Free Book Summary: How to Buy and Sell a Business By Garrett Sutton

This book is part of the Rich Dad Advisor family. This is a HOW TO: on Buying and Selling a Business. As part of the Rich Dad philosophy the goal is to create wealth. One excellent way to do that is through a business. Business's, by far have the most potential for wealth creation than any other means. Once your business is successful then you can hold your money in Real Estate. Garrett dives into more details and I will share my personal stories of success and ass chaffing's as well.

Why is this important to me? As you may know, I ask this question as if I am sitting in your shoes. Am I investing my time in learning or burning 6 minutes on crap? So with that enlightening philosophy here is why this book is important.

1. Businesses create wealth - Have you ever heard of Domino's Pizza? The original founder of that company was an orphan by the name of Tom Monahan. The legacy continues with Domino's being in every major country in the world. The amount of wealth and economic value created is vast.

2. Businesses fail - You need to get educated on real world pitfalls because the odds are against you when you start a business from scratch. 90% of Businesses fail in the first 5 years and 90% of the 10% fail in the next 5 years. Without financial education, you will get your ass kicked.

Why Buy a Business?
1. Cash Flow - A successful business generates monthly cash flow. As you know, cash flow is everything. Think about blood in your body. When it stops flowing, you die. The same holds true in business. Strong cash flow allows you to compound the business value and create more growth.

2. OPM - There is nothing better than creating an infinite return. When you sell something for $100,000 and make a big profit that is great but when your customer sees a $500,000 savings from your offering that is even better.

3. OPE /OPT- Usually when you start out in business, it is in the S - Quadrant of the cash flow quadrant. This means you have effectively created yourself a job. Where the real growth comes in is when you can recruit and lead people behind your cause. Once that happens then you learn to multiply your companies effectiveness because you are leveraging OPE & OPT (Other people's expertise and time)

4. Tax Advantaged - With a business, you are able to generate income, pay all your expenses and then pay your taxes. The government sets it up this way because they know that business is the key to a successful economy. If you are an employee then you generate income, pay your taxes and then pay your expenses. There is at least a 30% difference in the two approaches. That is a big compound deal over time.

As you can see, a business affords many benefits. I will highlight some of the tools that Garrett outlines in the book and then go off on a tangent and talk about different business ideas and why some businesses are much better than others.

How to Buy and Sell a Business is packed with great information. This really is a HOW TO so I suggest you read it if you are buying or selling a company. For the sake of time, I will touch on three areas.

1. Team- Your team and the depth of your bench will dictate your success. Do not be pennywise and pound foolish with stuff. You need a good CPA, Lawyer and coach. If you look at the best football teams, they have strength, endurance and tactical coaches for every position on the field. They have to work together to win the Super Bowl. The organization with the best TEAM will always achieve more than the one super star with an army of pawns. Think of TEAM as TOGETHER EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE.

2. Agreements- These are very important when buying and selling a business. Things like NDA's, Confidentiality and NON-COMPETITION agreements are critical in the evaluation stages of any business venture. Once a deal is in progress then you want to be familiar with Asset Purchase Agreements, Stock Buy Back agreements and Consulting Agreements. These all make a difference on how you structure the deal and affect taxes for both parties. Another detail you want when you BUY a business is a performance clause. I purchased a company and looked at the maintenance revenue and offered a fair price. Come to find out the person I was dealing with was not honest with the numbers. In the first three months, half the revenue was NOT realized and because I did NOT put a performance clause in the agreement, I received everything but the kiss. Needless to say I had to bust my ass to break even on the deal and then grow it.

One bad deal like this can cause a ton of stress and problems so GET EDUCATED!!!!!! I rather have you learn from my mistakes instead of making them.

3. Financials- These are a business's report card. You need to be able to read financial statements and dig into the areas and ask a TON of questions. This is important because financial shenanigans can be hidden really well in a pretty financial statement. Cases in point, Enron, Tyco, WorldCom and I.O.U.S.A!!!!

There are different types of businesses and some are stronger than others. Warren Buffett is a big believer in easy businesses. He rather have a great business that can succeed with average management then a really hard business that needs a magician to make it work. This is why he invests in food companies like SEES Candy and Dairy Queen and NOT in car companies like GM. There are two differentiators here. One is moat which is competitive advantage and the other is capital investment. Every other year, car companies have to plow all their investment into the next car model. Dairy Queen simply needs to invest in more cash producing assets or give the money to their owners. If you are looking to go into business, spend some time on business types. I will profile more of these in future tutorials.

Real World Examples

1. If you hate paying too much for something then you will hate my two stories. There is an old saying in poker that if you don't know who the idiot at the table is then you are the idiot. Well in two cases, I really screwed up in purchasing businesses. The first business I purchased was 15 years ago (I am still paying it.) The mistakes I made here were several:

1. I did not get a real valuation of the company.
2. I had no idea how to read financial statements.
3. There was a real estate component to the deal and I did not value that.
4. I was way too excited to get the deal done - emotional bliss can lead to intellectual bankruptcy.
5. I was the tuna negotiating with sharks. All of these things were my fault. My second fiasco was the deal I talked about earlier where I did not put a performance clause in the contract. This was a huge debacle. These were my two highlighted DUMB ASS moments. They were both MY FAULT!!!!

2. I never like to end a review on a bad note so I will profile some good stuff. I purchased an IP (Intellectual Property) company for 10% of revenue. This is unheard of in the software world. This deal came out of the blue and the team we acquired is excellent. The lesson here is that if you are looking to buy a company, call on really large companies that are spinning off divisions. The best deals I have ever gotten are from big publicly traded companies that need to get assets off the books at the end of a quarter. I have done this twice and it is like buying dollars for $.10 cents. Think about it. If you have a company that does a billion dollars in revenue, do they care if they sell a company for $50,000 or $200,000? Not really, this does not even make a blip on their financial statements. If I can impart any advice, it would be to look for these types of opportunities. These can make you feel like a Magnificent Genius but real world business has a way of punching you right I the forehead so never keep your head in the clouds.

There is a ton of great resources in Garrett's book. I recommend highly the Appendix sections if you are buying or selling your business. Another key differentiators as well would be to approach a big company. The amount of money you will pay or receive is night and day. If somebody wants me to buy their business, I am going to negotiate hard on the price but if they go to a large company, an extra zero means nothing to them. Keep this in mind.

I hope you have found this short video summary useful. The key to any new idea is to work it into your daily routine until it becomes habit. Habits form in as little as 21 days. One thing you can take away from this book is ask questions. This is probably the best advice because the area the book covers generates questions. Also, trust your gut. If something seems to go to be true then it is.

Joe Mosed invites you to subscribe to http://www.successprogress.com/ to receive free video book summaries. Our vision at Success Progress is to provide relevant & meaningful content to our user community. To view the video summary of this article please visit http://youtube.com/successprogress

(c) Copyright - Joe Mosed / Success Progress All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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62 Free Ways to Grow Your Business Profits by Jay Conrad Levinson

Jay Conrad Levinson is definitely a person you should listen to if you wish to get your business into good shape. And by good shape it is meant you will need to pay heed to his words if you want your business to be profitable. He has made the process quite simple. All you need to do is follow his 62 Free Ways to Grow Your Business Profits.

This series is found on 8 comprehensive audio CDs (Listing all 62 tips is going to require quite a bit of time!) and the organization of the material is impeccable. It would be next to impossible to absorb all of the information in a cursory listening. That means you will need to listen to the CDs a few times in order to properly absorb all the information present on the CDs. This time commitment is well worth it. After all, the end result would be the potential great enhancement of your business venture's profits.

A great deal of the information on the CDs entails marketing strategies. Yes, there are quite a number of books, DVDs, and CDs that cover marketing tips and strategies. Can anything new be brought to the table? Innovative and creative entrepreneurs always have something new to bring to the table. This becomes quite evident when you listen to the musings of Jay Conrad Levinson in 62 Free Ways to Grow Your Business Profits. His theories and tips are not rooted in academic study. They are rooted in effective personal experience intended to deliver the much needed results one seeks when looking to boost a business' success potential.

And success potential may increase when you listen to the 62 Free Ways to Grow Your Business Profits CD series. No, you will not gain any insight into how to make tons of money overnight. No credible educational resource will infer such an outcome. With this expansive work from Jay Conrad Levinson, you are treated to tested logical steps that can prove enormously helpful to entrepreneurs. Consider that a major reason why this CD set has become so wildly popular in self-help and marketing circles.

Some of the tips are so basic and simple you might be shocked to listen to some of them. Leaving business cards in strategic locations is one. Redesigning strategically placed post-it notes to look like UPS memos is another. Even running a contest in which a business solicits marketing advice from customers has been proven to deliver massive increases in profits! Again, these are all simple and basic tips and they do definitely deliver results provided they are put into action. This latter point bears repeating. Listening to the 62 Free Ways to Grow Your Business Profits by Jay Conrad Levinson is not enough. You have to do what you need to do to put such steps into action or else they are just words.

