#book2use - all in startup

A easy to read story illustrating the principles of starting a startup.

4 ideas:

1. Startups are about finding customers, not building products.

2. People don't buy products or services; they buy solutions to their problems.

3. Entrepreneurs are detectives,  not forunetellers.

4. Successful entrepreneurs are luck makers, not risk takers.

Anyway it is a good read.

Go for it.

All in startup by Diana Kander

#booktouse - The reluctant entrepreneur

The reluctant entrepreneur is by Michael Masterson. A book based on his experience and  book worth reading for any entrepreneur or someone who have an idea to do something worthwhile.

One of the key points is start doing the things that you dream of part time.  Keep your main income so that your dream can slowly realise without any stress.

It is not easy to be successful in new business. Irregardless of people saying to burn your bridge so that your mind are set to success, however, in real life thing still can be achieved by slow and steady way.

Good read!

#booktouse : Make : zero to maker by David Lang

Make: Zero to Maker

Very inspiration read. The idea of making thing for own is the right way to being sustainable.

I have an idea to set up a maker community using waste from construction.  There is bound to have waste from construction be it timber plywood metal bar angles. All these can put into use.

Take a read and put your hand in to making things.

Buying => things
Making => things + learning + story

Cheers

Book2use - Getting To Scale

Getting To Scale


Chapters:

• Chapter 1 - There IS Another Way
• Chapter 2 - Mission Comes First
• Chapter 3 - Any Business Can Do it
• Chapter 4 - Organic is the Way to Grow
• Chapter 5 - Build Your Values into the Brand
• Chapter 6 - Match Manufacturing to Mission
• Chapter 7 - Morph Early and Often
• Chapter 8 - Form Follow Function
• Chapter 9 - The Soft Stuff IS the Hardest
• Chapter 10 - Getting to Scale: Is It Right for You?

Some of the highlight of the chapters.
Chapter 3- Organic is the way to grow.
Advantages:

1. advantage for mission-driven firms
2. do not reply on outside investors and thus maintain the commitment to mission
3. allow people to grow into their jobs and pursue vision over time
4. allow employees to maintain their health and well-being
5. allow company to maintain their corporate culture

How to make organic growth possible:

1. let other do the manufacturing
2. follow market demand
3. develop unique value proposition to keep competitors at bay long enough

Disadvantages:
1. "When a market is growing rapidly and attracting significant competition (in terms of either numbers or clout), organic growth may not be fast enough to maintain a presence in the emerging market. You need to either meet the challenge by expanding more rapidly, or plan to settle into a niche or a series of niches."
"Organic growth is also problematic in situations involving classic economies of scale, where you are required to make significant investments - in either marketing or manufracturing - ahead of demand."

Chapter 4 Finance your independencecase study - Ben & Jerry.

• Selling shares of stock to public ended buying out by Unilever.

How do you raise enough capital to grow your business without losing control. We have an answer; using OTC capital.

Book2use - Almost Green by James Glave

 

Picked up this book for a light reading on how to be green. James gave his full account of his pursuit of being green. His encounter, his problem and his success of being himself and his dream. I admire his endearing effort on being Green.

From his book,
quote:
"Hey, Dad," asked Sabrina, " remember how you said our new car was much nicer to the planet?"
"Yeah?"
"That's sounds pretty good to me."
"It does, doesn't it? I feel much better about our car. Don't you?"
"I guess so."
Then, a beat.
"But what about all the other cars?"
unquote

There is nothing wrong with other cars but it is the mindset of people that makes the difference.

Book2Use - Courage & Craft - Writing our life into Story

This book, Courage & Craft - Writing our life into Story, is by Barbara Abercrombie.

One of the best writing book that I come across. She has given many tips on how to start writing.

I read and applied one of her methods on writing that is: Write non-stop for 5 minute, 10 minutes (you decide)  anything that comes to your mind, without stopping, without punctuation and do it as fast as possible. Do this everyday to make it a habit. You can prepare a list for this writing exercise. The more you practice, the easier it will get.

There are lots more practices or "To Do" in her book. It is a good "How to" book that helps you with writing.

So, Just Write!

Book2Use - Confessions of an Entrepreneur - How to survive the highs and lows of starting up

Confessions of an Entrepreneur - How to survive the highs and lows of starting up by Chris Robson



"This is not a textbook about writing a business plan or choosing the right business idea. Those books exist already. This doesn't"

"As Nick Wheeler, founder of Charles Tyrwhitt, said:'It wasn't the idea - it was about doing better. The idea wasn't the issue. The vast majority of businesses are trying to be different. People say that they can't start a business because they don't have any idea. They don't need a new idea!'"

This is another book I like; Clear in delivering and simple in language. Chris presented his emotional journey in this book when he started his company. This is valuable for Entrepreneurs who are starting or started a company or business.

