The Rebel Entrepreneur

Prologue: The importance of being a rebel 01 Funding is for foolsThe case for bootstrappingSmall is beautiful, at least to begin withThe value of having no moneyHave you tried the alternatives to the bank?Pull yourself up by your bootstrapsIf you can't get a loan, get a grantTiming can be everythingWe are all dotcoms now, thank goodnessNo man is an island when it comes to fundingThe conclusion 02 Don't innovate, imitate An imitator in action The original Every action has a legal reaction You can't keep a good idea downFirst movers do not necessarily have the advantageCopying is as old as the hillsIt is all about execution Attack of the clonesImitation can be the salvation of a companyTiming is everythingYou do not have to settle for second bestThe conclusion03 Don't be a hero The problem of letting goMost people find good leadership hardSize is everythingTake a trip from the good parenting guideConfessions of a meddlerAn exception to the ruleWhen do you step back?External factors are important tooThe conclusion 04 The high price of successLess can be moreDo the mathematicsWhat your prices say about the value of your offeringWhy you need to keep prices upThe difficult relationship between price and valueIn a recession, the need to raise prices only increasesThe art of maintaining a high priceHow do you get people to pay more?Price is a matter of economicsTo cut, or not to cutCutting your costs is not the same as raising your pricesWhat about cross-border trade?How do you maintain high prices?Warning: you can raise prices too muchBeing low cost does not mean you cannot raise your pricesBeing the best is always better than being cheapestThe conclusion 05 Don't get hung up on the business planThe only constant in (business) life is changeRyanair as an example of a company that changedImitate, don't innovate (reprised)There is no shame in starting all over againTesting, testingOnce the business plan works, write it downThe concept of the pivotPivoting once is never

Jonathan Moules is the Enterprise Editor for The Financial Times, where he has profiled hundreds of companies and their owners. He has written extensively on successful entrepreneurs. Moules spent 5 years in the FT's New York office, where he held numerous positions, including technology, media and telecoms news editor. He wrote specifically about the US mobile phone industry and new media businesses, and he covered the dotcom bubble and its aftermath.

Full of fresh insights and great examples, Jonathan Moules' book really stands out among the countless books written for entrepreneurs. I highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about starting a business. Sahar Hashemi OBE, founder of Coffee Republic and Skinny Candy, and bestselling author of 'Anyone Can Do It' Moules's book is an interesting collection of stories from some of the most prominent and successful entrepreneurs the UK has to offer..There is much to be gained from reading about other people's crises and errors, and their imaginative methods for resolving them. Though this is not a reference book, it contains nuggets of advice and practical information that most people building a business would be grateful to hear. Financial Times