Jay Conrad Levinson has crafted a brilliant compact disk series. It is not all that difficult to maximize your profits when you follow these basic steps. So, give them a try!

Please visit The Personal Development Company if you would like to learn more about 62 Free Ways to Grow Your Business Profits by Jay Conrad Levinson

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A Practical Guide to Starting a Successful Personal History Business

Jennifer Campbell was one of five women profiled in the February, 2011 issue of More magazine as an entrepreneur who started her business for only $150.00. As a collector of women's success stories, I was immediately intrigued and decided to investigate how she had done this. My research was pretty easy because Campbell had written a book about her undertaking called "Start & Run A Personal History Business - Get Paid to Research Family Ancestry and Write Memoirs".

I ordered the book through Amazon and sat back to wait for its arrival. Less than 10 days later, I held her book in my hands.

Campbell explains. " This is a 'hot' profession: a young industry with vast potential for income and growth. When I started Heritage Memoirs in 2002, I just wanted a creative outlet for my interviewing, writing, and editing skills. Through my father's death and my mother's dementia, I had lost my own family stories and thought there could possibly be a business helping other people avoid that loss." (page 2)

And, as her fledgling business grew, it became obvious to Campbell that the next step was to write a how-to book that covered every aspect of start up for a memoir writing business.

An unexpected bonus is the CD-ROM included on the inside back cover of the book that includes additional resources and templates you can download. Think of this book as your own personal workbook. Each page has lots of white space for note taking.

Chapter one lays the foundation by defining what a personal historian is and does and then broadening the scope of the profession by describing the "why" of this business. This chapter, like all of the others, is clearly arranged with sub-topics and bullet points for easy reading.

One of the features of the book that I like is the quiz Campbell includes on page 13. She lists 25 characteristics that she believes someone should have if they are considering becoming a personal historian. Should you come up on the short end of this list, rather than discourage you from moving forward, Campbell suggests that you simply "...start planning to work on those areas you identified as ones in which you need help." (page 13)

Chapters 3 - 5

As I read further, I found myself thinking that Campbell's book should be required reading for everyone who has ever thought about having a home-based business.

Why? Everything that she covers in these three chapters can be easily applied to any new start up business.

Campbell examines what makes for any good business owner. She distinguishes between two personality types: someone who she describes as a "pair of hands" (page 18) versus that dynamic individual who wants to control their professional/financial destiny - an entrepreneurial spirit.

What is it that separates these two types? "It's mainly one of attitude." (page 18) Some of us know this as the difference between being an employee and being an owner. The former are content to go to their job every day, following the directions of someone else. Their job has a beginning and an end to it.

The owner is someone who has a "...vision of what the business could be in a year or two or five, and they accept that they'll have to do a lot of grunt work and learn all aspects of running a business. They tend to be leaders. They have enough confidence in their abilities and their products to patiently but assertively build a clientele, and carve out a lucrative niche for themselves in the marketplace." (page 18)

Knowing which category you fit can go a long way to helping you be successful. There are happy, productive employees and there are happy, productive business owners. Taking time to figure out which category you want to fit into can save a lot of heartache.

Chapters 6 - 16

The day-to-day action steps, to-do lists, and practical applications for how to get started as a personal historian are clearly laid out in the rest of this book. Campbell leaves no stone unturned as she walks you through start up. If you're researching possible business opportunities for yourself and think that helping people to write their memoirs might be something you'd like to do, you will find no better road map for success than this book.

Kathy H Porter (aka Mrs BizWhiz) blogs about baby boomer women seeking to re-invent themselves either personally or professionally. She invites you to visit: http://www.mrsbizwhizconnects.com/ to join the conversation.

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Bestselling Books For Business And Entrepreneurship

David Brooks writes the novel called The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement. In this novel, you will discover ways in which emotions and character are shaped and affected by all of the various factors in life. Brooks merges the scientific facts of the brain and biology with the intersection of social effects in order to perform a kind of map quest into your mind. Reading this book will help you discover the ways in which these things affect how you love others, live, eat, and make the choices that you make, as well as how you interact with others around you. Also, the book will help you figure out ways to form your moral decisions as well as your wisdom and overall character. With this kind of rich understanding, you will be able to have the tools that are essential to starting your own business.

Another book that is great if you are thinking of starting a new business is by Jim Collins who writes a novel called Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't. This is a novel that explores the behaviors of a variety of other companies who made daring moves by embracing a spirit of change. This book is a good one if you are thinking to start a company or if you have already started a business and are at the helm and want to start some changes that will help you make that move that will take your business to a whole other level. You can not only see examples of what to do, but Collins includes tips through examples of businesses that failed, too, so you will have a comprehensive picture of what tactics will work best.

How To Be The Luckiest Person Alive! By James Altucher is another novel that can help you with your business as it focuses on helping you create luck, and figure out how to have the health, the success and the happiness and dreams that you succeed. You will be able to learn techniques and tips that will help you get lucky in the places where it counts, but not in a fashion of disarray, but rather one that will behoove you in your business ventures.

Patrick Lencioni writes The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, is a book that provides useful information that is easy to read and follow by following a story that happened in Silicon Valley and the way it chose an unlikely leader to lead the company. It shows how the unit of staff failed to connect and how the unlikely boss decided to pull everyone together and create a workplace with a special dynamic that helped fuel the success of the team. Finally, Alexander Osterwalder writes Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers, a book that strives to help you abandon old models and embrace new visions that will take your business to new heights and wonderful heights. For books that help you reach your potential and take your business to new heights, you will benefit from these books.

Roberto Sedycias works as an IT consultant for PoloMercantil

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Business Bestsellers Review

The Millionaire Messenger: Make a Difference and Fortune Sharing Your Advice, by Brendon Burchard, is a book that is about how to use your personal life story and experiences to help better your business, and your entire life, as a whole. This book allows you to take a deeper look into yourself so you can discover what it is that you can share with others to use as inspiration. You can use your personal stories and share them to use as advice for others, such as life lessons that you picked up because of the things you've been through. Burchard's main objective is to impact people with a ten step plan that can help make an impact on others as you discover the great value of your life story, as well as realize that you're on this planet to make a difference and that you are really important because of your perspective and unique voice. Also, he mentions that you can get paid for this contribution as you share it with the masses in a lucrative way.

Erik German writes My Father's Dream, a novel about a salesman from a network marketing company who made a pitch to the author's father in the 80s and caused a darkness to fall upon the entire family. The book is told in an investigative style from the perspective of the author who explores this corrupt company that seems to be selling soap but is actually selling something much darker. Particularly focused on exposing the details of the company, Amway, this novel is a mysterious probing look into a situation that affected one man and many others' lives.

The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement, by David Brooks, is an exploration of how our subconscious mind affects the things we do, the things we eat, the people we love, and all of what we are. He studies not what the brain does, but what it all means. How all of the things that our brain is doing should affect the way one raises children or does business or handles relationships, to provide a better understanding of one's self and the people around them.

Jim Collins' book, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't, is an examination of thousands of companies, searching for which ones made substantial improvements during their rise to power. And then the book seeks to examine what factors helped them make that leap, finding common things among the big companies that succeeded, like Walgreens, Wells Fargo, etc. This is a book that CEOs will find particularly useful.

Finally, William Clement Stone writes The Success System That Never Fails, a book that talks about the various formulas, maps, equations, systems, and techniques that help a person succeed while others continue to fail. And once you follow these techniques it leads you to knowledge, and then you get experience, and then finally, you get inspiration which is all your really need to make a change and a difference. Thus, this book contains immense inspirational material for business building or life improvement.

Roberto Sedycias works as an IT consultant for PoloMercantil

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Negotiating: Getting More by Stuart Diamond - Business Book Review - 5 Invisible Strategies

How confident are you in your negotiating abilities, whether in your personal relationships, professional endeavors, or marketplace, including travel?

One book with a fresh perspective on negotiating is "Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World-The 12 Invisible Strategies That Changes Everything You Thought You Knew About Negotiating," by Stuart Diamond.

Diamond embodies 40 years of negotiation expertise and teaches a negotiation course for MBA students.

He shares his entire negotiation class in three broad questions:

What are my goals?Who are "they?"What will it take to persuade them?

