Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You

Written by:
John Warrillow
Narrated by:
Erik Synnestvedt

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
46
Narrator
13
Release Date
April 2011
Duration
4 hours 24 minutes
Summary
A business parable about how to create a start-up that won't trap you when you want to sell it.

According to John Warrillow, the number one mistake entrepreneurs make is to build a business that relies too heavily on them. Thus, when the time comes to sell, buyers aren't confident that the company-even if it's profitable-can stand on its own.

To illustrate this, Warrillow introduces us to a fictional small business owner named Alex who is struggling to sell his advertising agency. Alex turns to Ted, an entrepreneur and old family friend, who encourages Alex to pursue three criteria to make his business sellable:

* Teachable: focus on products and services that you can teach employees to deliver.
* Valuable: avoid price wars by specializing in doing one thing better than anyone else.
* Repeatable: generate recurring revenue by engineering products that customers have to repurchase often.
Reviews
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Filip Z.

Nice story to feel what it means to be a bussiness owner alongside some tricks of the trade. Overall nice book and great narration!

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Nathan S.

At first I wasn't sure what to think about the narration of the audio but it grew on me. BUT besides that this is a superior audio book for those who own a business and either A. obviously want to sell it ... B. Want to focus and push more effort towards products that help you push farther in your business. I like the point of changing the word client to customer and service to product... go through it and you'll find out exactly why that's soo important. Highly recommended.

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Jesse H.

I have never left a negative comment before on any narrator. However, you need to know that this narrator is horrible. The end of every sentence is pushed and aggravating. I am just going to read the book and ask for my credit back because I cannot stand more than the 23 minutes I have listened to so far. I tell you this so you can save your future customers—Erik is surely a great guy but very hard to listen to. Just buy the book.

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Michal S.

Great insight

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Paul K.

Amazing book! It's more than just an instruction manual, the lessons are taught through a story with fictional characters, rather than just by stating facts. This makes the content very engaging and the lessons very memorable. Only criticism is the narrator, he's not that bad, I just don't know why he has to drag out every word like he does. I've never heard anybody ever speak like that.

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Ebow Brew-Hammond

very insightful. putting the lessons in a story made it very easy to follow and digest.

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James M.

Excellent tutorial for startups and developing businesses

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