The one-sentence summary

Whatever type of place you work in, you need to take an entrepreneurial view of your work.

WHAT THE BOOK SAYSWHY ENTREPRENEURS SHOULD EAT BANANAS

  • It has 101 inspirational ideas for growing your business and yourself.
  • Take positive control of your life – don’t let circumstances rule you.
  • The three Ps: Professional skills, Purpose, Passion. You need to be able to tick all three to claim that you are happy in life and work. If not, make changes.
  • Enthusiasm comes for the Greek en theos (“inner God”).
  • “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • There are three types of people: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.
  • You need to see the world for what it is, examine best practice, connect with existing customers, find new ones, connect with your people if you have them, and then connect with life itself.

WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT IT

  • You can dip into a point anywhere. Some of the best tips are:
  • Develop a “spoken logo” – this is your elevator pitch that goes beyond the factual and into the emotional benefit of what you do.
  • Burn your brochures – most of them serve no purpose and say the same thing.
  • Start leading or consider leaving – negative people need to move on.
  • Ask existing customers for referrals –many people never bother.
  • Leave the office no later than 5.30 – it’s amazing what you can do if you do.
  • Understand your value – too many people undervalue themselves.
  • Keep on moving – a health point: the more you move, the healthier you are.
  • There are lots of different forms in the appendix that you can use, such as customer surveys, self-assessments, and team performance questionnaires.

WHAT YOU HAVE TO WATCH

  • The title is a misnomer. The only reason for the title is to catch your attention and the answer is simply that bananas are good for you, which is a bit of a letdown.
  • It’s not really about entrepreneurs – it is to do with anyone who works in a company.