Carl Reader - Boss It

Ive just loved reading this book. Carl Reader takes a sharp pin to pop the many myths of what it takes to set up, run and scale a business. His lived experience of walking the walk of setting up and running businesses burns throughout all the chapters, as does his passion for creating a business guide for the next generation.

Sharon Davies, CEO, Young Enterprise

Carl Reader is the guru of self-employment and this is a fantastic guide for anyone seeking to be their own boss. Whether you are looking for advice on funding, IT or building a customer base, this book has it covered.

Elizabeth Anderson, Money and Business Editor, i newspaper

It is rare to find a book that is inspiring, pragmatic, realistic and optimistic about starting out on your own and growing your own business. Carl Reader has written a business-advice book that is well-contextualized for this time, with wider learnings to support entrepreneurs. Here are practical insights into innovation, as well as aspirational business advice and worksheets to progress thinking into action. Carl explains key business knowledge and motivates the reader to move their idea forward. The Five Stars model is something Ill be using and encouraging others to!

Sin Prime, Academic Lead (Enterprise), Goldsmiths, University of London

Carl Reader has truly captured that the future of work is being rewritten. These Covid times will lead to the growth of the gig economy and there is a place for all skills, but we need to know how to capitalize our best skills to find our way forward. In this book, Carl has shared very useful business-centric tips and a hands-on approach to becoming a small business owner. Boss It will truly give you very apt learning lessons for starting your business dreams.

Ritu Marya, Editor-in-chief, Entrepreneur magazine (APAC and India)

Boss It is an invaluable guide to the seemingly elusive it factor about self-employment. From dreaming it to doing it, Carl Reader demystifies how to BOSS IT with confidence and clarity. This book offers the next generation an opportunity to reimagine their future working lives when it is needed now more than ever. And Carls advice also serves as a nudge to those pondering whether to take the plunge to become their own boss. This is an important, honest and inspirational guide to make dreams a reality.

Claire Bennison, Head, ACCA UK (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)

Whether youre already running your own business and need some help focusing on whats important or youre just about to embark on your first venture, you need to read this book. Carl Reader is incredibly knowledgeable about every facet of growing a robust and resilient company: every base is covered. Most importantly, for me, this isnt some romantic glamorous account of what it takes to be an entrepreneur, its a real, gritty, practical handbook for success.

Rebecca Burn-Callander, former Enterprise Editor, Daily Telegraph

Whether youre starting your first business or building your tenth, you will be more successful by applying Carl Readers brilliant BOSS IT principles.

Michael Heppell, Sunday Times bestselling author, speaker and coach

Carl Reader is a passionate and dedicated supporter of entrepreneurs and small businesses. In this book, he takes would-be entrepreneurs through the good, but also doesnt shy away from the bad and the ugly. Carl is an affable coach and this guide is incredibly practical, with case studies, templates and exercises, and refreshingly theres no business jargon in sight!

Francesca James, Founder, Great British Entrepreneur Awards

Carl Readers #Bossit is a must-read for anyone considering starting or already running their own business. Carls experience, insight and approachable style combine to captivate and inform far better than most business books Ive read. Hes honest about the realities and the practicalities, and his approach Dream it, Plan it, Do it, Scale it sets it all out for you. Carls straightforward advice demystifies complex issues and should be a constant reference source for all. Keep it handy and read it often.

Chris Bryce, former CEO/Chair, IPSE (Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed)

Boss It uniquely addresses the two most important aspects of business ownership the why and the how. Self-employment and business ownership remain the backbone of the worlds economy, yet the concepts remain unimaginable or misunderstood for many. The author demystifies the topics in a way that guides the reader through self-analysis, supported by a pragmatic step-by-step process. The end result is inspiration and action for the motivated reader!

Brad D Smith, Executive Chairman, Intuit

Starting a business is hard. However, Boss It provides the recipe of success to get it right. Its what I wish I had read 30 years ago. Boss It gives every new founder the playbook for starting a successful business.

Ramon Ray, Founder and Producer, Smart Hustle Media

Purchasing this book is a no-brainer for anyone in business or thinking of doing their own thing. Carl Reader has walked the walk in his own businesses and now shares years of experience and motivation in plain English.

Mike Michalowicz, author, Profit First and Fix This Next

Everyone whos ever written a book knows that it is like a marathon. Its painful, involves several sleepless nights and theres little fun along the way.

But for some reason, we do it again and again.

Theres something special about seeing your words in print. Knowing that your knowledge can help thousands if not millions, of people.

I have one group in mind that I really want to dedicate this book to: the next generation. My kids, their classmates and everyone else in their year group. Those who are in the year above, the year below and in different schools. Across the world.

Every one of us has gone through an academic system that prioritizes an Industrial Age mindset. Get a safe job, a good nine to five job, a career. Perhaps even a job for life.

That system is broken and academia hasnt caught up with it. We all crave more control but are being set up for a life of employment. Helping someone else reach their goals, under their control.

My eldest son Jordan is nearly 21 at the time of writing and didnt realize that self-employment was an option for him until recently, after years of being asked to study for exams that were irrelevant to his goals and skillsets. My youngest, Junior, is 3, and I sincerely hope that he grows up in a society that accepts self-employment and business ownership as a perfectly normal way of life.

As for Lauren, Dee and Charlie, who are all within the current system, all I can hope is that they see the example that Jordan has set for them by doing his own thing.

So this book is dedicated to the next generation my kids, their friends and their peers.

I hope that the generation that reads this book puts the lessons into action, so that we as a society can lead by example and show our kids that there is another way. Lets make sure that we all BOSS IT.

Carl Reader is a regular small business commentator, having appeared in most of the UK national newspapers, TV channels and radio stations. He has sat on all sides of the table as a founder, an adviser, an entrepreneur and an investor; and retains his position of Joint Chairman at d&t. He currently serves as an ambassador to IPSE, the trade body for the self-employed in the UK and US, and as the Chair of the Practitioners Panel of the ACCA. Previously, he has served as board director of the British Franchise Association, amongst other not-for-profit and charitable efforts. Carl speaks globally to small business audiences, helping them understand that business isnt difficult. Its hard work, but it isnt difficult.