Getting an idea from the paper is not always easy. Even more so if you have never had an experience with business creation, right?

But the truth is that while there is no absolute secret to success, there are the crucial steps every great entrepreneur has taken to turn their ideas into a business.

In this book, Fernando Dolabela has proposed a simple, didactic format to teach you the fundamental steps to take ideas off the paper and make them a business.

If you want to find out what these steps are, follow us on this summary and check it out!

**About the book "O Segredo de Luísa"**

The book "O Segredo de Luisa", is considered a bestseller in Brazil, and simply addresses the entire planning process required to open a business.

Written by Fernando Dolabela in a unique format, the book tells the story of a fictional character based on many real entrepreneurs, helping the reader understand what he needs to do to turn an idea into business.

About the author Fernando Dolabela

Fernando Dolabela is a teacher, speaker, and writer, and works in various entrepreneurship education programs in Brazil. He was the creator of famous teaching methodologies such as the Entrepreneur Workshop and Entrepreneurial Pedagogy.

In addition to his published books, the author also produces entrepreneurship content for Band News radio, Endeavor Brazil portal and Millennium Institute.

To whom is this book indicated?

This book is for anyone who has a business idea, but has no clue on how to put it into practice or wants to overcome the main difficulties in doing business with a focus on results.

If entrepreneurship is your dream, this book will help you turn simple ideas into a big business.

**Main ideas of the book "O Segredo de Luísa"**

It is not necessary to "be born entrepreneur" to open a business. Everyone can have a good idea and make it a successful venture;
Successful businesses are not just made of good ideas; There are a lot of work planning involved;
You need to know how to differentiate ideas from business opportunities. This is only possible with market research;
The business plan has steps that involve marketing plan, marketing strategies, financial plan and others.

Are you starting a business and need help? Follow us on this summary and check it out!

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Overview: Introduction

Luísa is a character created by the author Fernando Dolabela based on the hundreds of entrepreneur stories he has heard of.

After years of teaching, Fernando has identified points that are crucial for someone to take ideas off the paper and turn them into a business.

Following this whole process is even more important in Brazil, according to the book "O Segredo de Luísa". Data from Sebrae indicate that more than 60% of start-ups close in less than 5 years.

The key to dealing with this is to develop your idea well and make a good business plan, as you will find in this summary. Follow us and check it out!

Overview: Motivation and Entrepreneur Profile

Have you ever wondered if you have an entrepreneur profile? The truth is that many people even have an idea that can become a business, but they are afraid, thinking they will not succeed, and so, they never try.

During the first chapter, Fernando Dolabela presents us the truth: anyone can be an entrepreneur, having an idea and courage at hand.

Entrepreneurship, according to him, is almost instinctive, stimulated by the environment and the community. It has effects not only for the entrepreneur but also for the community in which the person is inserted.

So, Fernando says that undertaking contributing to the well-being of the place (avoiding measures that harm the environment, for example) is a way to act ethically. And it is also opening more doors for your own company.

Characteristics of a Successful Entrepreneur

To undertake is to have an innovative idea and willingness to put it into action;
Understands the market in which it operates;
To do well, it is important to have a model, someone who inspires you;
Be willing to learn from other people's experiences, including mistakes;
Be committed to the results themselves;
Be willing to listen to feedbacks and learn from it;
Work thinking long term;
Build your own leadership model;
Have a dream to undertake.

Overview: Validating an Idea

According to the author, many entrepreneurs keep their own ideas secret for fear of being copied. But this is not the better way!

In this first big stage of your entrepreneurial life, you need to put your idea on the table in front of as many trusted people as possible. Listening to criticism, or even praise, and turning it into knowledge for your business is critical.

Just having a good idea is not enough

According to the author, many fall into myths when they consider entrepreneurship. A good idea is the first step, but not the last if you want to succeed.

Success is based on research, business plans, efficient customer service, and some other steps.

And more: Fernando Dolabela explains that it is crucial to know how to differentiate an idea from an opportunity because not every idea is a potential opportunity.

Factors that can cause a business to fail

Do not question business ideas;
Lack of communication with employees, partners and even customers;
Lack of research.

Overview: The Business Plan

In this chapter, the author continues Luisa's story, representing the difficulties and challenges faced by every entrepreneur.

This is the moment when the entrepreneur has already validated and outlined its own business idea, identifying the opportunities. Now is the time for planning.

