Click here for an introduction to this 10 Days of Reading series, as well as links to past days.
Today’s category is short and sweet because most of my favorite business & marketing resources are online…with three notable exceptions. These three books have been impactful on my journey to starting my own business, gathering an audience and making a profit.
Business model generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers and Challengers
by Alexander Osterwalder
When people ask me for business books, this is always on the top of my recommendation list. It will help you map out your business idea, including how it will make money, how you’ll market it, and who you’ll need to partner with to make it happen.
Gather the People: A Simple, Honest Approach to Creating Work that People Love, Buy and Share
by Sarah J. Bray
I have strong feelings about how terrible marketing can be (and its various evil roles in society’s history) so it bears mentioning whenever I come across a marketing philosophy that is decidedly not evil. Sarah J Bray is one such example. I am an enthusiastic member of her mailing list, and absolutely cherish the first edition of her book. Second edition will be published soon, and I can’t wait to read her wisdom.
Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine
by Mike Michalowicz
I think it’s comical to juxtapose this title next to Gather the People: they seem so opposite. But I learned a very valuable systems lesson from this book, about how to allocate my business finances to pay myself and make sure I have enough for everything by planning ahead. We’re not doing anybody any favors by mismanaging our money and going out of business, people.
