Don't Do It!!!: Don

Jason Merrylees is a New Zealand entrepreneur and the author of DON'T DO IT!!!, a candid account of three decades spent turning business ideas into reality, sometimes successfully and sometimes at considerable cost.From video retail and food businesses to organic coffee, fruit juice, honey and product innovation, Jason has experienced the excitement of a promising idea and the less glamorous reality of making it work. Along the way, he has navigated financial setbacks, changing markets, difficult decisions and the personal pressures that rarely feature in business success stories.Rather than presenting himself as a business guru, Jason writes as someone who has made mistakes, repeated a few and learned that enthusiasm is no substitute for evidence. His writing combines humour, hard-earned experience and a practical understanding of what entrepreneurship can demand from individuals and their families.He created DON'T DO IT!!! and its companion website to help aspiring business owners ask better questions before risking their savings, relationships or security. His message is not that people should abandon their ambitions, but that they should understand the risks, test their assumptions and know when to walk away.Jason continues to explore new ideas, albeit with a healthier respect for reality.