Alpha Dogs: How Your Small Business can become a Leader of the Pack | 
 enlarge | Author: Donna Fenn
Publisher: Collins
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $5.67
You Save: $19.28 (77%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  30 reviews
Sales Rank: 996095
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9
Dewey Decimal Number: 338
ASIN: B000UK363S
Publication Date: December 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Take an ordinary business. A bike shop. An auction company. An ice cream parlor. A sock manufacturer. In thoroughly mundane businesses like these, an entrepreneur must outsmart the multitudes of competitors, leap to the head of the pack, and become a dominant Alpha Dog. Exactly how does an everyday company distinguish itself in the marketplace, generate much higher sales than its competitors, and earn the lasting loyalty of customers and employees? Is it cutting-edge products? Brilliant service? Ingenious branding? Donna Fenn, a twenty-year veteran of Inc. magazine, has discovered the people who have the answers. In a personal and probing style, she introduces you to eight Alpha Dogs. These men and women share their solutions and insights on how to rise to the top, despite multiple competitors, from Chinese manufacturers to Wal-Mart. Readers will meet: Chris Zane, an intense, ambitious father of three boys. His Branford, Connecticut, retail bike shop has flourished among Wal-Mart, Sports Authority, and independent bike stores. He's done it by seeking out new markets and perfecting the art of customer service. Deb Weidenhamer, a tough woman in a male-dominated industry who transformed a traditional auction company with cutting-edge technology. While her competitors were still fretting about eBay, she was using the online auction giant as a training ground for her own innovative Web site. Amy Simmons, a former premed student who fell in love with the ice cream business in Boston and then founded her own ice cream parlor in Austin, Texas. With twelve Amy's Ice Creams stores in Austin, Amy's is the Austin hometown favorite, despite her deep-pocketed rivals, Ben & Jerry's and Cold Stone Creamery. In accessible, conversational style, Donna Fenn tells each entrepreneur's personal story, shares their winning formulas, and offers nuts-and-bolts advice and practical tips. Alpha Dogs is a lively handbook for every current and aspiring entrepreneur.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 25 more reviews...
A Motivating Read July 1, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I found Alpha Dogs to be an inspiring read. The author, Donna Fenn, does a magnificent job of taking eight businesses and highlighting specific aspects of the business that make it a "leader of the pack." For example, Chris Zane of Zane's Cycles goes to remarkable lengths to attract and maintain his customers. Jim Throneburg at THOR-LO constantly innovates a commodity product to maintain his leadership status and Trish Karter of Dancing Deer Baking carefully fosters the development of her brand. I just launched my small business and took pages of notes about the featured companies and their strategies for success. While none of the companies featured in Alpha Dogs are in my industry, the basic themes of innovation, customer service, branding, reinventing and technology stretch across all industries. This is a valuable and informative read that motivates any small business owner to progress forward.
Be the Lead Dog! April 21, 2008
8 out of 22 found this review helpful
I really like the concept behind ALPHA DOGS: HOW YOUR SMALL BUSINESS CAN BECOME A LEADER OF THE PACK by Donna Fenn. So how is the concept different than any other book? Fenn combines the strategies she is promoting with small business profiles of companies that exemplify those very strategies.
For example, chapter three "Convert Your Employees Into True Believers" profiles the Dorothy Lane Grocery Company of Ohio. Penn outlines a brief history of the company and how they came about adopting the employee training process that has made them so successful. Penn outlines the entire process from hiring to orientation to continuous training and learning to what they call intrapreneurship. The profile concludes with the companies community involvement and how they keep their employees involved as well.
Each chapter ends with two to four pages of tips from the profile company on how to implement the discussed strategies and processes. In other words, this book doesn't just talk the talk, it walks the walks with actual working examples to follow or emulate. The mix of companies also enhances interest. There's literally something here every company can relate to.
There's also a great deal of really good back matter here. Each chapter's sources are listed for further study. Fenn is a contributing editor of Inc magazine. Those familiar with her articles have come to expect from her, exactly the kind of information this book delivers.
An insightful and entertaining read, full of very valuable lessons December 30, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I absolutely loved this book - I blew through it in two days, which is a really rare occurrence for me.
This book was full of insightful and valuable lessons, in the form of entertaining and inspiring stories about 8 businesses that, through the techniques explained in this book, have become leaders in their otherwise mundane or unglamorous industries.
I have made this book required reading for everyone working in my company, and will be buying additional copies as we hire more employees. A truly worthwhile read, and unlike many books of this kind, it completely avoids being pedantic.
I will be looking forward to Fenn's latest book!
the best November 26, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This was a very informative book using real life businesses and their successes and struggles
Energize your Entrepreneurial Spirit November 26, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Are you a small business owner? This book is for you! Donna Fenn captures the spirit of small business ownership and the entrepreneurial energy that it takes to compete in today's market. The non-traditional business examples (bicycles, socks, ice cream, grocery stores and more), will give you great ideas to kick start or re-energize your small business. Highly recommended!!!
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