The Entrepreneur's Toolkit

By: Michael Goldsby, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Michael Goldsby

This course teaches you how to be an entrepreneur and how to think like one - skills that are essential whether you are starting a business, expanding an existing business, boosting your career as an employee, pursuing a social cause, or seeking to increase your impact as a teacher, coach, minister, or other professional. Packed with fascinating lessons from legendary entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, and Henry Ford, these 24 lectures are entertaining as well as practical.

You begin by investigating what makes a good business idea. Then you learn how to turn that idea into a successful enterprise by defining the market and the customers you will serve, attracting backers, building your brand, and growing your venture to the point where you can sell it, if you want, for an impressive profit.

Topics covered include market research, choosing a business structure, the all-important business plan, financial statements, running a home office, family businesses, franchises, intellectual property, employee and customer relations, and entrepreneurial exhaustion. Professor Goldsby also discusses different entrepreneurial styles, and he looks ahead to your career options after you succeed and are ready to try another challenge. He notes that entrepreneurs play an indispensible role in society: they are the ones who find problems, recognize the opportunities in those problems, then fix them and make the world a better place.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2014 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2014 The Great Courses

Very helpful in developing my business plan

I am exploring a consulting business and through this course determined certain businesses that are not my target market that I had originally thought would be.

I feel vindicated

I have been an entrepreneur in a country I am not native to for the last 25+ years. As a “stranger in a strange land” I struggle with imposter syndrome and uncertainty while still finding a way to continue along the path I have chosen.

The Entrepreneur’s Toolkit by Michael Goldsby brought me back to the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey with each chapter mirroring another step of my own experience.

I haven’t done everything the book suggests and I certainly haven’t done everything right. There are many things I would change if I was able to go back and do them again. It’s possible that if I had this book 25 years ago I would have made different decisions based on the advice the author gives. I suggest others use it and the toolkit within as a guide, as I will in the future.

However, what is important to me as I write this review is what I slowly came to believe while listening to the insightful lessons and anecdotes that somehow reflected my own experience.

I learned that I can absolutely call myself an entrepreneur and that I should truly embrace the title.

I feel vindicated. Thank you.

Great Book front to back!!

I liked the fact that Michael Goldsby highlighted specific things to add to your entrepreneurial toolkit! I think this kept me more engaged in the lessons. This book is very informative and I would recommend it to anyone who is considering becoming an entrepreneur.

Inspiring and helpful.

I've toyed with the idea of starting a business for a while, and this book was the first step in giving me direction to achieve that goal.

great place to get started for an entrepreneur.

Not everything in this will apply to every business but well worth a listen or