The Accidental Entrepreneur: How We Turned €3,749 into a €100 Million Business in Three Years

The last thing Gerry Murphy planned to do was start his own business. However, a social plan to regenerate his hometown of Churchtown in North Cork led to a brief encounter at a fuel forecourt which eventually led to the establishment of a company that was turning over 100 million within three years. In Part I of The Accidental Entrepreneur Gerry Murphy tells the fascinating story of how he became a social entrepreneur and the difficulties he encountered (and overcame) along the way, and how this led to the development of GreatGas Petroleum. It's a gripping behind-the-scenes look at how a business is born. Part II provides a step-by-step guide of how to launch and build your own successful business even if you have neither capital nor commercial experience. It includes dozens of case histories, international examples, invaluable checklists and lots and lots of inspirational advice. Concise, practical and honest, The Accidental Entrepreneur is an essential read, whether you are an established entrepreneur, starting out with your first business or just dreaming of creating your own company. Everyone can become an entrepreneur. Read this and be inspired.

Table of Contents:
Dedication Foreword Introduction Part I: The GreatGas Story 1 How I Became an Accidental Entrepreneur 2 Cornering the Ballybunion Lettuce Market 3 Confessions of a Secret Signpost Fitter 4 The Fundamental Interconnectedness of All Things 5 Striking Oil 6 Love at First Thought 7 We Could Just Be in Business 8 In Which Everyone Is Surprised 9 Between the Crispy Duck and the Kung Pao Chicken 10 2006: Things Become a Little More Complicated 11 Decisions, Decisions (Some Good, Some Bad) 12 Under Attack 13 2008: The Year of Living Dangerously 14 The Night of the Oilman's Ball 15 Where Exactly Are the Cavalry? 16 When You Don't Know What to Do, Do Nothing 17 Epilogue Part II: How to Start a Successful Business with Hardly any Money (Even in a Recession) 18 Why You Should Read On 19 The Way of the Accidental Entrepreneur 20 The Joy of Business 21 What's the Big Idea? 22 Why a Recession Is the Accidental Entrepreneur's Friend 23 How to Start a Business on a Shoestring 24 The Ethical Advantage 25 Honey, I Shrunk the Business Plan 26 Creative Ways of Raising Money 27 The Partnership Dilemma 28 The Extraordinary Benefits Associated with Failure 29 The Gentle Art of Negotiation (and Why It Is so Important) 30 How to Build a Strong Business 31 The Perfect Marketing Plan 32 How to Succeed Without Selling 33 Money, Money, Money Acknowledgements Index

About the Author :
Gerry Murphy worked in banking for 25 years before setting up as a social entrepreneur and start-up venture capital investor. During his banking career he graduated with a finance degree from University College Dublin and a Masters in Business Administration from Fordham University, New York which he studied for at the Irish Management Institute.