Longer Days » Entrepreneurship

The Best Business Books You’ve Never Heard Of

Brian Gladu — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:43:07 +0000

There are more great business books than you have time to read and I’m sure you’ve heard of them: The Fifth Discipline by Peter M. Senge, The Goal by Eli Goldratt, and anything by Peter Drucker.

But what about the books that don’t become popular because they didn’t have the right publisher, didn’t time things quite right, or didn’t have the right buzzwords in their title?

Here are three great business books I never would have heard about were it not for dumb luck (and yard sales)…

The Six Disciplines for Excellence by Gary Harpst

Amazon.com sales rank: #118,701

Why this book hasn’t been at the top of the business category – and stayed there for a very, very long time – I’ll never know. On Amazon.com it is ranked 118,701 while “Who Moved My Cheese,” arguably the worst business book ever written ranks at at a frightening 166 (Does anyone read that book after buying it? It’s the only book I’ve felt was a waste of time to read).

Perhaps its cover isn’t as eye-catching as others or maybe its title isn’t obscure enough. Perhaps it should have thrown in a tantalizing subtitle about social media and Web 2.5. Whatever the case, if you own a small business you need this book.

It is about how to create a defined business strategy and then execute on it. If that doesn’t sound sexy… well… it isn’t. But, it’s a necessary thing and even a beautiful thing once you wrap your mind around what a difference it would make to be at the helm of an organization with its eye on the ball and all its resources pursuing a competitor crushing, money-raking strategy that cements your company as the market leader.

The guys have an excellent small business blog going as well…

The Wizard of Ads by Roy H. Williams

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #240,939

If you have a Kindle reader you can buy it (and the other two in the series) for only $2 each. A thought-proking, fun read. Rather than focusing on data and numbers, Roy presents anecdotes and stories that remind us of core marketing principles we easily forget but should always keep in mind when we communicate with our market.

Peak Performance: Aligning the Hearts and Minds of Your Employees by Jon Katzenbach

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #468,973

This is the opposite of the One Minute Manager. This is for people serious aboutgetting the most out of their employees by helping them get the most out of their job. It’s about aligning people with their work and helping them find intrinsic motivation to do their best. The author argues that setting financial goals (numbers) based on company growth goals are difficult for employees to connect with and presents five “balanced paths” to helping people connect with their work.

What are some underrated, unpopular business books you’ve only found by chance?

Justifying the iPad Tablet as a Business Expense

Brian Gladu — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:14:13 +0000

A few weeks ago I “had” to justify the purchase of an iPad as a business expense. I’ll admit, rationalizing the purchase of a piece of hardware you haven’t handled, and don’t yet know the apps/capabilities it will have, is not easy.

However, I was able to come up with 10 fairly solid reasons I “need” it for work based on apps I know exist and apps I can reasonably expect to exist very soon:

LogMeIn on the iPad will allow me to exit my sometimes noisy office (for instance, when I need to find a quiet place for a conference call) and still have access to my desktop.
3G will allow me to get work done while on the road, out to lunch, and other situations when I have no wi-fi.
The Wallet or 1Password iPad app will allow me to safely access sensitive information away from my desk. For instance, when I am placing an order on behalf of a client.
At home, the tablet form factor lends itself to a more comfortable, relaxed work style suited to half-work/half-lazy time – creating a presentation while watching movie, for instance. Also, I probably won’t be yelled at for working all the time as the iPad won’t be associated with work.
A dedicated place for task management. When it comes to task management, I am torn between paper and the incredible, feature-rich Mac apps (Omnifocus, Things, The Hit List). Paper is great because it doesn’t get lost in a sea of open window pollution – it sits there on my desk, in plain sight, haunting me. The iPhone apps are great but the screen-size does limit their usefulness to occasional reference and on-the-go additions. By having the Omnifocus iPad app on display at all times, it offers a best of both worlds solution.
Information intake, processing, and storage. Part of being a business owner is staying aware of trends, on top of the latest and greatest in technology, marketing, strategy, and constantly learning. For me, a lot of this takes place on my iPhone, in bed, as I’m falling asleep. I go through my RSS subscriptions, send what appears useful to Instapaper, from there I read through it, and anything worthwhile gets emailed to my inbox for placement in our company wiki the next morning. Inefficient? Very (but it does make me sleepy). With an iPad, this all becomes easier. No longer am I staring at a 5″ x 2.5″ screen (or whatever the dimensions are) which definitely makes reading easier but I fully expect that the additional screen real estate will be leveraged by app developers to make this whole situation easier. For instance, dragging a blog post to a “bin” for Instapaper, email, etc. rather than having to click hold, bring up a menu, select the service I am interested in, etc. A small thing? Yes. But I think we all share the problem of information overload these days and anything that makes sifting through and processing information easier, and faster helps relieve the bottleneck.
By having an iPad and using the apps, I will be in touch with the unique aspects of app design for the iPad making developing our own iPad app that much easier and the end result that much better.
It’s amazing what I remember I didn’t get done but should have – research, sending files, etc. – on the drive to an offsite meeting. Having the iPad there to play last minute catch-up – word processing, presentation tweaks, emailing files, etc. – will be priceless and save precious time over trying to get it done on the iphone. The Dropbox app, which houses all my business files, makes this all possible.
Networking. The iPad has gotten enough buzz and media attention that it’s on most people’s radar. It’s a great conversation piece. When I’m in public using the iPad and someone stops to gawk, it’s inevitable that the conversation will turn to, “What do you do for a living?” at some point.
I just really, really want one… err… it will improve my morale and job satisfaction.

More than anything, after seeing what developers have been able to do with iPhone apps, I am confident that the increased processing power and screen real estate is going to open doors to productivity and business apps I haven’t even imagined. Two days till iPad day (04/03)!!!

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Apple iPad Review: Laptop Killer? Pretty Close. | Walt Mossberg …

18 iPhone Apps for Small Business Owners and Entrepeneurs

Brian Gladu — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 04:51:31 +0000

Notelife – A flexible repository for: the miscellaneous information that we encounter throughout the day but don’t have time to process, great ideas as they strike (notes, audio, and pictures), and even getting work done on the move (draft emails, blog posts, etc.).
Omnifocus – After trying, literally, every task management app on the iPhone, I have decided on Omnifocus because of its location awareness. Being a small business owner I do work at home and work at the office and having a task management app that excludes irrelevant work is priceless.
Dropbox – Have all the files you need with you at all times and peace of mind knowing they are safely stowed away on your computer and backed up in the cloud. (Integrates with many of the following apps…)
Quickbooks Online – Not technically an iPhone app, they have a web-based iPhone site that gives you access to your books if you use their online service – which, as an aside, I find quite capable relative to the desktop version after recent improvements.
Bills ~ on your table – Never miss a payment again. Keep track of upcoming payments due to vendors and government agencies. Organize by category, view stats, beautiful interface, cloud sync, and more.
Carbonfin Outliner – Perfect for planning, syncs with the cloud, and is easily accessed for later transfer to your project management solution of choice.
Dragon dictation – Dictate and then email it. Great for when you are driving or just need to get something short out of your head fast.
Calengoo - The best app for accessing your Google Calendar (trust me on this one – head and shoulders above the competition).
Documents to Go Premium – Edit and create Office documents on the go. Geek bonus: Google Docs access.
ScannerPro – If you keep receipts in your wallet long enough, the ink rubs off and the IRS gets angry. Immediately scan them and, geek bonus, store them in your Dropbox.
PomodoroPro – I’ve already discussed the specific benefits of the Pomodoro method – this app keeps you focused, motivated, and productive by timing your Pomodoro’s and keeping a daily total.
GoodReader – They have perfected the PDF reading experience on the iPhone. Geek bonus: keep your PDF library in Dropbox and connect to it through this app.
1Password – You’ve got enough to worry about it… tracking down your log in information shouldn’t be burning any time or brain cycles.
Lynda.com – Downtime? Learn some new software.
Lumosity Brain Trainer – Sharpen your mind.
Breathpacer – When you are relaxed and calm you can focus and do your best work.
Momento – Keep a business journal and use tags to group threads of important information you have documented such as hires, new clients, predictions, ideas, etc.
LinkedIn – What app list would be complete without social networking?

Looking forward to the iPad…

Benefits of the Pomodoro Time Management Technique

Brian Gladu — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:56:30 +0000

I downloaded the free Pomodoro Technique ebook close to a year ago, skimmed it, and decided it wasn’t for me – I tend not to do well with structure when it comes to time management. About a month ago I noticed a few Pomodoro Technique iPhone apps springing up, purchased one, and decided to give it a go.

My results using the Pomodoro Technique have been spectacular. I am in love. Here’s why:

It forces you to pick a specific intention.
One big problem with the free form, unstructured approach to time management that I naturally gravitate toward is that my time tends to get spent on the squeakiest wheel. Very little thought goes into where my time would be best spent. At most, I would stop several times a day and say to myself, “What should I be working on right now? What would I like to get done?” Part of the Pomodoro Technique is deciding what you will accomplish before starting the timer. This forces me to prioritize and pick where my time would be best spent rather than reacting. I am more focused (by knowing my intention, I know when I am off task).

It forces you to reevaluate your intent every 30 minutes.
I get into the zone pretty easily so time has a way of getting away from me. It’s not uncommon for me to “wake up” and find that I’ve spent fours hours on a project, that I shouldn’t have spent four hours on, and neglected to do something else. By stopping and reevaluating where the next Pomodoro should be spent, I am able to maintain awareness of when I should stop working on one project and begin something else.

