Start Small, Finish Big: 15 Key Lessons to Start--And Run--Your Own Successful Business

by Fred DeLuca, John P. Hayes

The founder of the Subway sandwich shop franchise draws on his own experience to present fifteen important steps to becoming a successful entrepreneur, offering helpful advice and key business strategies ranging from continually improving your business to believing in your people. 60,000 first printing.

Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Nonfiction, Biography

353 pages, Hardcover

First published August 14, 2000

Reviews

[Christopher Lewis Kozoriz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by the founder of Subway. This book has 15 key lessons to start and run your own successful business. It is interesting to note that Fred Deluca was only a teenager trying to earn enough money so he could go to college. He sought advise from a friends father on what he could do to earn enough money to pay for his college education. The father gave him the idea to start a sandwich shop and then gave him the starting capital of $1000.00 to do so. That is how one of the greatest franchises was started. The book is also packed with stories of other people who started their own businesses and the lessons that they learned.

[Patrick Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

15 lessons. Look at again.

1. START SMALL
2. EARN A FEW PENNIES
3. BEGIN WITH AN IDEA
4. THINK LIKE A VISIONARY
5. KEEP THE FAITH
6. READY, FIRE, AIM
7. PROFIT OR PARISH
8. BE POSITIVE
9. CONTIUSLY IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS
10. BELIEVE IN YOUR PEOPLE
11. NEVER RUN OUT OF MONEY
12. ATTRACT NEW CUSTOMERS EVERYDAY
13. BE PERSISTANT, NEVER GIVE UP
14. BUILD A BRAND NAME
15. OPPORTUNITY WAITS FOR NO ONE

[Cory St. Esprit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one that I put down for a while and then picked back up. Altogether a good read. I loved the intermix of the stories of how Fred Deluca started Subway coupled with the stories of other business owners who starter businesses small and grew them (Little Caesars, Kinko's, and many more)...all of this, of course, filled with the Fifteen Key Steps to building a business. A good read for anyone in business, but especially looking at purchasing a franchise of any sort.

[Kharlanov Sergey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Очень классная книга про начинание бизнеса. Я как-то ожидал очередную историю успеха от корпоративного монстра, но книга оказалась совершенно другой. Куча маленьких и интересных историй про реалии очень маленьких бизнесов. Мы с партнером создали уже два бизнеса и я как-то всегда очень стеснялся того, что у нас происходило внутри. Как-то все это было очень несерьезно и несолидно и вдобавок все время происходили какие-то очень глупые ошибки.
Прочитав эту книжку, я начинаю понимать, что стесняться особо нечего: ошибки и несолидный вид - это нормально для любого нового бизнеса, который создается неопытными людьми.
В этой книжке нету каких-то практических приемов, но она очень хорошо описывает чего следует ожидать в первые годы создания нового бизнеса с нуля.
Очень рекомендую, таких книг довольно мало.

[Sara Carrillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm dreaming of turning Ahumudo, my Peruvian smoked meat company, into a franchise. We started less than a year ago, and reading this book has been a truly inspiring experience.
I was especially moved by the story of Subway — it gave me hope and motivation. Finishing this book left me feeling grateful for the opportunity to learn from the journeys of other entrepreneurs. It offered so many valuable insights into building a franchise and navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship.
Thank you for sharing such an insightful and encouraging book.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than average business book. Several good takeaway lessons that can be applied to the real world. The microlending info gets in the way a bit.

[Jason Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explore the struggle of starting up with many entrepreneurs account on how they did it.

[Abdinasir]

Good boog

[Jan Brinkmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Loved the mix between stories and tips.

[Donald · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has two parts - how Subway was started by the author, and his 15 key lessons illustrated by different small business success stories and the "microentrepreneur" behind each one. Overall, it is an okay read, and fairly interesting. I'd bet it'd be much more appealing to someone who is looking to start a business of their own! My discomfort reading it came from the fact that most of these stories included the microentrepreneur getting a generous loan, amazing advice, or just some completely lucky twist of fate! DeLuca himself was given both the idea for Subway AND a loan to get started from a friend! We should all be so fortunate! And that is my problem with this - most of us are not. Sometimes if you don't have someone in your life to give you good advice, money, free labor, etc., you won't have the same chance of success as those who do get the benefit from all of those things. I'm just saying...

p.s. - I also have a problem with the trademark "Doctor's Associates Inc."! As a customer, I always thought it had something to do with doctors, the medical profession and/or healthy eating. In reality, it is just the company name for Subway!!! That seems fishy to me...

[Semi-Academic Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chapters, and the stories they contain, are named after the fifteen key lessons that Fred DeLuca wants to share with entrepreneurs.

Start Small
Earn a Few Pennies
Begin with an Idea
Think Like a Visionary
Keep the Faith
Ready, Fire, Aim!
Profit or Perish
Be Positive
Continuously Improve Your Business
Believe In Your People
Never Run Out of Money. Borrow Before You Need To.
Attract New Customers Every Day
Be Persistent: Don't Give Up
Build a Brand Name
Opportunity Waits for No One

You can go right to the principle, the chapter, and the story you are interested in. Then you may find that the stories then illustrate more than one prinicple.
I did.

The information on, and the founding of, the Micro Investment Lending Enterprise seemed a very generous bonus.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is based around the 15 key lessons found on page 6 which includes "1) start small, 8) be positive, 10) believe in your people..." This book is a guide that explains how these lessons helped people find their way as micro-entrepreneurs in their Subway businesses.

These 15 key lessons could be used for almost any business.

[Avani Parmar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple read, and although not a great book.....it's definitely a good book, and one that anyone who has ever been curious on starting their own business should consider reading. Fred DeLuca gives it to you straight and you gain insight into how several branded companies once got their meager start. An inspirational and light book.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

written by my boss -- good stuff!

[Jane]

I will definitely pass this book along! It gives examples of mistakes others have overcome and should be a must-read for anyone in the beginning stages of entrepreneurship.

[Marwan Mahmoud · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like to read to successful people that gives me the power to word hard and be like them in the future.

[Gary]

A good book with some good tips that everyone who wants to start their own business should read. It is also filled with some interesting stories of entreprenuers.