Let me share with you the lesson is important to me:

The key lessons for any entrepreneur who hits rock bottom:
1. Don't retreat ignominiously
2. Make a simple plan to move forward
3. Don't be bitter about what happened
4. Don't see what happened as a failure
5. Recognise that you many need more safety nets next time
6. or recognise, as Seb James did, that being an entrepreneur was not the right career: 'It has taught me that I am shit at starting things'

You can review the book here:
Confessions of an Entrepreneur: The Highs and Lows of Starting Up

Book2Use - Socialnomics - How Social Media Transforms The Way We Live and Do Business

Socialnomics - How Social Media Transforms The Way We Live and Do Business by Erik Qualman

I read this and I find Erik has given best views and ideas on the impact of social media onto business. Below are some of the points that I find it useful to remember and use.


"Content and Conversation will drive awareness - not advertising


World of Mouth is an advancement of Word of Mouth as: 1) it disseminates the information quickly and globally; 2) its digital aspect allows the original integrity of the message to remain intact; and 3) it is traceable to an original source


Businesses don't have a choice on whether or not to DO social media, their choice is how well they DO it.


Ineffective companies spend time attempting to obfuscate or manipulate negative comments within social media. Good companies spend time addressing and resolving customer complaints.


Try to use social media to get hired vs. fired.


Social media is the new inbox: Younger generations find e-mail antiquated and passé. 


The main threat to Google in the search wars is not another search engine, but the rise of search queries within social media. More and more, products and services will find us (as opposed to us finding them).


Marketers' jobs have changed from creating and pushing to one that requires listening, engaging, and reacting to potential and current customer needs.


It's better to live a social media life making mistakes than living a social media life doing nothing.


Don't forget that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and social media go hand in hand.


Don't build your own Field of Nightmares by creating or replicating a social network for your company. If you built it, they most likely will not come. You are better connecting to the best in class social media tools that exist.


The overall achievement of individuals and companies will be largely dependent on their social media success.


Proactively build your digital business network before you need it."

You can find more information here:

Book2Use - The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea

This is a simple to understand and easy to read book about some of the laws for becoming Success. I find that all these laws are very fundamental and easy to exercise.

Let me give you the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success at the end of the book.

The Law of Value
Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.

The Law of Compensation
Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.

The Law of Influence
Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first.

The Law of Authenticity
The more valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.

The Law of Receptivity
The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

Visit http://www.thegogiver.com/

Book2use - Flicking Your Creative Switch by Wayne Lotherington

Flicking Your Creative Switch by Wayne Lotherington (Author), Alan Pease (Foreword)

A great book to read to enhance your creativity. You have to be opened to be creative and also remember that "Everyone can be creative".

From Amazon:

Flicking Your Creative Switch: Developing Brighter Ideas For Business

From the Inside Flap

"These days we’re all being encouraged to be more creative and innovative. And for good reason. Creative thinking and innovative actions give us the edge over our competitors, whether we are competing at school, on the football field, in the market place or at a global level. Despite it’s importance and its impact on our success, no one seems to tell us how to be creative. But this easy-to-read book can help you learn the core principles of creativity and enable you to develop the bright ideas that lead to innovative actions.

Flicking Your Creative Switch contains six inspiring creative-thinking tools that you can learn and apply immediately. Tools like Eyes of Experts, Random Word, What’s Hot and Extremes will help you come up with creative ideas in a matter of minutes. The more challenging tools of Curly Questions and Exquisite Corpse will give you a fascinating new way of looking at business – whether its yours, your client’s or that of a competitor.

Packed with examples, advice and exercises, this invaluable book will help you to:

• Understand creativity and innovative and the relationship between the two
• Recognise the importance of creative thinking in your business life
• Believe in the creative power within yourself
• Realise how your creative mind works
• Access new creative thinking tools as and when required
• Come up with multiple bright ideas for any business problem or opportunity
• Develop the most important habit of all…the creative habit!

This book is a must for anyone who wants to develop brighter ideas that bring a competitive edge to themselves or to their business."

From Amazon:

Flicking Your Creative Switch: Developing Brighter Ideas For Business

What you can take back:

There are Six Techniques which you can use to help you generate ideas:

1. Random Noun - Take a noun randomly from somewhere and apply it to the subject. Pictures can be used too.
2. Eyes of Experts - Choose three (3) respected experts from other fields and consider how they would deal with your issue. This is a variation where you view it through other different category.
3. What's Hot? - Use popular current things to appeal to your audience.
4. Curly Questions - Use analogies, speculation, role reversal and imagination to re-phrase the issue at hand so that more original answers can be found.
5. Exaggeration and Depravation - Over-exaggerate the benefits of the product, or push to ludicrous extremes what happens if that product isn't present.
6. Exquisite Corpse - Based on surrealit thinking, different people randomly select five words to create a sentence in the pattern adjective/noun/verb/adjective/noun. The each word is scrutinized to review problem.

Read more here: