it’s time to move up from the poverty line
anyhoot, i just wanted to post some enriching books i read about business/entrepreneurship/let’s-make-everybody-happy-and-money-will-follow chuvaness.
1. Small is the New Big (Seth Godin) — The author is a famous marketing guru, he has a website/blog at sethgodin.com. This is the first book i read about being small is great. But this is more related to computer/web business. I read this book a loooong time ago so I have a vague recollection of the details in the book. a good read that can be done in one sitting.
2. Growing a Business (Paul Hawken) — i have not finished this as someone snatched it from me, and haven’t get hold of it again. this is a very good read for those who wanted to start a business, people who are groping for ideas on how to make their business idea work. it would make you realize that being short on money is not a problem. having lots of money is actually a bigger problem. because it’s when you are scrimping for money that you become more creative with your business. if you have a business-related degree, you might have a hard time accepting his ideas because the author actually recommended to do away with feasibility studies/whatever studies, do away with the traditional business methods as, instead of helping you, it might actually be limiting what you can do. 
3. Ben & Jerry’s: The Inside Scoop (Fred Lager) — i had posted something about this in my previous post. i consider this to be an example of making a business by the above book (little money investment) way — 2 men who made a big business just because they love to eat ice cream. that’s why, cliche as it is, if ever you go into business first thing you should consider is that you love it, you have passion for it. it’s not all about the benjamins!
watch out though, you’d be salivating reading the book. it’s also humorous.
4. Small Giants: Companies that Choose to be Great instead of Big (Bo Burlingham) — this will especially be a good read to those who have successful business, who are in the crossroad of what to do with their business’ success. according to the book, all business would encounter this stage, when finally the business is making money, usually the owners next step is to expand business to answer the increasing demands and make more money and expand more for the more increasing demands and for more more money, so on and so on. if you look at it, the owners will end up being consumed by their business. and, worse, these businessmen might end up always thinking about sales/maximizing profits/they now become it’s-all-about-the-benjamins.
the book will make you realize that you don’t have to be in the forbes magazine list for your business to be considered as GREAT. you can stay small, and be great. it shows companies/businesses who have chances of becoming really really big, but the owners/founders consciously/unconsciously chose to remain small as they do not want to lose the novelty of their business, and other advantages of being a small company such as having close relationship with your employees and community/customers, less bureaucracy. small business has less pressure, so they can take time and be more creative with their product.
5. Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World’s Most Unusual Workplace (Ricardo Semler) — i demand this should be a compulsory reading material to all employers, and employees of all level as well. it’s something you do not get from your usual management/business books. this book is written by Ricardo Semler the owner of Semco (a brazilian company). it talks about work taboos (not complying to dress codes, strict work schedule, organizational chart. etc) that are actually motivator, creative-inducing factors. Gawd, i totally suck at book reviews, so below is a copy and paste from amazon page:
From Booklist
What makes for a successful company? In a sometimes breathless, often boyish manner, Semler, a counselor of a Brazilian company (Semco), relates the transformation of a traditionally structured business into one quite literally without walls and rules. Semler details his not-so-easy steps in the metamorphosis: abolishing dress codes and regulations; decentralizing plants; getting rid of paperwork and titles (hence, his appellation as counselor, not CEO); and creating a consultative democracy in which employees set their own salaries and work hours and vote on managerial candidates, among other responsibilities. If it sounds too much like utopia, Semler admits that Brazil’s economic downturn has impacted Semco and that, yes, being born with a silver spoon certainly colors his vision. Nonetheless, his is a philosophy that merits some serious thought by managers and workers alike. Barbara Jacobs –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. 
In a nutshell, no two person is the same. the same goes with businesses. so don’t fret much if you have different ideas of doing your business from other businessmen/CEO/whatever title, or from what you learn from the school/classroom or from your textbook. one common denominator the books have is that business is not all about the benjamins, it’s also about how you take care of your human resources, not only they are irreplaceable, they also act as your sales-and-marketing, and also most pro’lly your first-in-line customers.
weeee… talking like an entrepreneur-wannabe.