The first six chapters explain Diamond's 12 invisible negotiation strategies. These methods aren't rocket science, but unless you already know how to do them; they're completely unseen he says. Five of those skills are:

Goals Are Paramount. Goals are the end-all and be-all of negotiations. You need to negotiate to meet your goals. Everything else is subservient to that. Write down your goals and remind yourself, not just at the beginning of the process, but throughout.Make Emotional Payments. The more important a negotiation is to an individual, the more irrational he or she often becomes. Irrational people are emotional people. When they're emotional, they can't listen. When they can't listen, they can't be persuaded. You need to tap into the other person's emotional psyche with empathy. Value them or offer them other things that allow them to think more clearly.Every Situation is Different. Every negotiation is different because there are different people, or the same people on different days. Or, a different set of facts and circumstances, or a different goal. There is no "one-size-fits-all," including race or gender.Incremental is Best. In our imagination, big, bold moves produce big successes. In reality, big, bold moves mostly scare people; you're trying to go too far too fast. Incremental steps anchor people to the step or steps they've already accepted. They reduce the perceived risk of moving forward.Embrace Differences. Most people think different is wrong, risky, annoying or uncomfortable. But different is demonstratively better. It's more profitable; and studies show that more creativity results from the clash of differing perceptions and experiences.

Diamond emphasizes that mastering the twelve strategies occurs only through practice; and that each method is situation-specific. He also uses the Baseball Hall of Fame as an analogy for your negotiating efforts: "If you are a.280 hitter in baseball, and you get one extra hit every nine games, you become a.310 hitter in baseball. And that is worth a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame and $10 million more in your compensation. All for one extra hit every thirty-six times at bat." You needn't hit a home run when negotiating. Aim for one extra hit every nine games and you'll be highly successful.

The people and processes used comprise more than 90 percent of what's important in a negotiation says Diamond. The substance, facts, and expertise account for less than 10 percent, which is quite counterintuitive for most people.

Negotiating is often viewed as confrontational and manipulative, reserved only for the most talented. Diamond says that great negotiators are developed, not born. Becoming a better negotiator will enhance your self-confidence and provide a detailed approach to problem solving. It will also produce greater control over your life, more money and more peace of mind.

Getting More's chapters include Getting More at Work, Getting More in the Marketplace, Parents and Kids, and Travel. Chapter 15, entitled "Public Issues" provides prescient insight on some of the key questions to ask when evaluating how well people are doing in solving a problem. Those challenges could be within the local school board or halfway around the world in the Middle East. The answers will reveal whether you have the right people negotiating, and the right processes.

If you're looking to hone your negotiation skills, Getting more will provide some clear direction.

To read an excerpt from Getting More, including Diamond's 12-Step Negotiating Model. Visit http://www.gettingmore.com/.

Timothy Zaun is a blogger, speaker and freelance writer. Visit him online at http://timzaun.com/.

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5 Non-Business Books To Help Your Business

Over the years I've come across lots of books that have helped me tremendously in my writing, even though they don't appear to have anything to do with business.

Here are some that live within arm's reach of my desk because I dip into them all the time.

Mars and Venus in the Workplace by John Grey

It's primarily about relationships between the sexes and how they operate in a work environment. But before you run for the hills, it's also a great education on how men and women think, speak and respond differently. Really useful when crafting your message and how to present it.

How to Get Ideas by Jack Foster.

If you're ever stuck knowing what to write, grab this book, wander over to your favorite coffee shop, and do some of the exercises. It shows you how to come up with more ideas, faster and easier. It teaches you how to become "idea-prone" and takes you through a five-step procedure for digging up creative ideas. Lots of quirky illustrations too.

The Analogy Book of Related Words by Selma Glasser

It's not a dictionary of synonyms. It covers a series of topics such as acting, aeronautics, money, sales, insurance, travel and many more. Under each topic is a list of words and phrases that could be related to the topic. Some you wouldn't think of. For example, under the topic "love and marriage", you'll find everything from "aisle" to "old maid" and phrases such as "eternal triangle," "justice of the peace," and "mating season." It'll certainly broaden your thinking.

Woe is I by Patricia T. O'Connor

A plain English guide to writing plain English. It's a grammar classic updated to include the Internet age. From the jacket blurb: "common-sense, jargon free, even witty answers to all your questions about the basics and subtleties of grammar, style and usage." It's fun, charming and useful whether you have to write or speak for your business.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss

I never thought punctuation could be funny but leave it up to Lynne Truss to find the humor in periods and semi-colons. This is a spirited and playful look at the foibles of the colon, comma, ellipsis, dash, and other signs; how to use them properly and the effect you create when you do so. Worth reading for entertainment value alone.

There you have it!

Copyright 2011 Maggie Dennison. All rights reserved.

Maggie Dennison provides marketing and writing solutions that help small businesses win the hearts and minds of their ideal clients without breaking the bank. Pick up a free report "11 Keys To Website Content That Works" at her website http://www.mymarketingmessage.com/.

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10 Books That Will Impact Your Business

Last year I read over 60 business books and this year I'm on pace to do at least one per week, but to be honest, the majority of these books would be better off as simple magazine articles.

And so to save you from wasting time reading the mediocre business books, I've reviewed the books on my shelf and I'm going to share the top 10 books that have had the great impact on my internet business.

10 - "Think & Grow Rich" and "Grow Rich with Piece of Mind"

Almost everyone knows about "Think and Grow Rich", but few people know of or have read Napolean Hill's follow up, "Grow Rich with Piece of Mind". I recommend you read both.

9 - "The E-Myth" and "The Power of Full Engagement"

I admit, I'm cheating a little by giving you two books at once a few times here, but hey, it's my list.

These are both classics. You'll discover the importance of systems in Michael Gerber's E-Myth, while getting a new perspective on time and energy management in the Full Engagement book.

8 - "Bringing Out the Best in People" and "Switch"

The former is a book on building and motivating your team. It is NOT an easy read, as it is full of scientific research on how to inspire people to act. But it is a powerful book.

A more enjoyable read, but just as important, is "Switch" by Chip and Dan Heath. If you've ever wanted to change your own behavior, or a client's behavior (or even that of your spouse), this book will show you how.

Both books emphasize the rewarding of small changes that help you build up to making the biggest changes. It's a formula that works.

7 - "Instant Income"

Not too many people know about this book, but it is one of the most practical books I've ever read on how to increase your sales, client retention, and overall revenues. It is packed with strategies that you can put to use immediately. I just realized I need to read this one again.

6 - "Crush It" and "The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs"

Two of the best speaker-entertainers in the world. If you could only read one, pick the Jobs book. After reading about his passion and vision, this book was the catalyst for me to get an iPad.

5 - "The Go Giver"

Neat and tidy little book. You'll discover 5 simple rules that will help you set up a lasting business, all based on becoming a person of extreme value to others. So simple, isn't it?

If you like this, you'll also like the management and meeting books by Patrick Lencioni, written in similar fashion.

4 - "Good to Great"

I put off reading this business classic for years, and to be honest, I expected it be another one of those books that could have been summarized in a 5 page magazine article.

I was pleasantly surprised at being wrong. This was my introduction to the importance of having Core Values and a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). I'll tell you more about those when we get to the most important book I've ever read.

3 - Anything by Dan Kennedy

From his hard-to-find autobiography ("Unfinished Business") to his "Ruthless Management of People and Profits", I've read every book by Kennedy, and they are ALL worth it. If you are struggling to get stuff done, his "No BS Time Management" book is even better than the 4-hour Work Week, and you should start there.

For mindset, No-BS Wealth Attraction is 1000x's better than watching "The Secret", and his books on "Direct Marketing" and "The Ultimate Sales Letter Formula" are mandatory reading for internet marketers.

2 - "Man's Search for Meaning"

This is not a business book, but instead a book about the human spirit and what people can overcome.

This book chronicles the horrors of World War II as seen through a concentration camp survivor, and should be mandatory reading for every high school student (and adult).

After you've read this book, you'll never have a "woe is me" attitude towards life or business again.

Everyday you hear someone say, "Oh, I could never do that...", but the truth is, if they stopped complaining and tried it, they'd learn pretty quickly that they could.

And despite it's gloomy content, there is still a positive lesson to take away, that is, as humans, we are are capable of much, much more than we might believe.

Never, ever, EVER give up.

1 - "The Rockefeller Habits"

By far the most practical business book I've ever read, focused around building a team, a vision, and a future for your business.

Like many on this list, it is not an easy read, and it includes several exercises you'll need to do to lay out a 90-day plan and long-term vision. I'd suggest setting aside three 90-minute blocks to get through the entire book.

The end results of your focused work will be an incredibly powerful blueprint for the future of your business.

I hope you enjoyed that list.

Everything you need to know has already been said,

Craig Ballantyne

"The one thing you can't take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one's freedoms is to choose ones attitude in any given circumstance." - Viktor Frankl

Harness the power of the internet to create your financial freedom: http://internetindependence.com/get-your-product-done

Get your free daily online marketing tips featuring shockingly candid information about building your online business and creating financial freedom.

