How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Private Investigation Business: With Companion CD-ROM (How to Open and Operate a Financially Successful...) (edit title/settings)

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Liked It Rated 4 stars “Working as a private investigator has a mysterious and exciting allure for many. However, there’s much more to the business than simply following people around and collecting money from clients. Author Michael J. Cavallaro hopes to enlighten, encourage, and prepare the would-be investigator...” see full review » see other reviews »

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  • Rated 4 stars

  “Working as a private investigator has a mysterious and exciting allure for many. However, there’s much more to the business than simply following people around and collecting money from clients. Author Michael J. Cavallaro hopes to enlighten, encourage, and prepare the would-be investigator with his latest book, “How to Open and Operate a Financially Successful Private Investigation Business”.
  
  “How to Open and Operate a Financially Successful Private Investigation Business” is a step by step guide on exactly what the title reflects – making it in the private investigations field. Are you the type of person that would excel in doing this type of work? Cavallaro drills his readers with plenty of questions to help them find those answers. Then he goes on to describe the type of training and certifications needed, how to set up a business in general, how to investigate a case, the different types of case possibilities, and much more. A CD-ROM is included and contains a ready-to-use business plan and plenty of helpful resource material.
  
  Despite containing a few editing mistakes, the book definitely has a great deal to offer the future investigator and it can be used as a starting point for beginners and a resource for the experienced. Even if you don’t know anything about the occupation and what it entails, Cavallaro lays it all out for anyone to follow. After reading it in its entirety, you could confidently decide if the field is right for you. Further, its business startup sections are applicable to almost any business, not just the public investigator. I’ve read several ‘how to start a business’ type books published by Atlantic Publishing Group and this section seems to be a standard inclusion. Not that this is a negative point – it’s just an observation. The information is extremely valuable and should be included. Simply, that if you’ve read one of their business start-up books, you’ll recognize the gist when you get to these sections. I did find the organization a bit jumpy though. The book begins with tackling the basics of what an investigator does as well as recommended training and certification steps. Afterwards, it moves into standard business startup guidelines and then back to nuances of the occupation. Next, we jump back to standard business practices and then back to investigation specific items. This bouncing between general business information and niche-focused details continues on through to the end of the book and makes following one particular line of thought more difficult. I would have liked to read *all* of what was expected of an investigator up front, starting at the beginning with training and certifications and on through cases, investigation practices, etc. The second half of the book could then consist of all the necessary general start up steps, detailing the business license, business plan, financial considerations, and on through taxes, employees, insurance, and more. Although the jumpy organization was a tad distracting, the book as a whole is a fantastic resource and a must-read for anyone looking to get started in the field.
  
  Reviewed by Vicki Landes, author of “Europe for the Senses – A Photographic Journal”
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  Vicki wrote this review Friday, June 15, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No