Goals for 2012
With the new year approaching, one of your resolutions may be to better your business or even finally create and found the business of your dreams. One of the best ways to become inspired and motivated is to learn from the greats that came before, the small business professionals who have made something of themselves and their visions. In honor of enhancing and improving your business, here are ten digital business books that you can buy for your Android device.
Entreleadership
1. Entreleadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches by Dave Ramsey- This book is for the small business professional who wants to make more of his/her business. Dave Ramsey shares his secret of turning his “one-man show to a multimillion-dollar business.” He believes that the only way to create success of a small business, and potentially turn that small business into a large successful company, is to have the business owner be a “hard-charging entrepreneur” and a “motivating, encouraging leader.” The combination of those two traits is what makes the difference, according to Dave Ramsey.
Two-Second Advantage
2. The Two-Second Advantage: How We Succeed by Anticipating the Future—Just Enough by Vivek Ranadive and Kevin Maney – Have you ever wondered what differentiates you and the world’s greats, like athletes, musicians, and, of course, successful business owners and CEOs? According to Ranadive and Maney, it all has to do with the ability to anticipate outcomes and events before they ever happen. This book will encourage you to anticipate the needs of your customers and any problems that you may run into. If you can accomplish it, Ranadive and Maney believe you can improve your business and reach the top.
We First
3. We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World by Simon Mainwaring – Can one small change really make a big difference in the health and vitality of your small business? Simon Mainwaring thinks so. Just by implementing the professional use of social media, you can “earn consumer goodwill, loyalty and profit.” And as you know, loyal customers enable your small business to thrive. Throughout his book, Mainwaring gives case studies from large companies, including Whole Foods, Nike, and Coca-Cola.
Change Management
4. 10 Steps to Successful Change Management by George Vukotich – Any business owner knows that change is inevitable. And one little change can destroy or improve a business. This is especially true if the change is out of your control. However, Vukotich doesn’t believe you, as a small business owner, should give up when change comes your way. In ten steps, you can manage change effectively, learn from it, and understand why it’s happening.
Start Something
5. Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie – Nothing makes going to work easier and helps you work harder than when you love what you do. Mycoskie believes that “you don’t have to be rich to give back and you don’t have to retire to spend every day doing what you love. You can find profit, passion, and meaning all at once—right now.” You can make a difference, make a profit, and enjoy what you do every day. What could be better than that?
Lean Startup
6. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries – If you’re a founder of a startup or several startups, there may be a new approach to business you’ll want to consider. Ries asserts that most startups don’t find success and they fail, but most of these failures are completely preventable. This book discusses how you, the startup founder and business owner, should stop creating extensive business plans and focus your attention to the creating and managing of your vision.
Gang Member to Multimillionare
7. Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain: How I Went from Gang Member to Multimillionaire Entrepreneur by Ryan Blair – The author, Ryan Blair, “knows about building a business from the ground up.” While reading this book, you will learn how to be a hard-hitting entrepreneur. Some of Blair’s philosophies include having no sympathy for employees who aren’t making the cut, no matter how hard they say they’re trying, and that “most business plans aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.” If you’ve been looking for a blatantly and brutally honest book for small business owners, this might be it.
Thank You Economy
8. The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk – Consumers are no longer voiceless. Social media and social networking platforms have given consumers back their voices. Social media is how the modern world is sharing experiences and opinions with and about businesses—both large and small. The actions and intentions of businesses have never been as visible as they are now. Customers demand “authenticity, originality, creativity, honesty, and good intent.” Customers also want one-on-one attention. Social media makes that possible. Vaynerchuk teaches you how to make that happen.
Leadership is Dead
9. Leadership is Dead: How Influence is Reviving It by Jeremie Kubicek – Self-preservation is a human trait that is universal. However, this universal human trait is the enemy to the “most potent professional asset on the planet”—influence. No longer should you guard and protect your ideas. It’s now the time to influence others through your business practices. Be a leader. Succeed. Kubicek believes that putting his ideas in motion will make you the leader you’ve always wanted to be.
Content Rules!
10. Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebook, Webinars ( And More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business by Ann Handley and David Meerman Scott – The right web content can encourage customer loyalty. And with so many platforms available these days, it has never been easier to connect with customers and potential customers. But it’s more than just having accessible content on the internet. It’s about having the right content, bold content. While Handley and Scott teach you how to create and administer this essential content, they also showcase case studies for even more emphasis of how the right content can make a world of difference for your small business.
The key is to pick and choose the ideas to improve small businesses that make sense to you, that inspire you. Not all of the above ideas and concepts will work for you. Try a few new methods, but remember to listen to your intuition. With that combination, you’ll be well on your way to small business success in 2012 and for many years after.
AGBeat is not affiliated with any aforementioned author.