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Jump Ahead In The Real Estate Business

Robert Kiyosaki writes a book called The Real Book of Real Estate. In this book, you will have all the sharpest and keen of advice that will really help guide you through the ups and downs of real estate. The economic frontier of the real estate business can be difficult, at best, as there are always times when the market takes a plunge. But this book allows you to get a whole selection of tips that have been gotten from some of the greatest realtors of all time. Experiences of over two dozen realtors and the ways they made it big are in this book captured for your benefit and you will be able to take your game up a notch and really make your mark in the market.

Charles Fishman writes The Big Thirst, a book that really helps you understand the world through the perspective of water. He discusses the fact that water has been plentiful and clean and safe for such a long time that people can take advantage of it, but this book discusses how all of that is about to undergo a massive change and how big businesses can be affected by this devastating change, particularly as a result of pollution and contamination. This is a very important book for a realtor as it can really affect how you approach the entire economy of buying and selling property with this new dilemma in mind.

Gary W. Eldred writes Investing in Real Estate, a book that comes out in its fifth edition with the intent to cover all of the nuances of a changing market, as well as covering various and important forms of legislation that is pertinent to the field of being a realtor. Moreover, it deals with history's way of dealing with the market, property cycles, and helps you figure new ways to benefit from foreclosures, REO's and inventories of places in a way that will maximize your position as a realtor. This book is wonderful if you are new to the business and want a comprehensive kind of reference that will help you learn all there is to know and to make the most of it, too.

Frank Gallinelli writes What Ever Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow, a book that includes many financial measures that are essential for any realtor. The book discusses key topics such as net present value, cash on cash returns, net operating incomes, profitability indexes, returns on equity, as well as a number of other numbers that are really important in the job of realtor. You will get to understand just how and why these numbers and rates are so important and the book will break down how to use and approach these things.

Ken McElroy closes this list with his book, Rich Dad's Advisors: The ABC's of Real Estate Investing: The Secrets of Finding Hidden Profits Most Investors Miss. The title is fairly explanatory of the book's overall goals, but it really gives a great detailed portrayal of just how the real estate business can help you get rich and make a good turnover profit. With over two decades of experience, the author proposes a number of great advice and tips.

Roberto Sedycias works as an IT consultant for PoloMercantil

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Business Books To Help You Succeed

Peter Guber writes a book called Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story. In this book Guber uses powerful anecdotes to convince readers that there is a huge storehouse of power in memories and stories when selling yourself or a product. He uses the lessons learned from people like Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, and Frank Sinatra, who all told him that it is essential to tell a good story when expressing your views. Also, he talks about the time Michael Jackson told him to watch a python stalking a mouse to tell him the importance of drama in your work so that it hooks a listener or audience in a way that is impactful and meaningful to them. This book will be an inspirational tool to help you come up with new ideas of how to get the message of your product out there in a truly meaningful way.

Seth Godin writes a book called Poke the Box, a book about taking the initiative and doing something. The main message of this book is to just do it, just poke the box, just get moving, just get started, no matter what obstacles, what the hindrances, what the factors that may stand in your way, you should just go without thinking or planning or getting permission. Of course, he understands it is a frightening risk, but he suggests that you should think that being mediocre is far more dangerous than just being a failure. This book will inspire you to get moving as fast as you can and to go out and do something no matter what the risks or outcome.

Dr. Frank I. Luntz writes a book called Win: The key principles to take your business from ordinary to extraordinary. In this book he uses many real life examples and business icons to illustrate how having amazing communication skills can really help people take themselves and their business to high and amazing places. He speaks for nine action based principles, such as people centered, paradigm breaking, prioritizing, perfection, partnerships, passion, persuasion, persistence, and principled actions. All of this will inspire and motivate you with this framework of how to exceed.

Stefan Swanepoel writes Surviving your Serengeti: 7 skills to master business and life. This book is targeted to all people trying to keep a business afloat in a somewhat teetering economy. In this book the tale of surviving in Africa's Serengeti provides a variety of useful lessons that can be applied to surviving in business. It talks about the 1.5 million wildebeest that rely on its herd to survive, or how the alligator is opportunistic, or how the cheetah is effective, all small fables that can really teach you about yourself and your business.

And finally, Michael Lewis writes The Big Short, a book Wall Street and business, all done with his investigative and witty style. Though the topic is not a favorite for everyone, the author smartly guides the reader through the world of CDOs, mortgages, various investments, inflated egos, and a lot of it is done with absurd moments that will make you laugh.

Roberto Sedycias works as an IT consultant for PoloMercantil

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Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky - 9 Self-Leadership Tenets for Creative Business Professionals

Generating ideas is easy. It's executing them once they're exposed that's challenging. For six years, creative industry guru and entrepreneur, Scott Belsky, studied prolific creative professionals. He found that those most successful used a structured business approach. This seems counter-productive for a group of professionals often whimsically stereotyped. He details his findings in his new book entitled, "Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming The Obstacles Between Vision & Reality." Following is the last of eight articles highlighting Belsky's message. Here, the focus is nine self-leadership tips for creative professionals, although they're applicable in any idea-generating situation.

Find a Path to Self-Awareness. The forces of organization, community and leadership capability often elude us. That's because we have a tendency to constantly generate more ideas, as well as isolate ourselves. The best way to track our tendencies is to be self-aware. It's a critical, deeply personal leadership skill that focuses on emotions, not actions. Some creative leaders engage in group therapy, allowing them to be in the moment and really listening to others. Group therapy members develop a contained set of relationships, mirroring the real world but in a safe environment. Expressing raw emotions in a safe environment provides a catalyst for understanding what lies beneath them. Increased self-awareness provides a better understanding of ourselves, enhanced, lasting relationships, and great decisions. They're all needed to help you gain respect and confidence to lead bold pursuits.

Develop a Tolerance for Ambiguity. Patience helps us avoid brash decisions based on emotion instead of intellect, when confronting ambiguity. The best leaders have a tolerance for ambiguity. They don't fret over the unknown and never lose patience when dealing with disappointment. They're able to work with what they know, identify what they don't know, and make decisions accordingly. They also believe in the law of averages. Over time, truth has a way of prevailing. A better practice is to develop a tolerance for momentary injustice and periods of ambiguity. Stay calm and strong. Situations settle over time; and the clouds around any period of change start to dissipate. Your fortitude will yield great respect and opportunity, rewarding you over time.

Capture the Benefits of Failure. When a project goes wrong, embrace its lessons learned. Acknowledge failure as a crucial part of the creative process. Most of us struggle with failure. We feel both a professional loss and personal hurt when our ideas fail. Projects that encounter, or end with failure have great value, but only if we recognize it and reap the benefits. When something goes wrong, ask three questions:

What external conditions may explain the failure?What internal factors may have compromised your judgment? When projects fall short of expectations, there's almost always something you could have done differently along the way. Ask yourself: if you had to pick two things that you would have done differently, what would they be? You needn't share your answers with others; but challenge yourself to respond.Are there any gems in the unintended outcome? Rather than dwell on what went wrong; consider what you may have inadvertently discovered.

Avoid the Trap of Visionary's Narcissism. Despite history, there's a tendency to think that a given opportunity or challenge is individual-specific. Belsky calls this "visionary narcissism"- a leader's thinking that he or she is the exception to the rule. Creative minds can obsess with the uniqueness of a particular problem or opportunity. They crave firsts, and love to do things differently. Approach every creative project objectively, while realizing not much is entirely new. And yes, we can adequately learn from the past. Challenge yourself to have some perspective. Today never feels like it will be history, but it will. It's likely that you'll reflect and realize that you should have known.

Combat Conventional Wisdom with Contrarianism. As you harness the lessons of the past, you must also question them. Creative professionals cannot become imprisoned by the status quo. "Contrarianism" is the act of purposely thinking against the grain when approaching problems and brainstorming new ideas. Contrarians are willing to manage (or embrace) the uncertainties and risks inherent in thinking differently. By questioning the norms they're bound to either find better approaches or to find more confidence in the old way of doing things. Following are tips for engaging in the practice of contrarianism and navigating the terrain of conventional wisdom:

Don't revere someone based on age. There's an inherent prejudice against young people. We question how much they could possibly know, given their relative lack of experience. Novices have legitimate advantages when it comes to detecting trends, adopting new technology, and attempting risky undertakings. More experienced creative types tend to avoid these elements. When working with novices, pass judgment on their raw interests and skills, rather than their age or number of years in the industry.Reconsider your approach to mentoring. Your tendency may be to seek veterans for guidance, connection and opportunity. Yet, your greatest advisers, partners, colleagues and financiers may be sitting around you, rather than standing in front of you at the podium. Society may suggest that you have the most to learn from those at the top. Make an effort to look around below you as well.Distinguish past accomplishments from present knowledge. We have a tendency to "rest on our laurels," but cutting-edge knowledge becomes antiquated quickly. Question the correlation between one's past accomplishments and present knowledge.Aspire to better practices, not best practices. Rather than default to the way things have already been done; recognize that anything can be done better. It's dangerous to passively accept advice. Conventional wisdom and "best practices" should be taken with a grain of salt and built upon, as we aspire to "better practices," (including, Belsky says, the advice in his book!).

