On the Wednesday Edition of my Blog Talk Radio show, Talk Business With Howard, the guest will be Ivana Taylor, the book editor of SmallBizTrends and the publisher of DIYMarketers. Here is a preview of what we will be talking about: the best business books of 2012 to make your business rock ‘n’ roll with success in 2013. As you may know from listening to the radio show or reading this blog, I am a big supporter and believer that CEOs, presidents, business owners; founders and entrepreneurs should continually be reading books on business. Here’s a great list to start. Thank you, Ivana, for the guest blog post and for talking about great business books on the radio show. Howard-
The Best Business Books Of 2012 To Rock Your 2013 by Ivana Taylor
It’s no secret that I get about three books per week from authors and publishers for review on Small Business Trends. That is a lot of books. I read almost all of them and review most of the ones I pick. As you can imagine, patterns begin to emerge over time.
I spot these memes or trends in books when one book reminds me of another book and the next thing you know, I get a deeper understanding of the undercurrent of trends that are popping up as experts put out books on specific topics.
In this article, I’ve pulled out three trends and the books that support them so that you’ll be ahead of the curve in 2013.
Craft your business
So Good they Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport. How many times can I say “LOVED this book?” — not enough when it comes to this one. This book transformed how I live my life and do my work. This book introduced me to the idea of “craftsmanship” in every element of my work. Now, instead of moaning and rolling my eyes at feedback, I embrace it because I know it’s going to help me improve my product and my skills.
Practice Perfect by Doug Lemov (@TeachLikeAChamp), Aerica Woolway (@UncommonSchools) and Katie Yezzi. In a world driven by immediate gratification, Practice Perfect will help you slow down and put your focus on creating excellence. Real excellence comes from being good at something and the way to get good is to practice. This book will do something many a teacher or coach or parent has failed to do – teach you how to practice!
Commitment Engine by John Jantsch (@ducctape) The core of every successful business lies inside of your commitment as a business owner. John Jantsch addresses one of my favorite marketing strategy and branding questions – What are you committed to? Being clear on your commitment is what allows you to craft a business and business strategy that naturally set you apart from any other alternative. This book is loaded with inspirational stories that will get you in the game of crafting a business you love.
Focus Focus Focus
Laws of Subtraction by Matthew May. We’ve been conditioned that more is more and we should do less with more. But Matthew May sees the world differently. He’ll inspire you to leverage the power of “less”. He introduces you to 6 principles of loving less that will get you thinking in a new direction.
I’ve always felt that better, more innovative and creative ideas come from constraints. For example – award winning trade show displays and campaigns have actually come from things gone horribly wrong where resources were not available.
Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz (@ToiletPaperEntrepreneur) I’m a big Toilet Entrepreneur fan and if you’re a small business that hasn’t discovered this community, defintitely check it out. Their Pied Piper is Mike Michalowicz, who wrote the original book, Toilet Paper Entrepreneur that started this community and has now released Pumpkin Plan.
I laughed out loud through the bulk of the book because Mike is just so ridiculously funny, but there are many, many words of wisdom around how to build and run a successful business – for any sized business.
Technology is friendly to your cause
Digital Dollar by Joe Wozny Digital Dollar felt like having someone who knows, gets and understands social media channels walk up to me, grab me by the collar and tell me what it takes to get the job done. And believe me – it’s not fluffy and feel good. It’s practical, down-in-the-trenches-this-is-how-the-Internet-works kind of stuff.
iPhone Millionaire by Michael Rosenblum (@Rosenblumtv) I’d say this has GOT to be my DIYMarketers book of the year. It’s got all the things we DIY’ers love. It’s short, it’s fun to read and each page is a guide to how to do video right.
You are NOT getting away from video my friends. And believe me when I tell you – this is a message for ME as much as it is to YOU. You MUST do video. I’ve been saying this for years and haven’t done it. I have my reasons – and I’m sure you have good ones too; the least of which will be how to shoot good video. You might think you’re hung up on the technology, believe me – you aren’t. Read this book, shoot better video, hire someone to edit it. Easy Peasy.
Word of mouth is always a trend
Successful LinkedIn Marketing: One Hour Per Day by Viveka von Rosen (@LinkedInExpert) You have zero excuse for not using LinkedIn. And the time it takes to manage your LinkedIn strategy shouldn’t even cross your lips – especially with this book. The author has systematically organized the book as a 5 days per week, an hour a day, business plan that spans 23 weeks. She addresses all the in’s and out’s, why’s and how to’s of using LinkedIn.
Brand Advocates by Bob Fuggetta (@robfuggetta) This is another book I’m completely nuts about because the message is simple, the process is free and the results are INSANE! The main principle of the book is that you have thousands of invisible salespeople who work for your company – FOR FREE! Yes, these people are out there talking enthusiastically about your business every day on your behalf and you pay them – NOTHING. They are brand advocates. They are insanely loyal to your company, your product or service and brand and they love sharing it with others. Brand Advocates will teach you how to leverage their enthusiasm to generate sales.
And there you have it – a selection of best business books for 2012 organized by trend so that 2013 won’t catch you by surprise. Read one book per trend and you’ll find yourself inspired and prepared for what lies ahead.
Ivana Taylor is the publisher of DIYMarketers.com – an online marketing publication that provides marketing strategies that help entrepreneurs and business owners get and keep profitable customers. She is the DIY Marketing expert and book editor for Small Business Trends and a contributing author to AMEX Open Forum. Her strategic consulting firm, Third Force specializes in helping companies find their best customers and be the one they choose – regardless of price. Ivana is the co-author of Excel for Marketing Managers. You can find her on Twitter: @DIYMarketers.
Bookmark this page and make a note on your calendar for this Wednesday, December 12 at 11 AM/ET, when Ivana guests on Talk Business With Howard on Blog Talk Radio. Sure to be an interesting and lively conversation about how reading the best business books of 2012 can help rock your business to greater success in 2013! To listen to the live broadcast, click here. The show replay will be posted to this page on Wednesday afternoon.