The Big Idea

October 27, 2008
In this highly readable companion to his nightly CNBC television series, The Big Idea
, former ad man Deutsch profiles the entrepreneurs who have visited his show and the lessons he’s learned from them. The author relishes stories of “little people”—mothers, students, retirees and “former screw ups”—who had only a good idea and built multimillion-dollar businesses without MBAs or sometimes the support of their friends and families—individuals like Lisa Lloyd, a single mother with a poverty-line wage who borrowed money and sold her car to create her first batch of plastic hair clips that created elaborate braids with little fuss. After receiving positive encouragement from local salons, Lloyd licensed the product to a national barrette manufacturer, where it has enjoyed $30 million in sales to date—and made Lloyd a rich woman. Entrepreneurial success stories are complemented by practical advice and resources for building a business. The author’s enthusiasm and interest in his readers is apparent on every page, distinguishing this book from the dry, disinterested business guides that fill the small business startup bookshelves.