I know I’m going to date myself with this one, but here goes. Do you remember that 80′s children’s show Reading Rainbow? The theme song has stuck with me ever since I was a little kid watching Levar Burton take me on a different reading adventure in each episode.
Part of the theme song goes, “I can go anywhere, I can be anything. Take a look it’s in a book…”.
In this step to Building a Better Business, your task is to take a look in a book that will help you go where you want to go in your business.
A well-written business book that contains relevant, detailed information can sometimes be just as good as attending a course online or at a school. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read a book recommended by another colleague or business owner, and found in its pages a solution to a problem or an extra boost of ideas and creativity. Even those books that weren’t 100% useful or didn’t provide an exact answer for a challenge I was experiencing at the time, often gave me additional options to consider and possible tactics to try for future endeavors. The best business books I’ve read are like constant companions. I keep them close by so I can easily refer to them if I need an injection of inspiration or a push in the right direction.
Think of a topic relevant to your particular industry, or a skill or process you want to learn more about, or become more proficient at. Do an Internet search for a book on the topic or better yet, visit your local bookstore or library for books on those topics.
If you hate reading, and would rather read a magazine than a book, here’s what I say.
Suck it up, and read the filth-flarn book. Even the most well-written magazine article is too short to contain the detailed information that a well-written, relevant book will. If you just stick to magazine articles, you’ll miss out on the step-by-step, detailed instructions and methods that can be found in a quality business book.
When you find a good business book or author, check out the other authors he or she reads or recommends, as they’ll likely be future sources of information for you as well.
While there are tons of books I’ve read and would recommend, here’s a categorized list of the ones that I find myself referring to most often:
Business Operations
The Millionaire Real Estate Agent – You don’t have to be a real estate agent to benefit from this book by Gary Keller. His advice and approach for setting up the core operating models for a real estate professional are a worthwhile study for any small business.
Finances
Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki shatters middle-class beliefs about what it means to be financially successful and how to get there
The Richest Man in Babylon – Proof that if you read what the people you read are reading (say that 3 times, real fast), you get even more goodness. Kiyosaki recommends this one.
Time Management
The 4-Hour Work Week – Tim Ferris’ indispensable guide to ‘all things leverage’.
People Management
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – A brief, but poignant narrative that outlines what behaviors or personal dysfunctions can make or break any group of people who are supposed to be working together toward a common goal.
Even if you don’t immediately put to use the things that you read about in any of the books, read them anyway. Think of it as good business brain food that will come in handy when you’ll most need it.
