Ballantine Publishing Group Acquires The Accidental Entrepreneur

Posted on September 4, 1997

The Ballantine Publishing Group will publish a business book by Jim McCann, founder and President of 1-800-FLOWERS, the world's largest florist, Linda Grey, Group President, announced today. The Accidental Entrepreneur is scheduled for publication in the Spring of 1998.

"Twenty years ago, Jim McCann stumbled into a business he knew nothing about, and with a $10,000 initial investment, created one of the country's fastest-growing companies," said Judith Curr, Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief, who acquired the book for Ballantine. "The Accidental Entrepreneur will be Mr. McCann's gritty, humorous life story infused with priceless life and business lessons that everyone can profit from reading."

The Accidental Entrepreneur will share the unique insights on management and human relations that Mr. McCann learned by growing up working class in Queens and struggling to make ends meet as a social worker in some of New York City's toughest neighborhoods. A "cyber success story," the book will also be a roadmap for business owners and managers and entrepreneurs in the Information Age. McCann's use of increasingly sophisticated telemarketing techniques and computing and information technology has been key to his success. "Learning which technology tools to pick is essential," noted Mr. McCann. "The best companies use technology to mine time, which is needed to build relationships."