Consider Yourself an Entrepreneur. For an idea to thrive over time, it must be treated as an enterprise. To lead an idea, ultimately, you're an entrepreneur. Stay focused on incremental progress vs. the need to win. The key to the start-up experience is momentum.

Be Willing to Be a Deviant. Deviants are maverick-like. They're willing to be unpopular, misunderstood, and even shunned from creative pursuits. Become emboldened by society's doubts, rather than deterred. Ideas aren't made to happen by accident or out of luck. Creative achievement is the logical outcome of doing something different, and seeing it through to completion. You must learn to gain confidence when doubted by others. The unchartered path is the only road to something new. Nothing extraordinary is ever achieved through ordinary means. Shed the obligations and expectations of the status quo; and organize and lead extraordinary ideas to fruition.

Keep an Eye on the Backward Clock. If you were told the exact year, day or time of your death, would you manage your existence any differently? We all have a final date and time ahead of us; but we're not burdened with a countdown. This is probably a good thing. There are benefits to keeping an eye on the backward clock hour. As you seek to capitalize on your creative energy, insights and ideas, the window of opportunity is always closing. A dose of pressure is a good thing. The fact that time is ticking should motivate you to take action on your ideas; and take risks. After all, time is running out. Get on it.

Understand the Love Conundrum. Love plays a strange role in creative pursuits. It creates a chasm between our vision and accomplishments. Love can lead to great disappointment.

Love drives us. Love keeps us engaged long enough to learn, experiment, and take bold risks. Love drives deep desire and interest in a topic, the ability to learn it, and the capacity to enlist support.Love disappoints us. Love plays a complicated role in creative work. It provides a paradoxical and interesting fact: The thing you end up making is going to be a failure, compared to your original feeling and vision. When you fall in love with something, you idealize it. You, develop a vision of it that's actually unattainable in reality. The depth of disappointment is in correlation to how beautiful your original vision.Reconciling love. Getting people to do something you love often means relinquishing control. You'll also realize that others will take credit for the outcome of your labor of love. Your challenge is to maintain an organic relationship your craft's passion. Expectations and rewards imposed by others will compromise you if you rely on them as the source of your interests. Stay focused on the intrinsic rewards of your work, and motivated by the means, rather than the end.

Raw curiosity and sense of wonderment drive our ideas, but bringing them to fruition requires unwavering commitment. Take yourself and your creative pursuits seriously. Challenge yourself to withstand the self-doubts and societal pressures that defy you. Use the above nine self-leadership rules to create something of value that's rewarding for you and enriching for all.

To learn how to make your ideas happen, visit, http://www.makingideashappen.com.

Timothy Zaun is a blogger, speaker and freelance writer. Visit him online at http://timzaun.com/.

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Business Stripped Bare

We adore Richard Branson. He is a remarkable, candid, and down-to-earth personality, having accomplished some of the most amazing feats in the entrepreneurial world. Richard has an honest, sincere writing style, which is unpretentious and heartwarming. He admits when he could have done something differently or when he has made a mistake, which is refreshingly "naked" in the business world.

He is an adventurous, global entrepreneur who continually strives to challenge the status quo, seeking to make life more pleasurable and exceptional for all peoples. It is abundantly clear how "free" Richard is as he sketches the words making up the lines on the pages of this book. His passion for life and for business, is acutely evident. He places great emphasis on entrepreneurs, and how they "have taken the risk in starting companies, innovating products, and offering the services that make people's lives easier, better and safer." He speaks about how entrepreneurs are among the greatest philanthropists, naming Andrew Carnegie in the nineteenth century to Bill Gates in our day. Richard Branson conveys the uniqueness of entrepreneurship. He explains that it isn't about "getting one over on the customer" or about working alone. It isn't about looking out for yourself as number one or about making loads of money. It isn't about allowing work to take over your life. It is about turning "what excites you in life into capital, so that you can do more of it and move forward with it".

Richard describes entrepreneurship as our "natural state" and that it's really a "big adult word" for something like "playfulness". He says he believes "that drudgery and clock-watching are a terrible betrayal of that universal, inborn entrepreneurial spirit."

The book explains that in our lifetime, indeed in Richard's lifetime, that disturbances in politics, science and technology, have transformed the nature of work particularly in the developed nations. Richard believes that for some of us, it is an incredibly good fortune that we have to think less like employees and more like entrepreneurs.

We like the fact that Richard inspires people to think like entrepreneurs and treats them with respect in dignifying them as adults. He believes that the more responsibility you give people, the better they will work for you. He mentions that the way they have worked has allowed them to live full lives. He says he cannot give people the formula for this, and most probably wouldn't follow it anyway, because we have to respond to the circumstances that we're in while doing the job that we are doing.

Richard aims to empower employers to inspire their employees thereby empowering them. He also seeks to inspire individuals reading the book to become personally empowered, in finding the solutions that work for them.

Overall, we found this book to be an inspiring, captivating read, beneficial to readers seeking to enhance their business journey to success.

Zurieka Model, together with husband James enjoy making a living by means of leveraging the Internet with sustainable online business. They seek to inspire and empower others to design their own lifestyle, and create a life of freedom and contentment.

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Review - Do It Yourself Business Sales Guidebook

Do It Yourself Business Sales Guidebook, Ben Brickweg, 2011, ISBN 9781456568764

The easy part is to decide when to sell your small business; the hard part is knowing how to do it. This book makes that process much easier to navigate.

First of all, why are you selling? If it is to get enough money to retire to Florida or Arizona (or the south of France), giving the business to your children is probably not a good idea. Get an accountant and tax attorney (if you have not already done so); you are going to need them. Obviously, keep it quiet. The last thing you want is for your employees, suppliers and/or customers to be running for the hills in panic. Get rid of all old or obsolete inventory, and give the facility a thorough cleaning.

There are several financial reports that you will need, but the two most important ones are a Balance Sheet and a Profit and Loss statement for the past several years. Make sure that they are absolutely accurate. It's tempting to fool with the "books" in order to make your business look more profitable than it really is. It's also a really bad idea; your deception will be exposed, sooner or later. Besides, showing a "down" year is not the worst thing in the world.

The book looks at things to consider when you are coming up with an asking price. You need to get on the Internet, and look up the asking price of comparable businesses that are up for sale. If your asking price is noticeably higher than the "average" price, reduce your price accordingly. You can count on a potential buyer doing the same search, and asking why they should pay more for your widget company than for a comparable widget company.

Put some time and effort into the marketing materials that will get potential buyers interested in your business. Get help if you need it. Find the right magazines and websites to place your advertisement. Keep track of everyone who shows interest. If they seem legitimate, send them a Confidential Business Plan, which gives some, but not all, details of your business, right after they sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. If they object, they are not a legitimate buyer, and you can cross them off the list. Serious buyers know that an NDA is part of the procedure, and will have no problem in signing it.

This book covers the rest of the process, from negotiating terms of the deal (compromise is the important word), to due diligence (where you are obligated to reveal all of your business, good or bad), to ensuring a new transition to the new owners. It also comes with a number of checklists and worksheets, to make the process as painless as possible.

For anyone who is even contemplating selling their small business, this book is very highly recommended. It's easy to say that you will never sell your business; life has a way of making that decision for you. This is equally recommended for anyone thinking of buying a small business; it does a very good job of showing what the seller is thinking and seeking.

Paul Lappen is a freelance book reviewer whose blog, http://www.deadtreesreview.blogspot.com/, emphasizes small press and self-published books.

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10 Business Books That Really Make A Difference

Looking for some good general business books to good stuck into? Here are some of our favourites.

Customer Genius - Peter Fisk

A brilliant book to dip in and out of. As the title suggests, the focus is entirely on customers - really understanding them, building solutions for them and leading a business that centres on your customers. Lots of great live examples from businesses and a good reminder that businesses which forget about their customer are doomed to fail.

Allan Leighton on Leadership

One of the best leadership compilations around. A mix of Leighton's own views and interviews with other well known leaders, with some great quotes, business stories and lessons. There are also some refreshingly honest accounts of Leighton's own early failures as a leader and manager.

How to be Brilliant - Michael Heppell

Why settle for good, if you can be brilliant? It's a simple premise, built on Heppell's belief that most people are capable of much more and just need to tap into those talents. This is very easy to read and gets you to focus on what you can do, right now, to make yourself better at what you do.

