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  • The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

  • The Tell-it-Like-it-is Guide to Cleaning Up in Business, Even if You Are at the End of Your Roll
  • Written by: Mike Michalowicz
  • Narrated by: Mike Michalowicz
  • Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (84 ratings)

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The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

Written by: Mike Michalowicz
Narrated by: Mike Michalowicz
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Publisher's Summary

"Never started a company before? Struggling with little or no cash? Have no experience, no baseline to judge your progress against? Thank God! You've got a shot at making this work."

So says Mike Michalowicz, author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, a business book that is so uniquely useful, so raw and entertaining, it reads like the brainchild of Steve Jobs and Chris Rock.

The founder of three multimillion-dollar companies, including Obsidian Launch, a company that partners with first-time entrepreneurs to grow their concepts into industry leaders, Mike Michalowicz knows what it really takes to spin your great idea into pure gold.

Whether you're just starting out or have been at this for years, Mike's "get real" approach to business is a much-needed, swift kick in the pants. In this book, you'll discover:

  • Why a business plan is a total waste of your time
  • Why fulfilling your own needs is the first and last order of business
  • Which three sheets of paper you need to successfully launch, manage, and grow your business
  • How to get started in business with little or no money
  • How to find and exploit resources that no one else knows about
  • How to stop procrastinating and take action NOW!
©2008 Mike Michalowicz (P)2013 Mike Michalowicz

What listeners say about The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

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100 business books in 1!

Mike has a great voice making to audio version easy to listen too . His energy, passion and humour all come through in this audio version; you feel like he is a buddy talking with you and giving incredible advise. He takes the wisdom and guidance from numerous business books, and filters it all into a simple easy to follow guide. He gets right to the meat, right to the heart, right down to business!

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3 people found this helpful

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Interesting

Mike did a very good one here explaining how hard but interesting it is to start a business especially with no cash or VC.. I was really impressed at how he broke down raising cash for a startup with zero cash.. I will be listening to this again..

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2 people found this helpful

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AWESOME READ!!!

Super relevant, concrete examples, excuse-busting and highly motivating! An overall winner in my books 😊 (pun intended)

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1 person found this helpful

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  • Zed
  • 2022-05-22

Excellent Read

Encouraging! The author is a straight-shooter. This book motivated me to make improvements to my business with little budget adjustments.

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Great read/listen for anyone

I run 2 small businesses and its not easy work. A friend recommended that I listen to (or read) Profit First. I got a part of the way through the book and stopped to listen to The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. I have now listened to it twice in about 2 weeks and will most likely listen again! Mike is easy to listen to and the things he says/tells you is incredible. Things that we as business owners should have thought about, but didn't. We all need a helping hand no and then and Mike is there doing just that, lending help where he can. I cannot wait to read/listen to the rest of his books!

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Funny and different business book

The premise of this book is that entrepreneurs need to get creative with how they can be successful in circumstances with no money. I’m not sure a ton of it applied to my situation necessarily, but I think the reader will be able to get a few insights and it’s a light and funny read. The author treats reading the book like a comedy act which i really enjoyed, definitely sticks out from other business books and I actually laughed out loud a couple of times.

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Amazing audiobook

This audiobook is great! Mike is really enthusiastic and tells you as it is!
Thank you Mike!

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Great listen

Great detail and Direct. Short and sweet for the win!! I did not listen to all his books in order but I plan on doing so again in order once I have listened to a majority of them.

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A passionate marriage

A highly recommended read whether you are looking to start a business, are an active entrepeneur, or even if you simply want a money-maker's perspective on goal setting and managing your finances intelligently.

Written in a delightful tongue-in-cheek manner, the book is rife with success stories and actionable examples. Unlike many of the motivational books, however, you are not expected to just light a fire under your ass through these tidbits alone, otherwise interspersed between dry number crunching and boring conflation about the importance of he who wrote, the mighty CEO. Instead, a humble tone and a self-deprecating yet simultaneously uplifting spirit creates an upward vortex of energy and can-do attitude.

I have read all the classics, and some of the obscures. Few have managed to keep me as interested in the economics aspect within the passionate marriage of a man and his business in entrepreneurship . Well done, well done.

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excellent read !

this guy is so motivating it's scary. I currently run a smaller business going for the big time and the ideas of scarcity really hit home. post covid, there isn't much on the roll, but there is opportunity galore ! a must read.

