The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business: Candid Advice, Frank Talk, and True Stories for the Successful Entrepreneur - Hardcover

Every chapter is packed with interviews, charts, quizzes and witty directives about self-employment. Among their greatest hits: what's in a name, choosing logos, ten inspiring business chick flicks, legal eagles, business speak and visibility in professional associations. Friedman and Yorio sweat the small stuff. They explain, for example, why you shouldn't eat spaghetti at a business lunch and how to ask revealing questions of a potential employee or computer consultant. The authors' premise, "let women be women" is most compelling when they explore the unique challenges women face--from finding female role models to being a boss "without being a bitch."

They are on shakier ground with the arguable assumption that all women share distinct gender styles and strengths. This type casting and the "girl friend" tone can sometimes belittle the book's smart and strategic ideas for becoming the boss. Still, it is hard to imagine a more readable, practical book about the challenges of being in charge. --Barbara Mackoff

Tired of doing all the work for your boss but reaping none of the financial benefits? Fed up with working 60 hours a week for someone else? Want to start your own business but afraid to take the leap?

Packed with practical advice on every aspect of self-employment, along with useful Web sites, checklists, and quizzes, The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business is the book that Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio each searched for when they left the corporate world behind to start their own public relations companies. When they merged their businesses into one company, Friedman and Yorio vowed to record the process and create a truly useful guide for other women entrepreneurs.

The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business streamlines the vast information needed to launch your business. From starting with the big question: Are you the girl to run the show? to writing a business plan to understanding your legal obligations and getting your name out there in the marketplace. So, here's the lowdown on how to take your business idea and run with it!

But don't just take Friedman and Yorio's word for it -- women business owners from a wide range of industries offer their own start-up stories, advice, and opinions.

The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business speaks to women in a way no business book has -- relating frank, useful, and professional advice with all the energy, enthusiasm, and fun of a girl's night out.