When author Susan Baroncini-Moe came up with the idea of “Business in Blue Jeans,” she was originally thinking in terms of how she liked rolling up her sleeves and working with clients. She liked dressing comfortably; blue jeans were part of her dress code.
Blue jeans also quickly became a metaphor — a business should fit the owner like a perfect pair of jeans. It should also be strong, stable and lasting. And if wearing a suit makes you comfortable, it can be your version of Business in Blue Jeans.
In her new book, “Business in Blue Jeans: How to Have a Successful Business on Your Terms, in Your Own Style,” the author focuses on how to develop and grow a business that “suits” you like that perfect pair of jeans — one that fits your values and meets the lifestyle and financial goals you want.
She takes the basics of business and illustrates how to individualize your work so that it is unique to you. The book does not give a set of “rules” for establishing a business. Instead, it presents a process for creating a business that is an extension of you.
The author begins with an exploration of the most frequent stumbling blocks encountered by entrepreneurs. Before bad business plans or undercapitalization, most businesses fail to launch because of what the author calls “brain junk.” This is the mental baggage that gets in the way before the business is even started.
Brain junk includes a lack of competence, self-esteem and other personal factors. “While I can give you everything you need to be successful in business, the author said, “the only ingredient I can’t account for is you, and that means that your success is really, ultimately, up to you.”
Getting clarity on your “brain junk” is the best way to begin a business, and your willingness to do so is a good indicator of whether or not you’ll be successful. It helps to define the business and its capabilities. If you want to be successful, deal with the brain junk first, then move on to establishing the basics of the business.
The author guides you through this process with a series of “Homework Assignments” listed at the end of each chapter. An example of this is a “Dream to Reality Book,” an exercise where your imagined business is outlined as if it were book chapters. Many of these exercises would support any career planning, whether you intend to be an entrepreneur or not.
“I’ve always thought that it makes sense to know what your goals in life are first,” the author said. “So that when you construct your business, you think in terms of business models that have the most potential to help you reach those goals.”
Exercises of this type may also be helpful for partnerships and family-operated businesses. Completing these types of exercises early in the development of the business could help prevent conflicts later on.
Baronicini-Moe focuses on “Fire” as the single element needed if you really want to get your business going. By fire, she refers to the energy that motivates the business owner. Most businesses have lots of initial “fire” but often lack the “controlled, sustained burn” that keeps your business going for the long haul.
Among the author’s different approaches to business is “Planning your Whys.” The reality of this can be eye-opening, she said. This planning is as simple as making a list of reasons why you do what you do. Creating a “why” budget — a list of all those things you really want and their real costs, helps you to choose the best business model.
For all the serious work of starting a business, this book is a fun read. The homework is insight inducing. There is an online component to the book that includes the homework exercises as well as additional information.
The table of contents alone is a superb to-do list for establishing a business. The author’s sense of humor and choice of clever phrases even in describing some of the more mundane chores of starting a business keep the reader involved.
Ultimately, to become successful, Baroncini-Moe said, you have to take the guidance of others while taking complete responsibility.
“You must be more invested in your success than anyone else,” she said. “Do the work.”