The Engine of America
The Keys to Small Business Success from Entrepreneurs Who Have Made It!

by Hector Barreto

As a former administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Hector Barreto has met and done business with many well known business entrepreneurs. One statement he made in the book that left an impression on me was, "just because a business closes, it hasn't necessarily failed." Hmm, was my first reaction. Then what does one think of a business that closes? Barreto explains that it is underestimating how long it will be until a business will be profitable that causes the shut down.

The Engine of America is a step by step guide to designing a solid plan, learning what you don't know, challenging conventional wisdom, having guts, finding your niche and your people resources, all while surviving potholes. Barreto calls it: Principles of Success. This book gives you detailed insight from the successful, such as Tom Stemberg, founder of Staples, and Earl Graves, the founder of Black Enterprise Magazine. Many gave tips on what they did and how they conquered obstacles to build successful small businesses that grew and grew.

One example is from Rebecca Matthias, the largest manufacturer and retailer of maternity clothing. In the book, Matthias says, "I needed business clothes to wear to work and figured if I had that need, other women did also." It was her way of finding her niche. Another example comes from Barreto himself, listening to the words of his father. His father told him, "If you do it right the first time, you don't have to come back and do it a second time." This was about having the right tools to get any job done, with a solid plan to follow.

As a small business woman myself, overall, The Engine of America supplied me with new information and reminded me as well of that which I already knew and wasn't using. It is a good book both for those who are just getting started and those who have been around for while. Why? Technology changes things daily and Barreto acknowledges this in the book. Therefore, he provides web sites galore to answer any question you might have on starting and running a small business. I say he challenges any conventional wisdom on starting a small business. Any question you might have will be answered, with resource information to back it up.

Hector Barreto and his business associates give inspiring reasons and guidelines for believing that anyone, if they follow his Principles of Success, can do just that, succeed in the world of small business.