This is my 2015 reading list of books to give your entrepreneur friend or books that you can give to yourself for the holiday season… or just because.
Every year, I try to get around to reading several books. This year has been no different but unlike previous years…this year’s list is all business, all the time.
Meaning the list is all business related books.
Year End Musts – The Reading List
Every year, I reflect on the books that made the most impact on my business and my team – and how we do things.
This year I came across FIVE game changers – books that I keep referring back to and implementing pieces of wisdom every few weeks or so.
In no particular order… here’s my list of gems: Quiet Power Strategy, Virtual Freedom, Profit First, DotCom Secrets and Invisible Selling Machine.
I love them all equally so don’t make me choose a favorite because I can’t and I won’t. 😉
Quiet Power Strategy
From Tara Gentile…
Business strategy, business-growth mapping manual. Period.
Not sure about the direction you want to take with your business? Not sure why your business exists? Not sure what you want to do when you grow up? Who you want to work with? Feeling a bit chaotic?
Well then sounds like you need a Chief Initiative and a Quiet Power Strategy…(note: you’ll have to read the book to find out what a chief initiative is…it will definitely help to quiet the noise and the chaos).
Even the color of the cover is “quiet” and soothing…so I should have taken that as a sign.
Check it out. You might like it. I did. Very much.
Virtual Freedom
From Chris Ducker…
Dang that plus the subtitle (How to Work with Virtual Staff to Buy More Time, Become More Productive, and Build Your Dream Business) is a mouth-full but it tells you everything you need to know.
Listen, I have tried building virtual teams before. On-shore and Off-shore. Local, across the country, or on the other side of the world. What I was doing did not work… so I cleaned shop. And suffered as a solopreneur for YEARS.
As a former manager of teams in corporate America, I already knew a bit about hiring and managing employees – aka team members – but being in an office with your team is a bit different than being anywhere at any time. I needed to adjust my way of thinking and my methods of managing and communicating tasks efficiently.
I knew I needed a little help sooner than later because I wanted to grow my business and I was getting more than overwhelmed doing everything as a solopreneur, so I had to figure something out.
At the suggestion of one of my clients – I check out Virtual Freedom and the rest, as they say, is history!
Profit First
From Mike Michalowicz…
Another super long (but descriptive) subtitle… A Simple System to Transform Any Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine << that just explains everything.
As the title & subtitle explain, this one changes up how even a seasoned accountant like me looks at profit and cashflow in business.
Another client suggestion. I have made a few tweaks here and there but I’ve been apply the PF plan for about 6 months and, I must say, so far… so good. Thankfully.
Note: Some things are counter-intuitive (SPOILER ALERT). Especially moving money around and having way more bank accounts than you may feel are necessary but the premise works and I see how it can help small business owners turn around a business that is losing money.
I look forward to working through the steps with all of my solopreneur & small team clients.
Dot Com Secrets & Invisible Selling Machine
From marketing geniuses Russell Brunson and Ryan Deiss (respectively).
More crazy long subtitles, that make you want to devour the books…DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook For Growing Your Company Online and
Invisible Selling Machine: 5 Steps To Crafting an Automated, Evergreen Email Campaign That Literally Makes Sales While You Sleep.
If you’re wanting to understand online marketing like me…how can you NOT pick up these?
Anywho back to the matter of why these made my reading list must-haves.
These 2 kinda go hand in hand for me. They both share the premise of building your email list or leads and how to communicate with them to lead to the sale (or get them to sign up for your widget…product or service).
They both have a ton of nuggets – most of which I have yet to implement. Some I will definitely work on through the next few months and into the new year so stay tunded – changes are coming!
So what books have you read this year that I should add to my reading list for the holidays? You know how much I like to read… so list them out for me!
Until next time…
J
Links & Full Book Titles:
Quiet Power Strategy
Virtual Freedom: How to Work with Virtual Staff to Buy More Time, Become More Productive, and Build Your Dream Business
Profit First: A Simple System to Transform Any Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine
DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook For Growing Your Company Online
Invisible Selling Machine: 5 Steps To Crafting an Automated, Evergreen Email Campaign That Literally Makes Sales While You Sleep
Books are Kryptonite for me. I’ve only read the QPS, and loved it. I can’t wait to see if the library has the others so I can read those too. Thanks for the ideas!
excellent, @grace_conyers:disqus. Let me know how you like them.
Do you have any favorites that I can add to my new year’s reading list?
What genres do you like? I read just about everything (except romance), so I’d love to trade titles. 🙂
My favourite non-fiction right now is Invention by Design by Henry Petroski. If you like to know how things are invented and designed, this is a pretty good read.
In the fiction, I’m reading an older trilogy called the Night Angel Trilogy, and it is by Brent Weeks.