Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. – Joseph Addison
That is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed in profit. – Amos Bronson Alcott
A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors. – Henry Ward Beecher
Reading books on small business trends can help you maintain that competitive advantage. Often current publications can help you understand and apply solid business principles that can help you personally and professionally. So it’s that time of year when we provide you with a list of recommended reading to round out your summer and, perhaps, help bolster your business.
The Small Business Start-Up Kit: A Step-by-Step Legal Guide by Peri Pakroo (Nolo, March 2010). In its sixth printing, this book includes the latest legal information on small business management. You can read about choosing the best business structure, writing an effective business plan, filing the right forms, pricing your services, managing your finances and more.
Duct Tape Marketing: The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide by John Jantsch (Thomas Nelson, January 2007). Most financial professionals are great with numbers and poor with public relations. Duct Tape Marketing is intended to help small business owners build a solid clientele by using basic marketing techniques. Jantsch provides readers with a step-by-step marketing system intended to demonstrate how the small business owner can market products and/or services in an economical and successful manner.
Conquer the Chaos: How to Grow a Successful Small Business without Going Crazy by Clate Mask, Scott Martineau, and Michael Gerber (Wiley, June 2010). You probably already know that running your own business can be chaotic. As you try to manage all the necessary faucets of a successful practice, you’re probably finding yourself spread thin. This book is designed to help you bring order to your business by applying six practical strategies. As the inside flap explains, “A one-stop turnaround plan, Conquer the Chaos lays out a complete path to make your business run smoothly and provide you with the freedom you desire. This realistic, in-the-trenches guide offers six strategies that, when combined, give you a step-by-step approach for reaching entrepreneurial success.”
Crush It!: Why NOW is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuk (HarperStudio, October 2009). Vaynerchuk, an entrepreneur who took over his father’s business and substantially increased its profitability, explains how to use social media to build a business based on your passion.
Red to Black in 30 Days by Allen Bostrom (Universal Accounting Center, 2008)
The recession is hitting small businesses hard, and many are failing right and left; we hope yours is not one of them. Red to Black in 30 Days enables readers to learn the Universal Project Management Model that will enable them to save failing businesses. This book is a guideline for financial professionals who work with disheartened small business owners in need of a good turnaround plan.
Each chapter focuses on a crucial aspect of the turnaround process. Simple steps are outlined from initial contact through stabilization and profitable growth. This can be the guide through your first turnaround experience or it can enhance the management skills of even the seasoned contract accountant. You may find that in offering turnaround services your business (and those of your clients) will be the few that thrive in these difficult financial times. For the cost of this one book you can enhance your value to current and prospective clients. Order your copy now.