Unstuck - Yamahita and Spataro

Brilliantly different, this book is built for people who are stuck in work, business or life. It's full of action points, little tools, hints, tips and quotes to help you work out why you are stuck (and give you an ah-ha moment when you realise what's causing it) and to get you unstuck again. If you hate traditional, boring business books that take ages to read and digest, you'll love this.

Why Work is Weird - Connor and Sears

A great description and model for the types of people you'll come across in a typical office or business (know a Jargon Junkie or a Top Dog?). You'll probably recognise yourself in there, and will definitely see that annoying colleague or boss that drives you mad. Most importantly the main character ("the Workdoctor") gives simple but insightful tips about causes of the "diseases" and how to stop them.

Value Forward Selling - Paul R.DiModica

OK, it's an American book, so could be a bit too full on for many Brits reading it. But if you can get past that, this is a really good book to focus on selling to senior people and working at Board level rather than middle management. Want a really clear way to position your business at a different level? Or simple ways to present or build propositions that go away from typical Powerpoint slides? It's all in here, and a lot of other valuable stuff.

Bright Marketing - Robert Craven

Why should people bother to buy from you? We get hit by 4000 marketing messages every day, so how do you make yours stand out? Simple tools and techniques to get you to focus on your key messages and a great set of "crunch questions" to get you thinking.

Leadership - Tom Peters

One of a series of Leadership Essentials, bite sized books published by DK. This is bright, engaging and thought provoking. Typical Tom Peters - expect him to challenge and have a strong voice. I knew someone who picked this up every morning and tried to concentrate on a key tip that day. Yes, I know you can't only do leadership skills for a day, but there is so much in here, you have to start somewhere.

10 Steps to Successful Strategic Planning - Susan Barksdale and Teri Lund

Tired of dull, boring strategy books? This one is a step by step guide that tells you what to do. May be too simplistic for some strategy purists or too detailed for smaller businesses, but actually it covers the middle ground pretty well. Most importantly, everything is based around tools, techniques and real examples to hold your hand through a strategy review.

The Seven Minute Difference - Allyson Lewis

Apparently studies have shown that the average corporate executive has an attention span of seven minutes (is it really that long?). This book is based on taking those seven minutes and using them, through a series of "micro-actions" to make a big change to your life. You won't want to do all of them, but even a few would have a big impact on your life and work.

Want help improving your business results? Kate Marsden is founder of Ignition Key Ltd and has 20 years business experience working at Director level for a number of well-known organisations. Kate provides businesses with advisory, support, coaching and mentoring services to enable them to step change their performance and results. For more information visit http://ignitionkey.co.uk/

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The Thank You Economy (TYE) by Gary Vaynerchuk Business Book Review - 6 Beginning TYE Company Ways

Entrepreneur extraordinaire, Internet rock star and Crush It! author, Gary Vaynerchuk, returns with his second book, entitled The Thank You Economy.

The Thank You Economy heralds an era when companies, big and small, are developing authentic, meaningful interactions with customers. Those bonds are nurtured by Web 2.0 technology, known as social media. Consumers are now empowered to make or break a brand or business via these web applications.

Success in the Thank You Economy depends on obsessively caring about the customer, Vaynerchuk says. That concern must originate with a company's top brass and filtrate throughout the organization. To ensure that the correct message is being shared; concentrate first on your employees instead of the competition or customer service. Vaynerchuk describes six strategies on how to incorporate the Thank You Economy in your establishment:

1. Begin With Yourself. Strong self-awareness makes a strong culture possible. Remember who you are, whether you're a CEO, an executive, or a mid-level manager, and the qualities that have produced your current success. It's extremely important as you work towards developing, sustaining and spreading the company culture. Once the Thank You Economy is ingrained in your overall vision and strategy, you can successfully incorporate it throughout your business or department.

2. Commit Whole Hog. Commit mentally first to embrace the Thank You Economy, which includes investing in social media initiatives. Unwavering company leadership determined to create a culture of supersized caring, will persevere during inevitable setbacks.

3. Set The Tone. Leaders committed to building a caring culture; need to send a strong, clear message about their intent. Employees should be able to feel the difference immediately. They should be able to view their leaders as examples of the care, concern and one-on-one customer interactions expected of them.

4. Invest In Employees. Too many leaders insufficiently invest in their employees. They fear losing out when employees leave. Any employee investment you make will be safe if they believe you really care about them and their future. Prove that you value your employees above all else. Give them the freedom to ask for what they want, to experiment and be themselves. Employees who choose to leave for bigger and better positions at other companies are ambitious people. Ideally, you want driven people on staff because they preserveyour company's reputation as a place where people can advance their career. You'll attract the best and brightest talent. When people are happy they want to make other people happy. To make your customers happy in the Thank You Economy; begin with your employees.

5. Trust Your People. Creating a Thank You Economy culture becomes easier as you begin hiring people who share your commitment to caring. Create a culture of openness. Let your employees' blog and tweet as much as they like. Let them be themselves. Authenticity is a vital part of what makes social media initiatives work. If an unhappy employee uses social media to malign your company, question their intent. Today, there is very little an employee can say to hurt your company that you can't fix if you act with speed and good intent.

6. Be Authentic. Legacy trumps everything. People can sense insincerity. Social media often decides how a brand or company survives a false story in the Thank You Economy. It has the power to spread articles, images, video and audio recordings worldwide within minutes.

If you're new to the Thank You Economy experience, or interested in it's latest information, Gary Vaynerchuk, a quintessential entrepreneur and visionary, leads the way.

To read more about The Thank You Economy, visit, http://thankyoueconomybook.com/

Timothy Zaun is a blogger, speaker and freelance writer. Visit him online at http://timzaun.com/.

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The Business of the 21st Century Book Review

The Business of the 21st Century is a definite must for any network marketer. Robert Kiyosaki is so important as an author and business tycoon that he gives absurd integrity to the business of multi level marketing.

Network Marketing has had the position in the past as a pyramid scheme or get rich quick scheme. Robert Kiyosaki promptly dispels this fabrication by stating that Multi level marketing is one of the singular businesses on earth that common people are factually rewarded for helping other people. He says that this is not a get rich quick scheme but preferably a get rich over age business.

Robert Kiyosaki states that authority is not in the brand; it is in the interconnections. If you lust to become loaded, the best is to find a moderate, viable, growing network.

My favorite Chapter in "The Business of the 21st Century"

My preferred chapter in the book is called "What it takes". In this chapter Robert goes over what it takes to make it big in MLM.

He states that you do not require an MBA or high powered business back round. You do not need to be excellent at sales. In fact, in my business Numis Network, when I am speaking to leads I stress that if they have a back round in selling that I will need to retrain them.

The reason for this is because sales men talk and talk about their opportunity and their leads feel like they will have to do the similar amount of "selling". Once they decide that they can not sell like the "sales guy" then they have already quit.

Instead, in my business we train people to connect with their lead then direct them to the presentation (whether that is a sizzle call or online webinar). Then you ask them what they thought. It's easy as that. No selling in my business.

Can "The Business of the 21st Century" help you close buyers?

After reading this book I have to allege that it will NOT aid you to acquire information about prospecting or making money in network marketing. This is not what this book is about. robert kiyosaki actually ties in a lot of the ideas from his other books, such as Rich Dad Poor Dad and the Cash Flow Quadrant.

Instead of focusing on Network Marketing ideas he really focuses on why Network Marketing is a first-class avenue for citizens to make money. He also focuses on the mind set necessary be successful in any free enterprise, not just Network Marketing. This book was an easy read and offers great believability to any MLM business for the cynical people out there.

Did you like my review of the Business of the 21st Century? Read more articles at my MLM blog.

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The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk - Business Book Review - An Authentic, Caring Business Era

Entrepreneur extraordinaire, Internet rock star and Crush It! author, Gary Vaynerchuk, returns with his second book, entitled The Thank You Economy.

The Thank You Economy heralds an era when companies, big and small, are developing authentic, meaningful interactions with customers. Those bonds are nurtured by Web 2.0 technology, known as social media. Consumers are now empowered to make or break a brand or business via these web applications.

Social media makes the Internet an open, level playing field, where any limits to how far you want to spread your message and brand is self-imposed.

If you've unsuccessfully tried using social media, Vaynerchuk says it's because of one of two reasons:

Your product or service isn't any good.You're doing it wrong. Intent matters, instead of just going through the motions.

He assumes it's due to the second reason; and offers solutions to redirect your approach.

"Social media is a marathon, not a sprint," says Vaynerchuk. Unfortunately, corporate America and Wall Street are slow to change, choosing to focus on short-term goals (often tied to bonuses), rather than the long-term gains social media can generate.

Many business leaders still fail to see that the game has changed. "Those changes are going to be insane in five years!" he says.

