Book Reviews: Big Things Have Small Beginnings by Wes Berry

When it comes to achieving one’s goals, I am a strong advocate for the “baby steps” concept. After all, one word leads to one sentence, one sentence leads to one paragraph, one paragraph leads to one chapter, and one chapter leads to an entire novel. The smallest actions can be the start of big things. The effects might not be obvious at first or might be slow to take off, but with effort and resilience, every little thing pays off in the long run. Just ask Wes Berry, successful business owner and author of Big Things Have Small Beginnings: Learn to Play in the Great Game.

Big Things Have Small Beginnings shows readers how to recognize and take advantage of the small things which will help them successfully play not just the great game of business but also the great game of life. Berry advises potential entrepreneurs on every aspect of running a business: setting and achieving objectives, making connections, helping the business grow, finding extraordinary personnel as well as an extraordinary product/service, and even channeling the ambition which comes with running a business in a productive manner. All the while, Berry tells the story of his own successes and failures in order to demonstrate how the small changes and initiatives can add up. By the end of the book, readers will know the value of the little things in life and business and have some helpful tips for launching and running a business that you won’t find in traditional business books.

There are thousands of books and websites out there for helping people start a business. Most of them have very useful information and some can be entertaining as well, but Berry’s work has clicked with me in a way that the others have not. The emphasis on paying attention to the smaller things to reach the bigger goals really resonated with me. I also found Berry’s personal success story to be inspiring and helpful; it demonstrates a level of creative, out-of-the-box thinking that everyone should aspire to, especially if they want to make an impact on this world. The stories about trading products/service for airtime and the section on learning about franchising were particular informative, unique, and, in the case of the franchising, chuckle-worthy.

Those are the most engaging aspects of this book: the unique perspective, the humor, and the optimism. I felt as though I were having a genuine, face-to-face conversation with the author himself. While it might not be considered the most “professional” approach, this tone really kept my attention and put me at ease enough to actually absorb Berry’s advice. It adds a personal touch which too many business resources lack and, when combined with the photographs and other visual aids, prevented the writing from becoming too dry. At times I felt this approach bordered on rambling, but Berry always returns to his point and ties everything together by the end of each chapter.

Berry’s personal history of growing up with a small family business, briefly attending a military school, and involvement with the Freemasons and other organizations perfectly supplements his business and life advice. His experience provides solid examples of how his tips do—and, sometimes, do not—work out. It also creates a connection between Berry and his readers and gives the readers a few laughs. I particularly got a kick out of him mentioning his Freemason membership, both because I thought it included great ideas for leadership building and because I have a few ancestors who were also Freemasons. There seems to be a little something that any reader can relate to in Berry’s experiences, and that alone makes this book worth the read for aspiring business people.

Overall, Big Things Have Small Beginnings by Wes Berry is a great tool for those looking to start or struggling to maintain their own businesses. While Berry covers a lot of ground, this book is not a complete, comprehensive guide to business. Nevertheless, the topics that it does cover are key to succeeding in business and in life, and there are very few business resources that will so clearly demonstrate the importance of focusing on the small things as Berry’s work does. If you are trying to break into business and feel like something is missing from your approach, give Big Things Have Small Beginnings a try. You never know, the Devil might just be in those small details you’re overlooking.

Big Things Have Small Beginnings by Wes Berry is available in print on Amazon.

Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!