The art of the side hustle: Sault Ste. Marie author dispenses advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

AuthorRoss, Ian
PositionSMALL BUSINESS FOCUS

Nevin Buconjic has never lacked for full-time employment but he always likes to have something going on the side.

The Sault Ste. Marie entrepreneur, who's launched eight businesses, has spun out his expertise and experience of the art of the side hustle into a paperback book.

"Starting Your Own Business: An Entrepreneur's Guide," is a revision of an earlier e-book of the same title he released on Amazon five years ago.

"I've been interacting with a lot of entrepreneurs, so I have a lot more to share."

With an extra 50 pages, he wanted to incorporate more of his life and learning experiences into a more comprehensive ! how-to guide.

"When I went to update it, I realized I could expand on what I previously wrote, plus add a chapter on harnessing social media, and I got more into business planning alternatives."

His passion for entrepreneurship dates back to his youth.

"It's just something inside me that gets me excited about creating my own opportunity to build wealth."

Buconjic, who works in investment attraction and marketing for the city's economic development corporation, launched the book at the Northern Ontario Book Fair in the Sault in early August.

His other e-book, "25 Money-Making Businesses You Can Start in Your Spare Time," published in 2014, sold almost 8,000 copies on Amazon.

This latest book begins by outlining the common traits of true entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg, and what makes them successful.

He delves into how to come up with a great business idea by assessing your inherent talent and skills, using market research to test your idea and assess the competition, and look at potential sources of funding from family, friends, banks, credit unions, crowdfunding and other opportunities.

"There's still that myth that I need a $5,000 grant from the government to start a business. No, you don't. You probably need a few hundred dollars to get things going and a plan. It's really not hard to start a business.

"You just have to be smart about it. Go through steps I talk about in the book. I give lot of ideas for doing things low cost."

Buconjic said there's also a misconception that you need an extensive business plan to appeal to the banks.

Sometimes that's not always necessary. He devotes a chapter to one-page business plans and other alternatives in order to get your business up and running quickly, without spending months writing a document.

He also touches on ideas for marketing on a budget and the use of...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT