Books for New Business Owners – Flashback Friday

In Oct. 2019, I was approached by Campaigns & Elections for input on an article – the best books for new business owners.

 

If you’re new here, you should know I am an avid reader. It’s something I’ve frequently talked about, posted about and shared my book reviews publicly. 

 

I thought it would be a fun flashback Friday post to share parts of that column from 2019 and check in with you all to see if you’ve read any or had any additional books to add?

The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh 

As a business owner, you’ll only get so far by yourself. You need to recruit and motivate great people to join your team and lead them to victory.

This is the story of how Bill Walsh took the San Francisco 49ers from the worst team in football to the best in only two years by establishing and relentlessly adhering to his “Standard of Performance.” The Standard is about the performance and behaviors he required from all of his players. He did not tolerate talented jerks who refused to follow the standard and took a long-term view of developing players who did.

If you want a Hall of Fame team on your staff, you need a clearly stated Standard of Performance. This book will inspire you to get started and stay on the path.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout

Published in 1994, this short gem of a book will change your perspective on marketing in a single afternoon.

The laws are pithy and simple. Best of all, they make sense. For instance, it’s not about being first to the marketplace. It’s about being first in the customer’s mind. The leading brand is almost always the first brand in your mind. Think Kleenex, Band-Aids, and so on. If you aren’t first or second in the category, make a new category.

Granted, you’ll have to get past some of the completely outdated cultural references, including IBM computers and Hertz rental cars. If you are a child of the 80s, the nostalgia will be an added enjoyment.

While some of the stories haven’t aged well, the lessons are timeless. It’s a surprise this book hasn’t been updated and overhauled for this millennium.

To read the full column, visit: https://www.campaignsandelections.com/campaign-insider/the-5-books-every-new-firm-owner-should-read