November 22, 2011
Filed under: Business Books,Business Travel — Alan @ 2:12 pm
Richard Branson is an entrepreneur who is arguably the most recognisable businessman in the country, he is also known for his unusual business style and is well known for having always done things differently.
Virgin Unite is his non profit foundation which is working on global leadership issues, and is based around the concept that modern leaders in the business field must put themselves forward as a vehicle for improving the environment and the lives of ordinary people through their regular business activities, and that profit should not be the only aim of a successful business venture.
This book shares his and others’ exciting vision for a new way of doing business, a vision that turns capitalism on its head, which shifts our values from a solely profit focus to a focus on people, communities and the planet. One that reveals how to Screw Business as Usual.
Featured in this book are the stories of some inspiring people who are changing the way business is done. This book is essential reading for anyone starting a business or involved in business who understands that doing good really can be good for your business.
“Over the last few decades as I’ve started up one exciting business after another, I thought that life and work could not get any better. In writing this book, I’ve realised that we’ve really been on a practice run, getting ready for the greatest challenge and opportunity of our lifetime. We’ve got a shot at really pulling together to turn upside down the way we approach the challenges we are facing in the world and look at them in a brand new entrepreneurial way. Never has there been a more exciting time for all of us to explore this great next frontier where the boundaries between work and purpose are merging into one, where doing good, really is good for business.”
In this thought-provoking book, Branson introduces Capitalism 24902 – his philosophy that every single business person has the responsibility to take care of the people and planet that make up our global village, all 24,902 miles of it. Drawing on case studies from his own business experience as well as from pioneering entrepreneurs and companies across the globe, Screw Business As Usual shows how easy it is to embark on a whole new way of doing things, solving major problems and turning our work into something we both love and are proud of.
“I have written this book for the new wave of emerging entrepreneurs as well as existing business people who are transforming their organisations. For those who, at the same time as wanting to develop a business and make a living, are wanting to do more to help people and the planet. It’s a vibrant and definite sea change from the way business was always done, when financial profit was a driving force. Today, people aren’t afraid to say, Screw Business As Usual – and show they mean it.”
A clarion call to anyone in business, Screw Business As Usual demonstrates how doing good can enable businesses to prosper. With an accompanying “Screw Business As Usual” website encouraging feedback and discussion, this stimulating book is a blueprint to help everyone Screw Business As Usual.
July 21, 2011
Filed under: Business Books — Alan @ 8:27 pm
Economists around the globe agree that the economies in the west hit hardest by the recession that included most of Europe and the US are not likely to see any significant improvement to their economies for over the next three years.
One barrier to the recover is the ability to borrow and that was always the way western economies were able to recover on a more rapid basis so therefore the recovery will be based on the ingenuity and entrepreneurship of business leaders and some creative and strategic management.
The new book series by itself will not be the only answer to economic problems but The Business Leader Book Club series has garnered a great deal of attention from the business community. There are personal and unique generations of business leaders with proven concepts that work.
The book was brought to us by Mark Stephens a business owner form UK’s F10 group who was attempting to find new and creative ways to attract people to their social website Ask The Experts. Subsequently that was what led to the development of a platform for ecommerce where hundreds of practical lifestyle and business type books can be downloaded by members free and the series’ first book Lessons Learned from the Recession is now available for download in the ebook Library.
The powerful book and its uniqueness provides personal insights from 60 business leaders and the key decisions they had to make when facing the recession. Upon reflection they believe these particular decisions were the most effective and critical actions that allowed their business to get through the recession and thrive while the world was still amidst its worst global economic downturn in memory.
He went on to say that “although this was supposed to have been a marketing exercise for the Social Multimedia site, there has been so much interest in developing a series of books that we have formed a small team to work specifically on this project. I have to say that, although this was a massive learning exercise, I have been inspired and energized by the group of people who have contributed and I am sure that will be the reaction of most people who read the book.
