Importing Australia 2012: A Writer's Review
Hi Guys,
A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to review the latest copy of Importing Australia. The book, currently in final draft form, is an improved and revised edition. Having finished reading it over the weekend, here's an abbreviated version of my final review...
I'm English, so the material contained in Importing Australia 2012 didn't interest me directly. After all, I am happily settled in the UK and have no immediate plans to move to Australia. This put me in a good position as far as reviewing the publication goes. It meant I could be honest, impartial and true to the users of this forum.
I had already read the 2011 edition, which served as a very respectable overview to the world of importing. It contained information that would definitely help any entrepreneur to get started in the importing business but obviously, there was always going to be room for a follow-up edition.
The 2012 edition is a different prospect entirely. The book moves from being an overview to a blueprint and the extra 30,000 or so words included in Importing Australia 2012 provide incredible depth, great information and genuine value. It doesn't leave new readers behind. Instead, it takes the base components of the earlier edition and explains them again in finer detail. I found that I understood some of the original concepts better because of this approach.
For me, things really started to look impressive when Importing Australia 2012 tackled the subject of creating a full business model and it lays out the procedures for doing this in relatively simple terms. It discusses everything from business plans and risk management, to the use of brokers and the importance of registration with Australian customs to make use of their specialist services.
One major change from the 2011 edition is the number of external links contained within the electronic version. Wherever help is needed, Importing Australia 2012 sends you to the right places. There are links for broker directories, overseas suppliers and important customs-related pages that contain information that any importing business would need to know.
The standout point for me was the fact that you don't actually need to be Australian or live in Australia to benefit from reading this revised publication. I could easily take most of the information in the book and use it to start my own business within the UK. The only thing that I'd have to research myself is customs control but that's information that is obviously provided for Australian readers in Importing Australia 2012.
I'd be happy to put my name to this publication had I been the writer, and that's arguably as big a testament as I can offer. I did make a suggestion or two to the forum poster who represents this publication and to his credit, he mailed me back saying my observations had been noted and small excerpts had been sent to the writers for clarification and additions.
Would I buy it? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Does it give true value for money and help you on your way to starting a profitable importing business? Definitely.
This is my first review of 2012 and believe me when I say that I get to review quite a few books over the course of a year. This was a great place to start and I genuinely believe this book will not only make a winner out of the publisher, but it will make winners out of those who put the information to good use.
Please note this review was carried out on a voluntary basis as a gesture of goodwill and no payments have been made on the basis of this review.
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