Blog
8 Awesome Must-Read Books for Business Owners
June 16, 2015
Category: Achieve Consistent Business Success,Be a Highly Effective Owner,Build an Accountable, Self-Sufficient Team,Business Tips,Define Your Vision and Plan
Here are eight of my favorite books for business owners. I keep a running list. Not exactly your traditional list, but each one of these books is a favorite of mine that has really made an impact on me and on my clients.
1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
by Stephen Covey
This is a classic book on personal leadership and on taking personal responsibility for your life (and business) and making them what you want them to be. My favorite. Literally changed my life!
2. Mastering the Rockefeller Habits
by Verne Harnish
A straight-forward, no-BS book on creating and actually using a plan to run your business successfully.
3. The Accounting Game
by Darrell Mullis and Judith Orloff
If you’re a little hazy about how your financials work, get this book! It’s a short, simple and fun workbook that actually shows where the money goes in your business. Don’t let the fact that it looks like it’s made for a kid turn you off. It’s the best learning tool I’ve found for understanding your finances!
4. Rapid Problem Solving with Post-it Notes
by David Straker
One of my absolute favorites on using Post-it notes to solve all sorts of problems. I use the techniques in this book all the time with my clients.
5. Little Voice Mastery
by Blair Singer
We all have little voices in our head that berate us and hold us back. This book contains 21 simple techniques that you can use to blow past the little voices and the fear to get more done. Powerful!
6. The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey
by Kenneth Blanchard, William Oncken and Hal Burrows
This quick book shows how you take all types of projects from your employees (the authors call them “Monkeys”) without even realizing it. And because you’re doing so much work that isn’t yours, you don’t have time to do your own work! The book shows you what to do to about the monkeys to save you time and create more personal responsibility in your team. Eye opening!
7. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
by Roger Fisher and William Ury
This is the classic book on win-win negotiating. It teaches you how to solve negotiating problems by starting with defining your needs and the needs of who you’re negotiating with, so that you can create a solution where everyone wins. This is a great life skill that I use all the time in all areas of my life. It relates to customer service, recruiting, resolving employee problems…everywhere in your life!
8. E-Myth: Why Most Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It
by Michael Gerber
This book needs to be on everyone’s list! Great book on how to make a small business successful. Coined the term “Work on your business not in it.” It talks about having repeatable processes and treating your business as if it is the first unit of a franchise. If you haven’t read it…Read it!
Here’s How We’ve Helped Other Businesses.
Since working with Bill we have gone from losing money to a 6-figure profit and our business has grown more than 20%. It’s incredible. Working with Bill has been a great investment.
Bill’s tools and techniques reduced the struggle and helped me get and retain new customers. While working with Bill, my sales increased 40%, even though the price wars were brutal.
Bill’s constant guidance and insight has helped us make decisions that were instrumental in greatly improving our business and making us happier more fulfilled people.
-Rick Holtz, HJ Holtz and Son Painting
-Warren Hoffman, Hoffman Interior Painting
-Chelsea Cleary, United Security