I get competitive with my past self.
Competition brings out the best in me and I find myself constantly trying to beat my previous days record on Pomodoro’s (I use the Dayta iPhone app to track them). Never before has it been possible for me to measure my productivity so I’ve never been able to leverage my competitive nature to become more productive.

I have a different perception of time.
It’s hard to describe but time feels more measurable and discrete than it ever did before and I feel like I have more control over it. It’s as though, by giving units of time a name that is closely tied to productivity (a “Pomodoro”), I have shifted into thinking of my time as something that is spent more concretely, the way I would spend a dollar, rather than the more ambiguous concept of “spending time” I had before.

I am much more aware of where my time is going.
Another step I have taken to improve my time management is to define my roles as a small business owner (accountant, business development, manager, marketing, etc.). By tracking where my Pomodoro’s are spent, I am able to measure exactly how much time and attention I am giving to each role giving me a perspective on where my time is going and what roles are being neglected.

I am very pleased with the benefits I’ve gained from using the Pomodoro Technique and recommend it – if you, like me, have an aversion to structured time management, maybe take it as a sign you need something like this.

UPDATE: For Mac users only: I just discovered the super awesome, free Pomodoro Desktop. It uses growl, allows you to label your Pomodoros, track your Pomodoros, and has more features than you’d think a Pomodoro app could have. HIGHLY recommended for anyone using the Pomodoro Method on a Mac.

How to Stop Not Delegating

Grasshopper vs. Google Voice: Phones for Small Business Owners

Brian Gladu — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:19:24 +0000

Unless you want to be tied to your desk all day, you need a way for important calls to reach you on your mobile. The now outdated solution was to forward calls to your cell on the way out of the office. But then you run into the hairy situations of not being able to easily distinguish between personal and business calls, forgetting to set the forward, only having one voicemail greeting, etc.

It was only a matter of time before services were created to address this common situation. Two services stand out as major players in this field: Google Voice (get your beta invite here) and Grasshopper. Both help to elegantly handle the problem of juggling multiple phones numbers and needing to be two places at once.

Both allow you to add multiple existing phone lines to your account so that all phones ring when the number is called. Both allow you to access your voicemail online. Both give you voicemail transcripts. In many ways, they are quite comparable.

For business owners, Google Voice offers the distinct advantage of being free but little else over Grasshopper which caters exclusively to that market (plans start at $9.95/month). For instance, Grasshopper allows for transferring to other extensions in the account and an auto-attendant and company directory. Key features if you are trying to communicate professionalism and not have callers feel like they are calling some guys cell phone (they may be, but they don’t need to know that). Grasshopper also allows you to transfer an existing number (Google Voice doesn’t currently but is rumored to be working on this).

That Grasshopper is a superior solution for the typical business owner is almost a given when you look at the featureset and reasonable pricing. However, I use Google Voice and will probably continue to do so simply because I have already invested in a vPBX system that works well for our company. Were I to start over, I might give Grasshopper more serious consideration because it is considerably cheaper than our current solution and offers almost identical functionality but at this point I’d hate to fix what isn’t broken.

Given that, Google Voice does everything that I need. When people call our 800 # and dial my extension, it rings my cell and my desk phone simultaneously. If I don’t pick up the call, it transfers the callers to one of two voicemail greetings. If it is a personal contact, it sends them to a personal greeting. If it is a business call or any caller that is not a known contact, they get my business greeting. If I’m at my desk, I can choose to pick up the call on my cell or my desk phone. No need to remember to forward, no need to dial in to my work line to listen to voicemails.

This is all I need. Problem solved. But, for clients who haven’t yet tied themselves to a PBX solution, I’ll be recommending Grasshopper which truly is a small business owner’s dream solution.

This Week’s Top Three: Grow Your Business, Double Your Sales, and Improve Your Blog

This Week’s Top Three: Grow Your Business, Double Your Sales, and Improve Your Blog

Brian Gladu — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:01:25 +0000

Each week (or so) I post the creme a la creme from the small business blogosphere.

Identify the Growth Factors in your Business via Go Big Network

This will help you focus in on what matters in your business. As a business owner in a down economy, it’s more important than ever that your time, attention, and energy is spent on those few activities that make a difference to your bottomline. This article helps you do that and is a terrific companion to my own article on removing constraints.

No Burnout Guide to Doubling Your Sales by The Launch Coach

This post generates so many ideas for how to improve your conversion process, it should really be bookmarked and reviewed regularly.

Problogger’s Series on Building a Better Blog bv Problogger

A must read for anyone with a blog. I can’t believe he isn’t charging for this information.

Can blogging help your small business? Watch it unfold here.