How to Start a Business and Step on All the Rakes: A Practical Guide for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Dreaming of launching your own business? This book is your essential guide, packed with real-world experiences and hard-won lessons from Anna and Dmitry Shust, the founders of Mum's Era and "Echidna" – two of the most beloved brands in the natural parenting niche. They started from scratch 13 years ago, with zero investment, and built thriving businesses.

A Small Business Survival Guide

This isn't a textbook for corporate giants. It's a practical handbook for small businesses, where your initial advertising budget is measured in thousands of rubles, not millions of dollars. Where your first store might be just 9 square meters. This book tackles the real challenges faced by entrepreneurs on a tight budget.

Inside You'll Discover:

• Finding Your Winning Idea: How to identify the perfect business idea that resonates with your passion and the market.
• Avoiding Financial Ruin: Practical strategies to navigate the crucial first year and stay afloat.
• Attracting and Retaining Customers: Learn how to find your ideal customers and build lasting loyalty to your product.
• Crisis Management: What to do when hackers attack your website, employees deceive you, or a competitor declares war.
• Operational Excellence: How to ensure consistent product quality in manufacturing.
• Legal Battles and Office Space: Navigate legal challenges, find affordable office space, and protect your business.
• Dealing with Difficult Clients: Strategies for recovering debts from unresponsive wholesale buyers.
• Surviving Economic Downturns: How a small company can weather multiple economic crises and emerge stronger.

Why Choose This Book?

This book offers more than just theoretical advice. It's filled with 108 real-life stories – funny, sad, useful, and interesting – from the trenches of entrepreneurship. Learn from the mistakes and triumphs of others, and gain the confidence to navigate the challenges of starting and running your own business. This is a must-read for anyone serious about turning their entrepreneurial dreams into reality.