THE BOOK
Why does an entrepreneur, like a comedian, need to close a deal every 15 seconds?
It is said that inside every successful entrepreneur there is a stand-up comic struggling to get out. Well, meet one who managed to escape.
His name is Ronnie Apteker, and no, he’s not an apteker. He’s the high-energy, high-tech founder of South Africa’s first internet service
provider, Internet Solutions, and a number of other innovative online ventures. But his real business is getting a laugh out of people,
whether it’s in a boardroom, on a stage or on a movie set. As a storyteller, moviemaker and creative spirit, Ronnie takes business seriously
enough to know that you don’t need to take yourself too seriously to succeed. Funny Business is a seriously funny and comically serious
look at the arcane art and science of entrepreneurship, in which Ronnie reveals:
• Why it helps, as an entrepreneur, to have a nice Jewish mother
• Why being a waiter is the best training for an entrepreneur, especially if you’re serving steak tartare
• Why you sometimes need to slow down to move fast in a world where progress is a paradox
• Why some mistakes are too good to make only once
Much more than a business book, this book is everyone’s business. It’s about the way the world works; it’s about living your life with
grace and purpose; it’s about learning to love what you do for a living. And it might help you to make it as an entrepreneur … not to
mention a stand-up comic.
SALES POINTS
• A business book for people who never want to read a business book: offers pithy, witty, yet serious business insights and wisdom in
an accessible and entertaining way.
• Contains fascinating inside stories on the movie industry, a world unfamiliar, yet fascinating, to many.
• Will appeal to businesspeople or those who want to be in business for themselves; entrepreneurs; people who have heard of Ronnie
Apteker; and MBA students (or MBA drop-outs).
THE AUTHORS
Ronnie Apteker is one of South Africa’s most restless and successful young entrepreneurs. Armed with an MSc in computer science, a
sense of humour and a healthy amount of chutzpah, he founded the country’s first internet service provider, Internet Solutions, in 1993.
He has since applied his entrepreneurial expertise to several online ventures and technology start-ups. A passionate storyteller and movie
entrepreneur, he has been involved in several productions, including the critically acclaimed Jerusalema. He is a regular speaker at business
events, an active fundraiser, a mentor to entrepreneurs and an occasional stand-up comic. He never sleeps.
Gus Silber is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author and scriptwriter. His books include It Takes Two to Toyi-Toyi, a satirical
survival guide to the New South Africa, and the user-friendly guide to the world of children and computers, The PC Parent. As a scriptwriter
and song lyricist, he has worked with South Africa’s most successful moviemaker, Leon Schuster, on a number of films, including
Panic Mechanic and Schuks Tshabalala’s Survival Guide to South Africa.