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  • Jon
  • 2013-10-07

brilliantly unorthodox. intelligently uncouth.

What made the experience of listening to The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur the most enjoyable?

Chock-full of useful information, while being not in the least bit dry.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur?

play-by-play narration of a public restroom 3-sheets dilemma.

What about Mike Michalowicz’s performance did you like?

energy, enthusiasm, and clearly in the author's voice because he self-narrated :-P

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed early, I laughed often, and I laughed hard.

Any additional comments?

TPE is the "how to start a lean business" book. The Pumpkin Plan (also by Mike Michalowicz and also on Audible) is the "how to grow beyond your plateau" book. Both are irreverent and full of great ideas.

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16 people found this helpful

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  • John
  • 2016-09-12

Just what this 60 year old needed to renegade.

I had almost checked out on my 32 year old business.......nearly lost the passion. Listening fired me up.
I'm telling everyone it's important they stop what they are doing and listen to the entire book NOW!
Daddy Rabbit

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14 people found this helpful

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  • sop
  • 2015-02-13

Read in reverse order

This is the first book in Mike's series of books and having listened to them in reverse order, the insights Mike provides in later books with regards to the context in which this book played out help put it into perspective.

A great performance with a good story but I would encourage everyone to read Mike's other books first.

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13 people found this helpful

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  • Javier
  • 2014-12-31

I am a TPE

What did you love best about The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur?

Ironically, I read this book last of all 3 of Mike's books. Still loved it. I am have had a company for almost 2 years and though much of the book still applies to me, I only wish I read it 2 years ago. I love that Mike brings it as he is, like it or not!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mike! As a young business owner I felt the chill in my spine and fire in my stomach when Mike mentioned he started at 24 years old; I am 24 now.

Any additional comments?

Having read all 3 of Mike's books I can honestly say they speak for themselves. Even if you don't like the accents and cheesy humor, you will eventually! If I ever have the pleasure of meeting Mike Michalowicz someday I only hope to buy him a beer! Cheers, Mike!

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7 people found this helpful

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  • DoctorMu
  • 2014-03-26

Quit with the feces allegories

What did you love best about The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur?

The first half of the book gave a lot of good information and exercises. His presentation styles was highly energetic and definitely got wheels turning in my mind.

Would you be willing to try another book from Mike Michalowicz? Why or why not?

Maybe....

Any additional comments?

Yeah, so I was the one who bought the book and I knew what I was getting (I guess), but I just don't see the point in making your entire book full of feces allegories. He begins the book talking about sitting on the toilet trying to wipe yourself and ends the book about about the inventor of flushable toilets. I dunno...maybe I'm just a little sensitive, but I really don't find the humor in bodily functions....especially in a business setting. I would've ranked higher had it not been for this.

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  • ArtisanShrew
  • 2017-04-29

I can't get enough of this guy ❤️

Many authors/narrators can be pleasant to listen to but this guy really is funny! Despite the fact I already know about the topics he covers in his OTHER books, I am tempted to by one of his other books just for the fact I'm guaranteed a great listen! 😊😉👍

PS. I'm always skeptical of reviews that are complimentary so for what it is worth, I should mention; I don't know the author and - as of 5/2017, I'm not an blogger of affiliate of ANY kind.

PSS.... the not so bonus, bonus-content about Mr Crapper is interesting Trivia I never knew of prior.

#MindBlown

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  • Facetious Rapscallion
  • 2013-10-10

Waste of Money

Any additional comments?

Author could have put all the useful knowledge in this book in 3-4 pages, skip it.

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  • Predator Defense
  • 2020-12-05

Meh! A Mix of Nothing New and That's Kinda Cool.

If he didn't try so hard to make his "Toilet Paper" metaphor work, along with a fairly lame attempt at being funny and shocking by throwing out the occasional F-bomb, he could have made a pretty decent 2-hour book with some fairly good insights.

Unfortunately, you have to sit through a litany of tired cliches and oversimplified idealisms to get to a few worthwhile nuggets of original thinking.

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3 people found this helpful

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  • Charles Wilkinson
  • 2017-05-27

Great read

Excellent recommendations for getting off your duff and making it happen. fits philosophy of his other books.

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2016-10-18

Great listen.

Mike is a great motivator with some great advice. It's worth the listen if your struggling to get your butt off the couch and continue/start your business.

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