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While I embrace technology and am a raving
fan of electronic newsletters and search engines, I also find great joy in the
collection of books that fill the bookshelves in our house. We have a wide variety
of fiction and non-fiction available. I suspect that it would take months to read
them all. I don't finish
every book I pick up. If a fiction book is not captivating, it gets returned to the shelf for another day and another
reader. When reading non- fiction books, I get what I need and go back later if
I need more. My third grade teacher would be appalled if she knew that my favorite
books were filled with ink notes, highlighter and folded
page corners. The habit of marking up my business book library started some time
ago and has been a time saver to recall important points. My three favorite books on the subject
of business are the focus of this newsletter. "Think and Grow Rich"
by Napoleon Hill is one of the foundation books for many "modern"
business books. First published in 1937, this classic has had over 40 editions.
It is a basic how-to manual that describes techniques
for self-improvement to accomplish goals. Hill suggests some "woo-woo-new
age ideas" sixty plus years ago including the theory of how our thoughts
work with the law of attraction. As I work with small business owners, I've
found Michael Gerber's " The E-myth Revisited
" to be the perfect guide for problem solving for small business owners.
The subtitle, " Why Most Small Businesses Don't
Work and What to Do About It", accurately sums up the entire theme in a simple
thought. This book uses a parable to explain how to fix the broken parts of a
small business. "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People" by Stephen Covey is a resource that helps keep me from being
"caught up in the thick of thin things". Written about fifteen years
ago, it has been read by many business people. I have
had conversations with others about being in "Quadrant II", a Covey
term, that required no background or introduction. Many
people know Covey's work and lingo. Please don't talk
to me about paradigm shifts, however. It sets me off into a frenzy and rant about
using simple language. Read these three
favorites and you will have more core business and personal development material
available than you can put into practice in a lifetime. Your business profitablility
is dependent on you making the time to plan. Planning the Time to Plan is
one of the key strategies for success I help my clients to achieve. Would you
like to know more? click
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