There are 60 unique chapters in this book that will provide you with an abundance of practical ideas that will help your business grow and succeed.”
Having spoken with a number of the contributors in the book, it is evident that there was a common feeling amongst them that they felt good about being able to share what had worked for them alongside others in a free book and in some way “give something back”. There was also general feeling amongst them that getting this book together was a great achievement in itself, as they were all such busy people and hard to pin down, but felt that the outcome was very pleasing to see.
Mark Stephens summed up his thoughts, “ I usually find my inspiration from others actions, so I did this for myself as much as anything, I just wish that I could have read it 4 years ago”!
FREE TO Download
“This book provides valuable advice from business owners who have been on the front line and know the challenges of starting or running a business.” James Caan, Hamilton Bradshaw & Dragons Den.
“The Business Leader’s Book Club offers something that most so-called business books don’t: real lessons, from real executives, facing real challenges in this tumultuous age. This series is your chance to sit down with and learn from some of the sharpest practitioners in business today. Don’t miss it”. Steve Farber, President, Extreme Leadership, Inc. Bestselling author of The Radical Leap Re-Energized and Greater Than Yourself
If you would like to receive a 50% reduction on the paperback version of this book, please use the following promotional code before August 30th: BLS3000
Visit The Business Leaders Book Club website for more information about this new book
May 6, 2011
Filed under: Business Books — Alan @ 2:22 pm
Juggle your way to success with proven company shortcuts
By Lara Morgan
Published by Infinite Ideas on 17th June 2011
ISBN: 978-1906821-73-9
Paperback £12.99
More Balls than Most By Lara Morgan
This tale of how Lara Morgan climbed the top of the tree should be an inspiration to budding entrepreneur. Her energy and sheer saw her start a business from scratch and turn it into a hugely successful enterprise. This book details how she did it and should be an essential guidebook for all those with the courage and vision to do the same.
Lara Morgan is a dynamic, if unorthodox, businesswoman. She is sharing the secrets of how she created a globally recognised business which she then sold for $20m. This straight talking and highly inspirational book if full of tips on how to turn a fledgling business into a global concern and optimise sales. For young entrepreneurs looking to follow in her footsteps there is much practical advice and guidance.
More Balls than Most is the story of ‘Pacific Direct’. A cottage industry that, due to Lara’s drive and vision, became an international supplier of amenities to renowned hotels across the globe. At the age of 23 she sold a miniature sewing kit on the front steps of London’s Dorchester hotel. Just under 20 later the brand name of ‘Pacific Direct’ were on bars of soap and other items in hotels around the world.
In More Balls than Most Lara charts the outrageous highs and lows of starting up a business from scratch and the many obstacles there are to overcome. Sticking to her mantra of never being afraid to ask, or to make mistakes, she describes how through sheer hard graft and with a seemingly inexhaustible energy, she acquired the knowledge and skills to become the hugely successful CEO of one of the UK’s fastest growing companies and shares the lessons she has learnt along the way.
More Balls than Most covers every aspect of building a profitable business, from learning to display the confidence needed to make those vital first contacts to implementing the creative decisions that will set your business apart from the rest to developing a company culture that will maintain momentum and deliver growth. Each chapter includes ‘Lara’s Laws’ – practical guidelines that will steer you through the challenges a growing company will face, as well as ‘Company Shortcuts’ – invaluable business models for managing and monitoring your progress.
Now more than ever, Lara argues, it is the ‘small, fleet of foot, flexible business models that will be first to markets, while the big boys flounder’. More Balls than Most shares the story of her extraordinary and exhilarating journey to success.
