Favorite Books

Drawing upon a six-year research project at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras took 18 truly exceptional and long-lasting companies and studied each in direct comparison to one of its top competitors. They examined the companies from their very beginnings to the present day – as start-ups, as midsize companies, and as large corporations. Throughout, the authors asked: “What makes the truly exceptional companies different from the comparison companies and what were the common practices these enduringly great companies followed throughout their history?” Filled with hundreds of specific examples and organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, Built to Last provides a master blueprint for building organizations that will prosper long into the 21st century and beyond.

Why should I do business with you… and not your competitor? Whether you are a retailer, manufacturer, distributor, or service provider – if you cannot answer this question, you are surely losing customers, clients and market share. This eye-opening book reveals how identifying your competitive advantages (and trumpeting them to the marketplace) is the most surefire way to close deals, retain clients, and stay miles ahead of the competition.Why should I do business with you… and not your competitor? Whether you are a retailer, manufacturer, distributor, or service provider – if you cannot answer this question, you are surely losing customers, clients and market share. This eye-opening book reveals how identifying your competitive advantages (and trumpeting them to the marketplace) is the most surefire way to close deals, retain clients, and stay miles ahead of the competition.

In the E-Myth, Michael Gerber dispels the myths surrounding starting your own business and shows how commonplace assumptions can get in the way of running a business. He walks you through the steps in the life of a business, from entrepreneurial infancy, through adolescent growing pains, to the mature entrepreneurial perspective, the guiding light of all businesses that succeed, and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether or not it is a franchise. Finally, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business. After you have listened to The E-Myth Revisited, you will truly be able to grow your business in a predictable and productive way.

A step-by-step guide to enjoying the roller-coaster ride of growth — while getting the most out of life as an entrepreneur. A growth-focused approach: The book is divided into three sections, which cover planning for fast growth, building a company for fast growth, and leading for fast growth. Each topic the author covers – from creating a vision for the company’s future to learning how to generate free PR for a developing company – is squarely focused on the end goal: doubling the size of the entrepreneur’s company in three years or less.

Ben Stark and Chris Hunter encourage you to begin a life-changing and transformational journey. Whether you are a first-time owner or a seasoned vet, the challenges of a home-service business can be overwhelming. Ben and Chris meet these challenges head on with the battle-tested advice and proven techniques that built their multi-million-dollar companies. With help from Dave Rothacker, Ben and Chris share powerful strategies and experiences that will motivate, strengthen and transform your business and life. The time is now. Don’t wait another minute.

Video can help you close the deal in a virtual world and this book from award winning marketer and author Marcus Sheridan will show you how. With practical advice and step by step instructions, this is the ultimate guide to selling over video – no matter how much you hate watching yourself on the screen. More than ever before, buyers and consumers are demanding for more video. Just “reading” about a product, service, or company will no longer do the trick. Today, they must “see” it. Notwithstanding this increased demand for video, most businesses and organizations have struggled to quickly adapt. In fact, many have no idea as to how or where to get started. For this purpose, The Visual Sale was written. Finally, businesses and organizations have a clear guide that will literally show them, in simple, clear, and actionable terms, exactly how they can build a culture of video and start “showing it” moving forward, ultimately leading to a dramatic improvement to their sales numbers, marketing strategy, and overall customer experience.