Starting a business can feel a bit like rolling the dice. You might get lucky, or you might lose everything. But it doesn't have to be that way. That's why the business world is buzzing about Matthias Aumann's new book, Not School Wise But Street Smart. Through his book, he shares essential lessons to start a successful business, making it a must-read for entrepreneurs.
The title is a reference to his lack of formal business education. He didn't pursue a master's degree in business or marketing. Instead, he learned everything he needed to know about business through experience, he says. He tried things out, made mistakes, and learned hard lessons. His philosophy behind writing this book is that if he tells you about his mistakes, you won't have to make the same ones. According to him, there are so many traps you can fall into when starting a business. He says it his priority is to save new entrepreneurs from having to give up on their dreams. For example, when he was starting his first business, he paid a company to make him publicity fliers. He ended up spending a lot of his savings on the fliers but didn't see an increase in business. These are the types of mistakes he wants you to be able to avoid. He also wants his book to be accessible to all. In 130 pages, the reader can learn all of his experience.
He started his first business at the young age of 23. It was a landscaping and agriculture company called Aumann: Grün AG. It eventually grew to employ 70 people besides himself. Through his landscaping company, he realized that medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the German economy. It was then that he decided to start his second company, called CompanybestVerlag GmbH. This is a marketing company that helps new entrepreneurs develop efficient business strategies.
Starting a business doesn't have to be like rolling a pair of dice. He hopes that Not School Wise But Street Smart will help young entrepreneurs learn everything they need to start a successful business.