The Thank You Economy features eleven excuses companies use to justify their social media avoidance, and Vaynerchuk's rebuttals. They include:

There's no return on investment (ROI).Social media is just another trend that will pass.

Vaynerchuk acknowledges that many people still aren't "there" yet in regards to social media. While traditional marketing remains vital, ideally, in the Thank You Economy, it's creatively combined with social media for best results, allowing you to extend your story, continue the conversation and connect with your audience. It's an easy strategy to sell to your team or clients.

The Thank You Economy requires that companies take every customer seriously. You can never know who is potentially a big customer. It's important to listen to and engage with consumers. Give them what they want when you can, and when you can't, give an honest reason why.

Big and small companies and online businesses too should allow employees at every level to express their personalities, heart and soul.

Burgeoning mobile technology ("Please tell me you have a mobile strategy," he says) facilitates real time search results. Vaynerchuk predicts the decline of search engine optimization (SEO) applications. Consumers can now use Facebook and Twitter to solicit immediate recommendations and contextual social search while shopping.

The Thank You Economy is much bigger than social media; and promotes "shock and awe." Increasingly, businesses will need to transcend offering discounts and free shipping to entice customers, which are now considered perfunctory practices.

RCV is the relationship context value of a business initiative. Brand or business allegiance can result from a few, one-time expenses incurred by a company's generosity. Examples include tourist attractions engaged with Facebook or Twitter followers that randomly select winners for an all-expense paid trip. The consumer's positive word of mouth via social media is priceless. Handwritten notes sent along with a rose or small gift to customers also displays memorable appreciation.

Vaynerchuk concludes that marketing has gotten harder. It now competes against infinite information overload and consumers' short attention span. The only way brands or businesses can endear customers' hearts and minds is via a virtual door-to-door campaign.

He believes it's an exciting time to be in business; and those who embrace the Thank You Economy will reap the most benefits.

"More Thoughts On..." is Vaynerchuk's chapter allowing him to comment on a variety of topics. Regarding getting started with social media, he says, "You don't have to be Michael Phelps, but for God's sake, put on a bathing suit!"

Vaynerchuk held a jacket design contest for The Thank You Economy. While there could only be one winner, he honors many of the submissions by showcasing their talents on 16, vibrantly colored pages at book's end.

For those readers who want the digest form of the book, Vaynerchuk provides a Thank You Economy checklist. While helpful, much of his message is lost in such short statements.

The Thank You Economy trumps Crush It! Why Now Is The Time To Cash In On Your Passion, Vaynerchuk's first book. Vaynerchuk himself acknowledges that his follow up is a more in-depth, stronger read.

If you're new to the Thank You Economy experience, or interested in it's latest information, Gary Vaynerchuk, a quintessential entrepreneur and visionary, leads the way.

To read more about The Thank You Economy, visit, http://thankyoueconomybook.com/.

Timothy Zaun is a blogger, speaker and freelance writer. Visit him online at http://timzaun.com/.

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Tips and Traps for Writing an Effective Business Plan

Having an effective business plan is critical to the success of any business. That is why I want us to examine this text entitled "Tips & Traps for Writing an Effective Business Plan." It is written by Greg Balanko-Dickson, a third-generation entrepreneur, Licensed Professional Business Coach and founding member of the Professional Business Coaches Alliance.

Balanko-Dickson has clients throughout Canada, the United States, South Africa and the United Kingdom. According to the author, whether you want to start a business or grow one, buy or sell one, attract investors or obtain a loan, fine-tune your operation or restructure it, attempting to do it without a well-crafted plan is like going to the sea without a compass. He says this text arms you with the know-how and tools you need to write your own surefire business plan in a record time.

Balanko-Dickson educates that to be successful in business, you need to research and write your plan; tailor a plan for virtually any type or size of business; master the 10 key components of a successful plan; understand all your financing options; and streamline the process using worksheets, sample forms and ready-to-use templates.

This text is divided into five parts of 27 chapters. Part one is generically christened "Introduction" and contains two chapters. Chapter one borders on what a business plan is and why you need it. According to Balanko-Dickson, it is an instrument used to document the intent and plans of the owner regarding every aspect of the business. He adds that the document itself can be used to communicate plans, strategies and tactics to your managers, partners and investors.

It is also used when you are applying for credit, educates the author, explaining that the plan contains both strategic and tactical objectives, and it can be either informal or formal.

He adds that a plan has an equation structure of Goals + Research+ Strategy. Balanko-Dickson says a goal only reveals your intent or where you expect to end up, but a formal plan details the exact formula you feel you need to put together to attain your primary goals.

He explains that his definition of a business plan is "a formal document written to capture and communicate the planned direction and manoeuvres required for the business to accomplish its most important goal - profitability". Balanko-Dickson adds that profit is no accident, and by writing and following your plan, you increase the chances of achieving profitability.

Balanko-Dickson educates that developing a detailed plan will provide you with an opportunity to shape a powerful business development strategy, whether your goal is to: get financing to start; get financing to expand; be more organised and increase your odds of success; identify the value of your business and prepare a plan for selling; create a plan to buy a business; create a management succession plan to facilitate your retirement, etc.

The author identifies ten sections of a business plan as industry analysis; market analysis; products and services; business description; marketing strategy; operations and management; financial plan; implementation plan; contingency plan; and executive summary.

Chapter two is based on the subject matter of understanding the process and getting prepared. Here, Balanko-Dickson discloses that the benefits of writing a plan are often misunderstood. A plan will help you get the money you need when you are starting a business and will also help you make an existing one more effective, educates this author.

In part two having a general thematic focus of the ten sections of a plan and containing ten chapters, that is, chapters three to 12, Balanko-Dickson discusses concepts such as industry analysis; market analysis; products and services; business development; marketing and sales strategy; operations and management; pro forma financial plan; implementation plan; contingency and emergency plan; and executive summary.

Part three is based on writing a plan in 30 days and covers three chapters, that is, chapters 13 to 15. Chapter 13, like the whole part, focuses on writing a plan in 30 days. According to this expert here, make no mistake, writing a plan can be a time-consuming task as you are planning your business for the next three years, and you want to give it the attention it deserves. He says his personal experience in writing plans is that it can take him between 50 and 300 hours to finish.

Balanko-Dickson expatiates that the more familiar he is with the industry and market, the faster he can get the plan finished. He adds that if you are writing a plan for the first time, have never been in business before, or are new to the industry, plan to spend more time writing your plan.

He says you can easily minimise distractions in writing your plan by devoting time to writing your plan. The author stresses that if you are unable to get away from the business, choose a quiet period of the day to work on your plan. In chapters 14 and 15, this author discusses common mistakes in writing a plan and working with professional advisers.

Part four is based on the broad subject matter of special considerations for specific businesses and covers ten chapters, that is, chapters 16 to 25. Here, Balanko-Dickson beams his intellectual searchlight on concepts such as business planning for investors; planning for a retail business; planning for a manufacturing business; planning for wholesale distributors; planning for a service business; planning for consultants and professionals; planning for large and public companies, etc.

Part five, the last part, is generically labelled "Getting the money you need" and contains two chapters, that is, chapters 26 and 27. Chapter 26 is based on applying for a loan. According to Balanko-Dickson here, small business loans can be used for a variety of purposes. He says for example, a loan can help you buy a business, start a new one and expand an existing one. The author educates that you will deal directly with the bank's loan officers.

"Make no mistake however, major small business loans are reviewed by loan committees. Typically, loan officers are not part of a loan committee....Understanding your role and the role of the loan officer and the loan committee will help guide you through the approval process. It is a team game, and, as they say, there is no 'I' in 'team'," asserts Balanko-Dickson.
In chapter 27, this expert discusses the concept of getting funding from investors, family and friends.

Stylistically, the language of this text is simple, yet standard. The presentation is unique. The text is embroidered with graphics to reinforce readers' understanding and achieve visual amplification. Balanko-Dickson includes a "Tip and Trap" section typified by graphical thumb/hand manipulation in every chapter, where he injects additional information and guides readers.

However, the whole of part three is already summarised in chapter one, meaning that chapter one could have been harmonised with part three. Probably this author deliberately uses this style of repetition to ensure long memory on readers' part.

On the whole, this text easily passes for a masterpiece on business development. It is highly recommended to all existing and prospective entrepreneurs. It is simply fantastic.

GOKE ILESANMI, Editor-in-Chief/CEO of http://www.gokeilesanmi.com/ and Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is a Certified Public Speaker/Emcee, (Business) Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker, Career Management Coach, Renowned Book Reviewer, Corporate Leadership Expert and Editorial Consultant.
Tel: +234(0)8055068773; +234(0)8056030424
Email: info@gokeilesanmi.com; gokeiles2010@gmail.com

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The Business Rules

Many businesses collapse because necessary rules are not observed. It is therefore necessary to examine this text entitled "The Business Rules", with the subtitle "The Seven Irrefutable Laws That Determine All Business Success" to guide existing and prospective entrepreneurs. It is written by David Eichenbaum, chief executive officer of Eichenbaum & Associates, an international consulting firm.

