15. Read one book per month for 3 months to benefit my business
I actually finished this one at the end of May but haven't had a chance to blog on it yet. I know reading business books is really good for me and I enjoy it while I'm reading, but it's one of those things that's hard to get to when there are a ton of more "pressing" things to do. But putting it on my 101 in 1001 list definitely helped motivate me.
All three of the books were very good. Creating Customer Evangelists by Ben McConnell and Jacki Huba talked about how to leverage your current customers to create buzz and basically market your business. I think this book is a must-read in today's culture because people are so saturated and dis-trustful of advertising but have complete confidence in a recommendation from a friend. Word of mouth is HUGE for my business. I do very little advertising. This book gave me some great ideas on valuing and serving my current and past clients and definitely encouraged me to continue doing some of the things I'm doing to retain their support such as blogging and newsletters.
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell likened how ideas and products spread to how a virus spreads--they are contagious, little causes can have big effects and change happens not gradually but at one dramatic moment. The tipping point is that one dramatic moment in an epidemic when everything can change all at once. He writes about what we can do as business owners to deliberately start and control epidemics of our own. This was the easiest read of all three books. I read the entire book for the most part during my trip to San Diego in April. I underlined a ton of stuff in it but had a hard time formulating concrete action steps from it for my business. It's definitely a book you would want to read with your own specific business in mind as it is very general in nature.
Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne talked about how to create values and strategies that are so different from your current "red ocean" industry that you will in effect create a whole new industry space that previously didn't exist. This was the most technical and challenging book to digest of the three. But it was very specific and practical. As I read it with my small business in mind, I felt like it was most geared toward big business. But it definitely helped me think through my strategy and why I do what I do.
Phew. Glad that one's done. Good stuff. I might have to put another reading goal on my list so that I'm pushed to continue reading, learning and thinking critically about my business. Any other recommendations out there for good books?
I actually finished this one at the end of May but haven't had a chance to blog on it yet. I know reading business books is really good for me and I enjoy it while I'm reading, but it's one of those things that's hard to get to when there are a ton of more "pressing" things to do. But putting it on my 101 in 1001 list definitely helped motivate me.
All three of the books were very good. Creating Customer Evangelists by Ben McConnell and Jacki Huba talked about how to leverage your current customers to create buzz and basically market your business. I think this book is a must-read in today's culture because people are so saturated and dis-trustful of advertising but have complete confidence in a recommendation from a friend. Word of mouth is HUGE for my business. I do very little advertising. This book gave me some great ideas on valuing and serving my current and past clients and definitely encouraged me to continue doing some of the things I'm doing to retain their support such as blogging and newsletters.
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell likened how ideas and products spread to how a virus spreads--they are contagious, little causes can have big effects and change happens not gradually but at one dramatic moment. The tipping point is that one dramatic moment in an epidemic when everything can change all at once. He writes about what we can do as business owners to deliberately start and control epidemics of our own. This was the easiest read of all three books. I read the entire book for the most part during my trip to San Diego in April. I underlined a ton of stuff in it but had a hard time formulating concrete action steps from it for my business. It's definitely a book you would want to read with your own specific business in mind as it is very general in nature.
Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne talked about how to create values and strategies that are so different from your current "red ocean" industry that you will in effect create a whole new industry space that previously didn't exist. This was the most technical and challenging book to digest of the three. But it was very specific and practical. As I read it with my small business in mind, I felt like it was most geared toward big business. But it definitely helped me think through my strategy and why I do what I do.
Phew. Glad that one's done. Good stuff. I might have to put another reading goal on my list so that I'm pushed to continue reading, learning and thinking critically about my business. Any other recommendations out there for good books?
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