According to Dolabela, a good business plan should contain:

Marketing Plan;
Marketing Strategy;
Financial plan.

Marketing plan

A good Marketing Plan attacks on many fronts and is a process that requires research and care.

Fernando says that a successful entrepreneur soon realizes that he should not make a product before looking for a customer who wants to buy it.

But how do you know who your customer is? The definition of the customer will be the result of preliminary research, including:

Detailed Market/Industry Analysis

You must evaluate all aspects of the industry and region in which you intend to operate, including population characteristics and even economic and political landscape.

It is important that in this process you identify the pros and cons.

Competitor Search

You need to list the top competitors in your industry, including the strategies they use to sell.

Supplier Identification

It is crucial that you check everything that is required to offer your product or service. "Is there easy access for suppliers? Which ones deliver the best quality at the lowest price?".

Do audience research

Only after understanding the market and context you should do research with the group you identified as potential customers. Do research directly with the public and identify their spending habits and personal tastes. This will help to further target your audience.

Marketing strategy

The next phase of a business plan is the marketing strategy. Fernando Dolabela says that this is when you use all the knowledge and data you have collected in the marketing plan, and turn it into sales-focused actions.

The author defines 5 steps for an efficient strategy:

1. Identification of business objectives

Knowing all the costs involved in your business is crucial. From there, you can identify how much you need to invoice to cover costs and still make a profit. This calculation will be one of the bases of your short and long term goals.

2. Product Strategy

Don't launch your product or service every time, use strategies to launch a prototype for a few customers. This way you measure customer satisfaction with your product and identify issues that you need to address in the final product.

3. Price strategy

Determine the price of the product taking into consideration production costs, the values practiced by the competition and the end customer's perception of value.

4. Distribution Strategy

Taking market research into consideration, choose how you will sell your product.

5. Communication Strategies

As important as the other points, defining how your business will promote the product is also crucial. Determine outreach channels and promotion strategies.

Financial plan

Getting a business out of paper requires financial investment, but to keep it running smoothly, the financial plan is as important as the investment.

In addition to constantly tracking your profits (and even losses), it's also critical to report on your cash flow.

But for the beginning of the operation of a company, the book "O Segredo de Luísa" states that one must keep in mind 3 aspects:

Pre-operating expenses;
Expenses to set up the business and make it active;
Working capital, to keep the business running for a while until it begins to make a profit.

Count everything

A common mistake entrepreneurs make is not accounting for all costs, and believe me, they are too many.

According to Fernando, to really know your profit, you need to keep in mind that you will have sales commission costs, the cost of producing your own product, labor and taxes.

Overview: Financing Your Dream

After going through this entire planning process, you may find that you do not have enough money to invest. At this point, the author gives practical tips and shows that there are other solutions.

Opting for funding and entrepreneurial aid projects, many of which are provided by the government is an idea. Search for projects of this type in your state, or search for information from your local Sebrae.

Another option is to look for partnerships and even other companies interested in financing your project.

What do other authors say about it?

In the book "Value Generation - Sharing Inspiration" Flavio Augusto shows your vision of the venture and the world and gives you tips to stand out from the crowd, explaining that it's not late to open your own business.

In "Traction" Gino Wickman explores how successful entrepreneurs have an attractive and well-defined vision for their business. In addition, they know how to communicate this message to employees. From this, a guideline is created to be followed by everyone within the organization, always used to develop solutions and guide strategic actions.

In the book "Dream Big" Cristiane Correa complements the idea of personal strategic planning and underscores the importance of maintaining a continuous improvement process to achieve your goals. His ideas were inspired by the visions of the richest entrepreneurs in Brazil.

Okay, but how can I apply this to my life?

After reading Fernando Dolabela's work, here are some tips to get you started on paper:

Evaluate your business idea and make sure it really is an opportunity;
Identify all the necessary steps to transform your idea into a product or service.
Don't skip any planning phase: spend time researching, studying your market, and understanding your potential customer.
According to the author, entrepreneurship is learned in practice: research and study, but keep in mind a date when your business will start;
Manage business finances always carefully;
Look for projects that make your business financially viable.

**Did you like this summary of the book "O Segredo de Luísa"?**

So, are you ready to turn your idea into a business? Let your feedback in the comments, your opinion is very important to us!

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O Segredo de Luísa - Fernando Dolabela

Do you want to discover all the secrets to transform a simple idea into a successful business? Read this summary and check out all the necessary steps now!