Some would say that recessionary times are the worst possible period for entrepreneurs, while others proclaim that new ideas grow best in times of crisis.
However you feel about the timing, if you’re feeling entrepreneurial, you’ll want to do plenty of reading before jumping in. Here are a few books to give you a starting point.
"The Start Your Own Business Bible" by Richard Walsh (Adams Media, 2011, $17.95). This is a fun book to browse, even if you're not planning to start a business. Who knew you could earn a living setting up aquariums or providing videotext services? The genius of this book is its power to excite even the least entrepreneurial soul into thinking self-employment just might work. Of course, that same quality could make this dangerous in the wrong hands.
If you risk opening the cover, here’s what you’ll find: short sections with advice on writing a business plan, applying for loans and other startup topics, and 501 business ideas organized from least-to-most-expensive (from $500 to $40,000). Each startup is given a page or more and includes advice on fees, advertising and staffing. It’s hard to know without more research, but on the surface, I’d say the information here is not overly rosy, and certainly comprehensive enough to provide a starting point for would-be business owners.
"Making It Happen: Turning Good Ideas Into Great Results" by Peter Sheahan (BenBella Books, 2011, $16.95). If you've decided on a new business by browsing the 501 ideas above, you'll inevitably need some way of making it happen -- which is what Sheahan wants to lead you through in this book. As he notes, "Your success will not come down to whether or not you can have a good idea; it will come down to whether or not you can execute it."
Although Sheahan’s steps will be useful to business owners, they’re not relegated to the world of self-employment. Anyone charged with moving an idea forward might find it handy to have a blueprint for doing so. Sheahan’s process, which he explains with simple graphs and easy-to-read prose, is based on these five competencies as he calls them: packaging, positioning, influence, acceleration and reinvention.
While the essence of his plan is simply refining and selling your idea, the devil is in the details. If you want to get a handle on those details, this book can be your guide.
"The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World" by Harvey Mackay (Portfolio, 2011, $26.95). Once you've got your idea packaged and positioned, you might want to pump up your selling skills. After all, a business is only as good as its sales -- no sales, no business. Which brings us to Mackay, an internationally recognized master of the sales process. The author of "Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive" and numerous other titles, Mackay is known for a down-to-earth approach to the problem of building business.
In this soon-to-be-released book, Mackay offers 82 short chapters on topics as far-ranging as overcoming adversity to using LinkedIn and Facebook, all punctuated with aphorisms and cartoons. On estimate, I’d say this title is about 50 percent instructional and 50 percent motivational, which is just about the right mix for a sales book.
"Stand and Deliver: How to Become a Masterful Communicator and Public Speaker" by Dale Carnegie Training (Simon & Schuster, 2011, $14.99). What if you've got the sales thing down cold but actually turn cold, and clammy, when it comes to making the presentation? You can only go so far with email campaigns. At some point, you'll have to sell your service or product face to face, so the time to get good at that is now. This book, put out by the Dale Carnegie training group (remember "How to Win Friends and Influence People"?) will show you how.
Unlike other speech books that focus on the technicalities of PowerPoint and sound systems, this title hews close to its origins by schooling the reader in the basics of building a presentation and persuading others to act. Chapters on using humor and concluding a speech, among others, are punctuated with case studies from famous speakers such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.
"The Millionaire Messenger: Make a Difference and a Fortune Sharing Your Advice" by Brendon Burchard (Free Press, 2011, $14.99). I'm almost out of space, but I couldn't resist tossing in this slim instructional on becoming a "millionaire expert." Some of the most entrepreneurial people I know are those who have developed an expertise and found a way to sell it to others. In this book, Burchard tells you how -- for a fee, of course.
Amy Lindgren owns Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com or at 626 Armstrong Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102.
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