When you look at highly successful business people in the world, one of their regular habits is reading. They never stop learning. Always learning and always making the changes they need to grow both personally and professionally.
Did you know that millionaires spend more time reading than the general population? They read about 5.5 hours per week compared to 2 hours for everyone else!
To increase your reading hours, I have reviewed books that, in my opinion, every entrepreneur and business owner should read.
*Top tip* - I use Audible to listen to books when I am driving or out for a walk. It's a great way to increase "reading" time, when you are on the move.
1. The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry ~ John Warrilow
The Subscription Model
I have read this book a couple of times, and can spark off some interesting ideas on how to turn your service into a subscription based product.
This will help with the issue of a hunger and a burst and instead looking for small regular income streams that can be easily scaled. (Cashflow is more important than Profit in the short term)
2. What's Your Problem: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve ~ Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg
Reframing issues
This one is good for not just reframing issues but also breaking the frame altogether.
A few useful examples of both. Ties in with Systems Thinking, and in some part is based on that concept of zooming out of the currently accepted boundary of the problem.
3. They Ask, You Answer ~ Marcus Sheridan
The Open & Honest Marketing Approach
Innovative Marketing concept where you position yourself as the trusted advisor and being so honest you are pre-qualifying any prospects.
Which also mean you are confident enough in your expertise that you can openly say "we might not be the right business for you".
4. Traction ~ Gino Wickman
The Fabled version of the Entrepreneurs Operating System
The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) as a great story that really drives some of the points home and to assist in developing a business that does not require as much of your personal attention.
5. The Seven-Day Weekend ~ Ricardo Semler
Trusting Employees to the point of partnering
This book takes you through the journey of second gen business owner of a heavy industry manufacturing company, where he went from a traditional tayloristic 1950's business model into a people centric, modern flat hierarchy where people decide on when and how they work to the benefit of the business.
Pretty much blew my mind when studying Systems Thinking, and will give you a lot of food for thought.
6. Never Split the Difference ~ Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz
Negotiating any situation
How to negotiate, written by Chriss Voss who used to negotiate hostage situations for the FBI, and then went on to teach negotiation both as a business consultant and academically as a lecturer.
Some amazing true stories to illustrate what can be achieved if you understand human psychology.
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