the admiration of Wall Street and established a model for business owners and employees eager to earn profits without compromising their principles. Learn all about their story and how they did it with this interesting and entertaining book.

"It's time to stop the dominance of the number-crunchers, living in their perfect, predictable, financially-projected world (who fail, time and again), and give the reins to the 'product guys'...those with vision and passion for the customers and their product or service."

When Bob Lutz got into the auto business in the early 1960s, CEOs knew that if you captured the public's imagination with innovative car design and top quality craftsmanship, the money would follow. The "car guys" held sway, and GM dominated with bold, creative leadership and iconic brands like Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, GMC, and Chevrolet.

But then GM's leadership began to put their faith in numbers and spreadsheets. Determined to eliminate the "waste" and "personality worship" of the bygone creative leaders, and maximize profitability, management got too smart for its own good. With the bean counters firmly in charge, carmakers, and much of American industry, lost their single-minded focus on product excellence and their competitive advantage. Decline soon followed.

At nineteen, Michael Dell started his company as a freshman at the University of Texas with $1,000 and has since built an industry powerhouse. As Dell journeys through his childhood adventures, ups and downs, and mistakes made along the way, he reflects on invaluable lessons learned.

Michael Dell's revolutionary insight has allowed him to persevere against all odds, and Direct from Dell contains valuable information for any business leader. His strategies will show you effective ways to grow your business and will help you save time on costly mistakes by following his direct model for success.

Founders at Work: Stories of Startups’ Early Days is a collection of interviews with founders of famous technology companies about what happened in the very earliest days. These people are celebrities now. What was it like when they were just a couple friends with an idea? Founders like Steve Wozniak (Apple), Caterina Fake (Flickr), Mitch Kapor (Lotus), Max Levchin (PayPal), and Sabeer Bhatia (Hotmail) tell you in their own words about their surprising and often very funny discoveries as they learned how to build a company.

Available in both hardback and Audio CD

Any entrepreneur will love and appreciate this fascinating story sharing the life lessons that Bill Child learned as he built R. C. Willey, a highly successful furniture business eventually bought out by the legendary Warren Buffett. Lessons on leadership, frugality, honesty, integrity, innovation, and customer service will inspire and motivate readers. How do you take a good company and make it one that billionaire Warren Buffett would buy? The blueprints are in the footprints of a remarkable man: Bill Child. Here are just a few of Bill s philosophies: Character and work ethic carry more weight than resumes. Change is an essential ingredient for success in the retail industry. Companies that don t adapt don t last. Delegation is vital to growing a small business. True delegation only exists when the leader trusts his people enough to allow them to perform their responsibilities without constant interference.

Ryan Blair is a self-made multimillionaire and serial entrepreneur, who established his first company, 24-7 Tech when he was twenty-one years old, and has since created and actively invested in multiple startups. Currently, as the CEO of ViSalus Sciences, in the year of the 2008 recession, Blair turned the company around and took their revenue from near failure to more than $10 million a month in only 15 months. He has appeared on CNBC, MSNBC, and Fox Business, amongst others, and has been featured in Time, BusinessWeek, Sports Illustrated, the Wall Street Journal, and Forbes, amongst other major media. Blair lives in Hollywood, California with his son Reagan.

Praise for The Nordstrom Way "Outstanding customer service and Nordstrom's are synonymous. The innovative approach has allowed them to find out what the customers want and then do it. Their standards of service are what we all shoot for." - David D. Glass President and Chief Executive Officer Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. "Nordstrom is a national model for outstanding customer service. American business should use this book as a primer to learn how to make and keep happy, satisfied customers." - J. Willard Marriott, Jr. Chairman and President Marriott International, Inc. "When you run a family business that includes your customers as extended family, you're unbeatable. This book outlines an American family saga that has become the admiration of the world." - Leonard A. Lauder President and Chief Executive Officer Est'e Lauder Companies "Nordstrom's business is built on one-to-one communication with the customer. Their professional salespeople bridge the gap between the designer and the consumer. The Nordstrom Way is what the '90s are all about!" - Donna Karan Designer and Chief Executive Officer Donna Karan Company

Amazon's business model is deceptively simple: Make online shopping so easy and convenient that customers won't think twice. It can almost be summed up by the button on every page: "Buy now with one click."

Why has Amazon been so successful? Much of it has to do with Jeff Bezos, the CEO and founder, whose unique combination of character traits and business strategy have driven Amazon to the top of the online retail world.

The late Sam Walton was one of the shrewdest and richest merchants in America. Centered on the building of his Wal-Mart empire, his book, like fellow magnate Sandra Kurtzig's CEO: Building a $400 Million Company from Ground Up ( LJ 5/1/91), is light on biography. However, readers will enjoy the folksy narrative of the small-town millionaire who revolutionized retail distribution. Walton also addresses accusations against him, such as running the competition out of town. Coauthor Huey does a fine job of incorporating candid testimonials from family members and associates, who thought Walton's ideas were sometimes silly. Shortly after Walton's death, the book was given an overly sentimental postscript (a minor detraction) and rushed into print. Highly recommended for public and academic business collections.

Audio book only.

In Shark Tales, Barbara shares her hilarious stories about growing up, getting into trouble, failing miserably, and then starting over again. In each chapter, she comes back to one of her mom's unconventional lessons, and how it applies in the real world of business.Whatever your calling, the homespun lessons that work for Barbara will help you use what you've got to create success in your life. Whether you're just starting out, fighting your way up the career ladder, or reentering the workforce, Shark Tales is an owner's manual to your most valuable asset.

Everyone has probably seen a Marriott Hotel product on one of their drives. They are everywhere and have a diffeerent line of hotels to suit every need from Fairfield Inns, Residence Inns, Courtyard, Marriott, Ritz Carlton and others. What you may not know is the story of how those hotel came to be and what drives the success at Marriott. From their langthy Standards of Operation, to their treatment of the their employees is all explained for you to read. You get a great insight on a great company.