Building a Company with Heart

Build-A-Bear Workshop® is one of the most successful retailing
concepts in recent history. Starting with just one location in
1997, the company now operates more than 200 stores worldwide.

Leading the way is Maxine Clark, the company's founder,
Chairman, and Chief Executive Bear. Clark is widely recognized as
one of the nation's leading and most creative entrepreneurs. In The
Bear Necessities of Business, she reveals how she built this
amazing global business from the ground up, while arming you with
the tools you need to start, run, and market your own company in
today's tough competitive environment. While primarily drawing on
real-life experiences from Build-A-Bear Workshop®, Clark also
offers wisdom gained throughout her entire thirty-plus-year career,
including lessons and examples from some of the other great
companies that do so much right.

Straightforward and accessible, The Bear Necessities of Business
is divided into seven parts, each built around an essential element
that will allow you to stand apart from the crowd. The short,
accessible chapters show you everything you need to:

• Get your business started


• Become a great boss


• Connect with your customers


• Add value to the overall experience


• Effectively market your company


• Plan for future growth


• Give back to your customers, employees, and community

Best of all, these principles can be applied to any industry and
are proven to work whether your target audience is children,
teenagers, baby boomers, seniors, or any age in-between.

Whether you're looking to start a new business, improve an
existing one, be a better manager, or hire the best employees, The
Bear Necessities of Business contains the insights and information
you need to succeed. Even if you work for some-one else and have no
plans to strike out on your own, you'll still benefit from the
advice found in this book. After all, the best employees?and
those who consistently rise to the top?are those who think
like entrepreneurs!