· Developing a positive culture
· The Seven Steps of the Sale
· 5-star customer performance standards
· Cut once and cut deep: the tough times
· Client wins – ideas for reaching the impossible to reach
· 20 ways to motivate your staff without paying them more
February 12, 2011
Filed under: Business Books — Alan @ 5:18 am
‘Stephen Key is the Yoda of ‘renting’ ideas for serious passive income. From how-to to war stories, this is a great book’
-Tim Ferriss, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The 4-Hour Work Week
There are a lot of costs and complexities when bringing a product to market and and many people get intimidated by that, even though they have great ideas. At a time like this borrowing money the government or banks is not easy and even more difficult from family and friends especially in these times. One Simple Idea a Mcgraw-Hill publication, by Tim Ferriss show how Stephen Key accomplished dream by becoming the entrepreneur he always want to be and doing so by opening a business without a lot of risk, debt and overhead and explains how all can do the same.
What is needed is one idea and finding a company willing to market it for you and the ability of convince the consumer of the need for the product. This can be done by anyone explains Key, and he says that is the best part. The book has a ten step program on how to bring to market your product.
‘I don’t have a background in sales or marketing or engineering’, he says, ‘all I have are ideas. It doesn’t matter whether your idea is big or small. It doesn’t have to change the world. It doesn’t have to be the next best thing since sliced bread. And you don’t have to quit your day job to start creating and licensing ideas’.
The secret to making your ideas profitable, Key says, is to put your talent and your time where the market is: ‘Don’t be one of those nutty professor types who spends years and years and thousands upon thousands of dollars “inventing” something that can’t be manufactured or sold’, he says. ‘Don’t cling to an idea that isn’t working and that no company wants to license. Good ideas are those that sell- plain and simple’.
Key has successfully licensed more than 20 of his simple ideas which have generated billions of pounds in revenue. ‘My product ideas range from the simple to the silly to the life-saving’, he says. ‘I re-envisioned the plain grey guitar pick as a blank slate for new colours and designs—paisley patterns and skull shapes, to name but a few—as well as for marketing tie-ins, such as names of bands and artists. This simple insight upped a 25p purchase to a £1 purchase, and has sold 20 million picks. One of my most successful inventions is the Spinformation rotating label, which adds 75 percent more information to bottle labels and has sold more than 400 million units worldwide’.
The book covers how to:
- Find winning ideas
- Protect your idea without expensive patents
- Create sales tools to bring your product to life
- Find potential licensees and the right contacts there
- Pitch your idea
- Negotiate a win-win licensing agreement
Key says: ‘All you need to create the life of your dreams are the 10 simple steps for bringing ideas to market—and one simple idea. Then another simple idea. And another simple idea . . . You get the idea.’
Stephen Key has been inventing and licensing products for 30 years and has successfully licensed over 20 products in fields as diverse as the toy, beverage, athletic, music and drug industries. Collectively, his creations have sold more than half a billion units. His InventRight course www.inventright.com has taught ten thousand students around the world to do the same.
One Simple Idea by Stephen Key is published by McGraw-Hill, April 2011 and is availble to pre-order or buy using the banner link below.
November 16, 2010
Filed under: Business Advice,Business Books — admin @ 12:37 pm
Brilliant Email is a new book from email expert, Dr Monica Seeley, which shows you how to save time and be more productive with email. The result is less stress and up to an extra hour every day which most people would use to have a ‘real’ lunch or take some exercise.
To find out what men and women would do with an extra hour, Monica, also known as the EmailDoctor, is running a survey. The most popular is to go for a ‘proper lunch’ with a colleague, friend or client. Close second is exercise such as a brisk walk, a jog/run or improving their golf handicap; and third is to chat to a colleague in person/make time to talk to staff and listen more. Other answers include going home on time; spending more time with family; reading one of 20 novels waiting to be read and finishing a patchwork quilt started when pregnant for the ‘baby’ who is now three years old.
Most of us suffer email overload and addiction to our inboxes. Much of it, according to Monica’s research for Brilliant Email, is caused by ineffective and inappropriate use of email. This includes the big time stealers like; over use of cc’d email, dealing with unnecessary email or emails which should never have been sent because a conversation or instant message would have been more effective. Writing the book, she explains, was her way of sharing the expertise and the many short-cuts to more productive email she has developed while working with a broad range of companies and individuals over the years. 
