Blue Ocean Strategy

[Tiggy]

Hi All

To those who have read this book - I am considering reading it but i just get the impression that this book is mainly directed at people who have or are intending to build a huge company rather than a small business.

The reason I say that is it if I sniff out a nice empty stretch of blue ocean, unless I make a huge splash straight away (hehe) it will not take long for the bigger fish to come along with a hefty budget and hugely expensive advertising campaign to just blow me out of the water with my own idea.

Is that the case or have I got the wrong impression?

Thanks

Tiggy :D

[Cornish Steve]

Tiggy,

I would suggest that Blue Ocean Strategy is relevant for businesses of any size. It's not easy to read (it's quite academic); if you're anything like me, however, the book will prompt you to think a little differently and more creatively. Unlike many new ideas, by the way, the theories in this book are built on sound business theory.

No matter what strategy you adopt, big companies can always choose to enter your space. You can do some things to protect yourself but, in general, it's a potential hazard of any small business.

[Tiggy]

Thanks Steve. I have flicked through it and it is certainly meatier than usuall stuff I read but then maybe that's what I need.

'I will buy it!'she declared!!

T :)

[Eagle]

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Get it from a library.

The reason half of all these so-called business guru 'entrepreneurs' are rich is because people buy their books....

[Cornish Steve]

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Get it from a library.

The reason half of all these so-called business guru 'entrepreneurs' are rich is because people buy their books....

The authors are professors at INSEAD, one of the world's most distinguished business schools, and the book is published by the Harvard Business School Press. These are not fly-by-night, get-rich-quick, so-called gurus.

Still, I'm cheap. Get it from the library if you can. :)

[Eagle]

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Ok, don't shoot me! - I was just having a pop at all the 'wannabes'! ;) :)

[Cornish Steve]

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Ok, don't shoot me! - I was just having a pop at all the 'wannabes'! ;) :)

...and quite rightly so. There are too many of them out there.

[Jayne]

I must say, i've never ever read one of those sort of business books in my life. Are they not boring? What are they all about? Should I be ashamed of this fact, being in business for 12 yrs and never flicked a page of one. I am being honest here, i've never fancied reading what someone else has done, I always thought they would be mumbo jumbo, so never bothered. Am I missing out on something by not reading them?

Jayne :D

[Cornish Steve]

To some extent, it depends on your type of business. This particular book is quite academic, so it's not for everyone. Some top business professors, on the other hand, write in a very readable style. The One Minute Manager and Raving Fans, both by Ken Blanchard, are examples and well worth reading.

Jayne, Raving Fans would take you about an hour to read. See if you can find it in a library (it's a bestseller), and tell us what you think.

[daveashton]

The authors are professors at INSEAD, one of the world's most distinguished business schools, and the book is published by the Harvard Business School Press. These are not fly-by-night, get-rich-quick, so-called gurus.


Ah people who know all the theory of business.

Well I remember an old saying

In Theory, practice and theory are the same but in practice, theory and practice are rarely the same. :D


Don’t get me wrong some book are great but if it has professor, MBA etc on it, I run a mile. Books from real people who have done it and understanding why the took x chances are often for me at least helpful.

[Alpha]

I must say, i've never ever read one of those sort of business books in my life. Are they not boring? What are they all about? Should I be ashamed of this fact, being in business for 12 yrs and never flicked a page of one

Jayne

Try getting a copy of Michael Gerbers E Myth out of the library and give it a read. You may even identify with the example that he uses throughout the book. :D

After being in the same business for so long you may very well end up having already been through the same situations and in many cases reached the same solutions. The point of being able to read about some of the solutions is that you don't go through 10-15 years struggling from one scenario to another and learning on the way. (A bit like the purpose of these forums :D )

[Tiggy]

I loved the E-Myth and yes, particularly pertinent to Jayne!
T :)