The Bear Necessities of Business: Building a Company with Heart

by Maxine Clark; With: Amy Joyner

• ISBN13: 9780471772750
• ISBN10: 0471772755
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-04-01
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Build-A-Bear Workshop? is one of the most successful retailing concepts in recent history. Starting with just one location in 1997, the company now operates more than 200 stores worldwide. Leading the way is Maxine Clark, the company's founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Bear. Clark is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading and most creative entrepreneurs. In The Bear Necessities of Business, she reveals how she built this amazing global business from the ground up, while arming you with the tools you need to start, run, and market your own company in today's tough competitive environment. While primarily drawing on real-life experiences from Build-A-Bear Workshop?, Clark also offers wisdom gained throughout her entire thirty-plus-year career, including lessons and examples from some of the other great companies that do so much right.Straightforward and accessible, The Bear Necessities of Business is divided into seven parts, each built around an essential element that will allow you to stand apart from the crowd. The short, accessible chapters show you everything you need to: Get your business started Become a great boss Connect with your customers Add value to the overall experience Effectively market your company Plan for future growth Give back to your customers, employees, and community Best of all, these principles can be applied to any industry and are proven to work whether your target audience is children, teenagers, baby boomers, seniors, or any age in-between.Whether you're looking to start a new business, improve an existing one, be a better manager, or hire the best employees, The Bear Necessities of Business contains the insights and information you need to succeed. Even if you work for some-one else and have no plans to strike out on your own, you'll still benefit from the advice found in this book. After all, the best employees-and those who consistently rise to the top-are those who think like entrepreneurs!

Author Biography

MAXINE CLARK is the founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop&#174;. A veteran of the retail industry, she has been widely recognized for her innovative work and is regularly featured in the media. Clark spent twenty years with The May Department Stores Company and later served as president of Payless ShoeSource, which she turned into the number one seller of children's licensed footwear in the world. Since 1997, Clark has focused her attention on Build-A-Bear Workshop&#174;, a retail store that lets customers create their own stuffed companions. The first store opened in 1997, and there are?now more than 200 locations around the world.</p> <p>AMY JOYNER is a former award-winning business reporter who has written on entrepreneurship for many years. She is a small business expert as well as author of The eBay Millionaire and coauthor of Making Dough, both published by Wiley.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(8)
PART ONE Getting Started
Dream the Dream Supreme	9	(6)
Let a Child Inspire You	15	(4)
Do What You Love	19	(5)
Beware of Conventional Wisdom	24	(5)
Pour Your Heart Into It	29	(5)
Envision the Core User	34	(6)
Imagine Your Company from the Inside Out	40	(5)
It's All in the Details	45	(5)
Develop Strong Partnerships	50	(5)
Be Financially Secure	55	(6)
Put Your Plans in Writing	61	(4)
Make Investors Come to You	65	(10)
PART TWO Being a Great Boss
Show a Willingness to Do Any Job	75	(4)
Seek and Find Those Who Share Your Passion	79	(4)
Create a Fun Place to Work	83	(5)
Celebrate Mistakes with a Red Pencil Award	88	(5)
Respect Those Around You	93	(6)
Empower Your Employees to Contribute	99	(5)
Know What You Don't Know	104	(6)
Seek the Help of Outside Experts	110	(6)
Keep Score	116	(5)
Read, Act, and Share	121	(6)
PART THREE Connecting with Your Customers
See Yourself Through the Public's Eyes	127	(4)
Learn from Your Customers	131	(6)
Build an Advisory Board	137	(6)
Bring Out the Child in Everyone	143	(5)
Spending More Creates More Value	148	(3)
Don't Cater to All Audiences	151	(5)
Ensure That Each Person Feels Special	156	(4)
Answer Customer letters	160	(7)
PART FOUR Creating an Incredible Experience
Make First Impressions Last	167	(6)
Turn Every Day into a Holiday	173	(4)
Emulate the Five Pillars of Success	177	(5)
Keep Inventory in Check	182	(5)
Pay Attention to Packaging	187	(4)
Offer an Escape from the Ordinary	191	(8)
PART FIVE Using Essential Marketing Strategies
Be a Great Brand	199	(4)
The Best Advertising Is Free	203	(5)
Target Your Pitches	208	(6)
Respond to the Media	214	(7)
Advertise Smart	221	(6)
Create Buzz	227	(5)
Use the Web Wisely	232	(7)
Embrace Viral Marketing	239	(8)
PART SIX Growing Your Business
1 + 1 = 10	247	(6)
Live in the Now...and the Future	253	(4)
Learn from the Experiences of Others	257	(5)
Grow Without Compromise	262	(4)
Be Prepared for the Unimaginable	266	(4)
Innovate Incessantly	270	(4)
Speak in All Languages	274	(5)
Turn "No" into Your Own "Yes"	279	(5)
The Harder You Work, the Luckier You Get	284	(4)
Five Questions That Will Help Propel Your Business	288	(9)
PART SEVEN Giving Back
Good Works Are Good Business	297	(5)
Begin in Your Own Backyard	302	(5)
Share and Share Alike	307	(4)
Bearisms to Live and Work By	311	(4)
Acknowledgments	315	(4)
About the Authors	319	(2)
Index	321