Using many ‘real-life’ examples, Brilliant Email, is easy to dip in and out of and is packed with useful tips and hints. It has already been described by leading management expert, Professor Cary Cooper as ‘a must for overloaded emailers’. And by well-known business author, Mike Southon as ‘a jargon-free, pragmatic and effective approach to communicating brilliantly using email’.
Dr Monica Seeley, comments; “The fact that most people, if they could get an extra hour in their working day, would spend it getting out of the office for lunch, taking exercise or a chat – reflects the overload that everyone is feeling. The virtual world of communication is very exciting but we have to balance it with time for face to face relationships. It’s not too grand a claim to say that better email management will not just save time, decrease stress and increase productivity, but it will also enhance the quality and effectiveness of our lives.”
October 7, 2010
Filed under: Business Advice,Business Books — admin @ 12:34 pm
Popular TV programmes like The Apprentice, which starts again this week on the BBC today, inspire many people to start businesses.
In the UK alone, around 400,000 new businesses are started each year.
With today’s poor job market, many more people are considering setting up a business, especially those who have received substantial redundancy pay offs.
But is this a wise move? Small business owner Neil Boom and author of the new satirical business book Going Bust: How to Ruin Your Business, says starting your own venture is often a sure fire way of losing your shirt. Neil Boom’s new book is a humorous guide to running businesses, which aims to make the venture fail as quickly as possible, so their owners can return to the old lives with the least damage done.
Here are ten good reasons NOT to start a business.
1. Over half of all new ventures go bust within a couple of years. Is this
how you really want to spend your redundancy money or hard earned
savings?
2. Running a business is much much harder than going to work, and when
things go wrong – which they will – you’ll have no boss to blame. This
is clearly no fun.
3. And that’s the last time you can throw a sickie. Doesn’t bear thinking
about does it?
4. You’ll have to understand boring things like profit and loss accounts,
cash flow and profit margins, when you could be talking about The X
Factor instead.
5. You’ll be lonely. Running a business, especially as a sole trader, can
be a lonely affair: no meetings, no gossip by the copier, no flirting
with Cheryl from accounts.
6. Say goodbye to sleep. You’ll never have time for sleep again, as you
rise with the paper boys and go to bed with the drunks.
7. If you end up badly in debt and are forced to go bankrupt, you’ll ruin
your credit rating. That’s no cheap mortgage for you ever again, sucker.
8. Remember how much you liked seeing your family and friends? Kiss them
goodbye too.
9. Remember too your company pension, car, bonus and other benefits. All
gone, probably never to return.
10. Did I mention holidays? Gone too, apart from a few odd days a year when
you’re far too tired and broke to enjoy them.
Going Bust: How to Ruin Your Business is available from www.amazon.co.uk.
March 18, 2010
Filed under: Business Books — admin @ 12:53 pm
Many of the world’s greatest businesses are family owned, but with this comes the threat of family feuding, sibling rivalries and petty jealousies. Family Wars, by Grant Gordon and Nigel Nicholson, is the dramatic story of the feuds and bust-ups that have threatened some of the world’s greatest businesses. It takes you behind the scenes on a rollercoaster ride through the ups and downs of companies such as Guchi, Ford, Gallo, Guiness and Pathak, showing how infighting has threatened to bring about their downfall.
‘Some of the most lurid business feuds of the 20th Century and their (usually) sorry aftermath…fascinating’
The Observer
‘The virtue of Family Wars is that it entertains through schadenfreude’
Financial Times
‘Rather than throwing up their hands in despair, the authors have come up with some principles for – if not avoiding – dealing with conflict when it arises’
The Independent
Family Wars can be ordered from Amazon.co.uk – see banner below for more information.
