Do You Teach Business or Entrepreneurship? If so, watch the video below.

Alan Stransman, Author of “Don’t Let Your Dream Business Turn Into a Nightmare”

This is what Professor Ron Close, Executive Entrepreneur-in-Residence at The Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, one of the top 100 Business Schools in the world, said about my book:

“I could imagine this being a pretty robust way to expose my Entrepreneurship students to some key start-up issues like:

• market validation (what evidence can you find that people actually want your service?)
• market sizing (how big is the opportunity?)
• competitive analysis and positioning (why, specifically, will customers buy from us/0
• channel strategy (how will we sell it?)
• operations
• staffing
• administration
• financial planning (modelling of revenues and expenses, “what-if” analysis)
• funding (what is the optimal financial structure?0
• risk analysis and mitigation

What Other Business Instructors and Students Are Saying About “Don’t Let Your Dream Business Turn Into a Nightmare”.

“[Don't Let Your Dream Business Turn Into a Nightmare] describes the challenges faced by entrepreneur Alan Stransman as he starts up a men’s-only spa with no money, no business experience and no team. It provides students a real-life opportunity to discuss the needed ingredients for business success: an attractive idea; a qualified team; a compelling plan; and adequate funding. Stransman arguably encounters challenges on each of these four fronts.

This case is valuable reading and extremely useful for facilitating a real-world discussion of all of these critical issues.”

Ron Close

Executive Entrepreneur-in-Residence, The Richard Ivey School of Business,

University of Western Ontario

Alan Stransman’s book provides an entertaining cautionary tale for all those with dreams of turning an entrepreneurial idea into reality some day. The huge surge of interest in entrepreneurship that accompanied the dot com boom in the 1990′s produced a whole generation of mostly young people who wanted to drop whatever it was they were doing to launch a start-up. The equally huge rate of dot com failures should have been enough to demonstrate that starting a business is fraught with pitfalls, but somehow that message did not get through as well as it might have done. Alan’s book is, thus, a timely reminder to all would-be entrepreneurs that the road to realizing entrepreneurial dreams is by no means an easy one.

Patrick Turner,

Affiliate Professor of Entrepreneurship

INSEAD Asia Campus

Thre students really enjoyed the experience of having you come to the classroom, the exercise analyzing your book and the feasibility study. What was most enjoyable, and what I appreciate the most, was the time and effort you took to attend the night of presentations. The sudents so appreciated the fact that you were there for questions and input. These students are in their 3rd and 4th year, so the ability to bring the “real” world to their studies was a great experience….It was your personal touch, the pressure of having the author in attendance that added such a thrill and challenge and made this assignment such a great experience.

Prof. Cammie Jaquays

Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario

Alan’s book is a true “hands-on” account of a real business experience. the reader is in Alan’s shoes to get an experiential trip, warts and all. If you are thinking of starting your own business and want to get a feel for the other side of the coin, be sure to include Alan’s book in your research.

Prof. Donald Prescott,

Director, Eric Douglass Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies

Faculty of Management

Royal Roads University

Alan’s book is not your typical Business Planning guide or book I have read before. It offers an insider’s snapshot of what is REALLY involved during the real process. Its not full of theories and concepts but what really goes on in the business world, the pitfalls to watch out for, and how to prepare yourself. I found it captivating as I flipped through page to page holding myself not to jump to the next chapter ’til I finished. He managed to take me through his experiences as if they were mine. Very insightful!!

Angela Nthenda

M.B.A. Student

Devry University

Keller Graduate School of Management