Owning their own business is many peoples dream. However, statistics show that the greatest majority of these new enterprises will fail - some with huge financial, heath and family costs.The Quantum Leap has been written for those contemplating this endeavor. It covers subjects usually overlooked in a business book and the knowledge has been gleaned over many years of personal experiences and a lifetime spent establishing and managing a variety of businesses as a consultant.Written in a conversational manner with a little humor being used to lighten the tone, the author, Colin Mackie, has witnessed the effects of businesses failing and with some of the victims of 'business ignorance' paying the ultimate price. It covers topics such as attitude, aptitude, compassion, honesty, ethic and morality. Hopefully, reading this book before taking the leap into business ownership may save a lifetime of regret and many years of angst and humiliation.'This book should become essential reading for anyone contemplation business ownership.' CR Australia.
About the Author: Born in Scotland, Colin S L Mackie, the author of The Quantum Leap - Owning Your First Business, was showing his commercial skill at the age of 7 where he was collecting, drying, packaging and selling flower seeds. At 12 years old he hired a truck and a driver to operated a firewood enterprise. At 19 he began his first proper business where he was working well over 100 hours per week and within 2 years he owned 2 houses, 2 cars and was taking overseas holidays. He then discovered that he had a talent for spotting businesses that were under-performing. He would buy, renovate, market and reopen the business. These businesses would then be resold over the next 12 months at a generous profit.The industry was not important - it was the basic business management and marketing skills that turned these enterprise around: Fruit and Florist, antiques, gourmet pet food, mink farming, party plan knitting wool, restaurateur are some of these enterprises. At 30 years old he took a year holiday to Australia. This holiday lasted almost forty years. Colin was introduced to corporate business where his latent sales and marketing skill saw him rocket through the ranks. As a State manager he increased his division from fourth to first and increased the turnover by a factor of 5 which was just short of 50% of the total company business. Never really happy in corporate life, Colin then returned to the world of the entrepreneur. After a number of years developing and operating a number of businesses, Colin found his niche as a Business Consultant focusing on the franchise sector. His business soon became the largest of its type in Australia with a staff of nine and a stable of over fifteen franchise systems at any given time where the primary role was centered upon Franchisee Selection. A a Franchise Consultant he was immersed in watching the dreams of others develop into household names of fail miserably at a huge financial and emotional cost. The lessons learned over these years are unique and The Quantum Leap share some of these lessons with those who contemplate the small business route to success. Colin's aim is to reduce the huge percentage of failures by letting people be aware of the hidden dangers of becoming a business owner. "I know of three new enterprises which ended in the suicide. A horrible cost to pay when some simple information may have saved the life of one person and avoided years of heartache and loss with the family left to pick up the pieces."