Eichenbaum says this text is the culmination of the 20-year research project he undertook to identify the foundational elements that dictate business success. The author educates that there are seven fundamental business rules, stressing that they apply without exception to any organisation in the world and following them has made some companies succeed at the expense of others.

Eichenbaum explains that these rules are timeless and enduring, simple to implement and definitive. The author submits that yet, only very few companies master them all.

This text is divided into four parts of ten chapters. Part one is generically christened "In the beginning" and contains one chapter, entitled "Flawlessly flung flutes of flame". According to Eichenbaum here, there are fundamental precepts that govern information dissemination that need to be established at the very outset of any presentation.

The author says the first is to create a non-threatening atmosphere wherein the audience can relax completely and focus. He adds that the intent of the Montgomery Ward story is to demonstrate that amidst what seems like extreme and chaotic change, there exists constancy.

The second precept, according to Eichenbaum, is to provide in advance a structure of the material to be presented. He adds that the last, and perhaps most important, principle governing presentation of information is that within the first 60 seconds, you must communicate exactly how the presentation will benefit each individual in the audience not in any general way, but specifically.

The author says it is not good enough to convey how the material presented might benefit someone's company, for example; but how it will benefit them specifically. Eichenbaum adds that there is no one way to succeed in business, stressing that if there were, he would definitely know about it. He educates that there is damn sure a structure and rules and they apply.

Eichenbaum says business by definition is about risks, uncertainty because, in theory, you have no control over how the free will of the marketplace will react to your endeavours. The author stresses that although much is beyond your control in business, more is within your control.

"Far, far more than most people realise. Most of it is hidden amidst the everyday din of commerce or concealed within the way things have always been done. Most of this mystery can be removed with a simple framework that if adhered to will result in the clarity necessary to excel," expatiates Eichenbaum.

He asserts that one noteworthy and encouraging characteristic of the rules is that they require few if any resources to implement and they cannot be rules if substantial resources are required. Eichenbaum submits that nearly every phenomenal business in history began with little in the way of assets, most with laughably few.

According to him, it is quite clear that if these businesses could succeed at the very pinnacle of capitalism without resources, then so, too, can you. "The Rules reflect this. They universally require something far more precious than resources - thought. You will find these Rules to be self-evident, and they are. They are enduring, timeless. They are indisputable and account for every instance of business success and failure in history," asserts Eichenbaum.

He submits that there is no doubt that it is not possible to succeed without implementing them. Eichenbaum says not knowing them will cause unnecessary stress and reduce dramatically any chance for success. In his words, "Regardless of who you are, down at the street level, if you break enough of them, you become pavement."

Part two is summarily woven together as "Financial identity" and contains just one chapter, that is, chapter two, which has the subject matter of micro being able to sing. Here, Eichenbaum says the first and probably most important business rule is: Sell it for more than it costs you. The author educates that before you can wield the extraordinary knowledge imparted in Rule 1, you have to first determine what your costs are.

"If you don't know what your costs are on a per item basis in exhaustive detail..., then you are hanging out where the terra isn't so firma. Businesses do not profit by accident. It happens by design. It is the difference between sale price and costs," expatiates Eichenbaum.

He says when it comes to the nitty gritty financial details of a company, most normal people's attention span would not span a crack in the sidewalk. Eichenbaum stresses that your true financial identity exists whether you are interested or not. He adds that all companies have two distinct financial identities, a micro and a macro.

"For my purposes, the former refers to results on a per item/per customer basis, and the latter involves the organisation as a whole. Most companies have at best a macro notion of their financial selves. It is, however, the micro that determines their destinies," educates this author.

Eichenbaum explains that there are two prominent ways in which to break Rule 1. He says the first is not to know while the other is not to care. According to him, when your bottom line is the top line, then the bottom line is that your bottom line will most likely be inadequate. The author explains that this notion of market share, of a fixation on the top line (revenue), is quite dangerous.

Eichenbaum stresses that there is a huge difference between the top and bottom lines. "That is why they put all those numbers in between may be the most important...You can't spend sales. In fact, one could submit they are not even as important as costs. Every dollar of cost reduction adds a dollar to your profits. The same can rarely be said about every sales dollar increase," says the author.

Part three is eclectically tagged "Market identity" and covers four chapters, that is, chapters three to six. In these four chapters, Eichenbaum analytically X-rays concepts such as the really clean bathroom machine; being in synch with bossman's universe; easy does it and gray matters.

Part four, the last part has the summary subject matter of organisational identity and contains four chapters, that is, chapters seven to ten. Chapter seven is entitled "Mission position". Eichenbaum says the fifth and absolutely really important business rule is that your employees possess everything necessary for you to achieve virtually any objective, every single one of them has far more to offer than you currently capture.

The author says the only way to compete, be it locally or globally, is to empower each of your employees and harness all that they have to offer. Eichenbaum adds that capitalism no longer allows any room for the waste of resources, especially the most precious one, your people.

In chapters eight to ten, this author beams his analytical searchlight on concepts such as Michelangelo Buonarroti's bent neck; most important customer being on the payroll and in the end.

Stylistically, this text is okay. The language is standard yet simple, while the presentation is brilliant. Eichenbaum includes a grey-box section tagged "Chapter Highlights" at the end of each chapter to outline the major points of each chapter and achieve conceptual recapitulation.

He also uses the grey boxes to radiate other important pieces of information and create visual emphasis. Eichenbaum writes the "Rules" in first-letter capitalisation even within connected text to create emphasis, though this is regarded as a graphological deviation/error in Stylistics.

Generally, the text is fantastic. It is a necessary companion for anybody that wants to succeed in business.

GOKE ILESANMI, Editor-in-Chief/CEO of http://www.gokeilesanmi.com/ and Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is a Certified Public Speaker/Emcee, (Business) Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker, Career Management Coach, Renowned Book Reviewer, Corporate Leadership Expert and Editorial Consultant. Tel: +234(0)8055068773; +234(0)8056030424
Email: info@gokeilesanmi.com; gokeiles2010@gmail.com

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Some Ways to 'Blur' Your Business

Blur challenges you to question every assumption you hold about how business is conducted, and encourages you to experiment at the edges of business. Blur outlines nothing less than a revolution in business and consumer culture. Will you watch on the sidelines as the innovators overtake you, or are you ready to start playing by - and discovering - the rules of BLUR?

Make Speed Your Mind-Set

Everything exists in the fourth dimension - time - but few of us have a good handle on it in our businesses. To reorient your thinking, start by timing everything you do.

Connect Everything with Everything

Make sure that all the islands in your business connect with each other, just as the empty shelves in your refrigerator ought to connect with your shopping list. Identify what's connected.

Grow Your Intangibles Faster Than Your Tangibles

When listing your intangibles, include all services, all software and other forms of information, all financial elements, and all emotions (which include brand loyalty, customer relationships, employee commitment and the like).

Build Product Into Every Service

How do you offer service today? The only way you can afford to meet those expectations is to productize your service: use software, kiosks, self-service, learning engines, or telecommunication to deliver service like a product.

Put Service Into Every Product

In the past, service add-ons were an afterthought for those in the product business. Today, you must make them intrinsic to the offer. If your entire corporate culture is focused on stuff, wake up.

Manage All Business In Real Time

Stop making decisions based on what happened last week - or even this morning. Get a grip on what's happening at this instant, so the right adjustment can be made without delay. Almost always, this will require planting sensors and other feedback mechanisms throughout your operations.

Be Able To Do Anything You Do At Anytime

Nine to five has been dead for more than a decade. These days, 24x365 rules. Retail banking customers today would rebel if they didn't have round-the-clock access to their money via ATMs, PCs, or telephones.

Be Able To Do Anything, Anyplace

With the reality of today's Connectivity, you should be able to conducts your business no matter where you - or your customers are.

Put Your Offer Online

Today's electronic Connectivity allows the same simple strategy to work for everybody. Your customers must be able to connect with you and your offer at least as easily and freely as the Coke drinker can pick up a Coke.

Make Your Offer Interactive

You're truly listening only if you maintain an ongoing dialogue with them. Your offer must contain a way for your customers to communicate with you as they put your offer to use.

Samantha Johnson is the marketing manager of BusinessSummaries.com. She is in-charge of social media and business development.

BusinessSummaries is one of the world's leading providers of business content for corporations and business book summaries for executives, managers and businesspersons. Cut down on reading time and still stay on top of the latest business trends and ideas from the business gurus. Visit us at http://www.bizsum.com/.

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