Who wants to be a billionaire? We may not all get there but we sure can dream. More importantly we can learn from some of the great minds who have achieved such great success. Below we have compiled 10 books written about, and a few by, some of the most notable business men and women of our time. You can’t go wrong picking a book from this list. Leave a comment with any we may have missed.
“Oh, screw it, let’s do it.”
That’s the philosophy that has allowed Richard Branson, in slightly more than twenty-five years, to spawn so many successful ventures. From the airline business (Virgin Atlantic Airways), to music (Virgin Records and V2), to cola (Virgin Cola), to retail (Virgin Megastores), and nearly a hundred others, ranging from financial services to bridal wear, Branson has a track record second to none. Read the rest of this entry »
Renowned as one of the world’s best self development experts, and ranked 4th Best business Coach in the World 2010, Rhiannon Rees has worked with stars including the Spice Girls, X-Files, Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice cast members. She is the author of the book, ‘How to Climb Mount Everest in Sandals’ and has been featured in countless TV, Radio and in print publications in both Australia and North America.
Throughout her coaching career in working with business owners all around the world there have been many key distinctions and learning’s as to what is required for an entrepreneur to be successful. Read the rest of this entry »
Becoming a business owner for the first time in 1977, Bruce Doyle has now owned and operated 27 businesses, 18 of which were developed from conception. Bruce has streamlined businesses that all perform predictably and profitably without his day-to-day input. He has been ranked “Global Coach of The Year”, “Victorian Coach Of The Year” and Action Coach’s most prestigious award, “Entrepreneur Coach of The Year”.
Along the way there have been many key distinctions and things learned, but one which Bruce regards as the most important is Business Planning. “The most important thing about doing a business plan is becoming clear on what it will look like when it is finished. Most people don’t have an exit strategy.
“A lot of business owners don’t have clarity in where they are heading because they don’t know the end step. Included in the business plan should also be a succession plan, over 70% of businesses don’t have this. “The main purpose is to have the business plan active and turn it into an action plan by breaking it down to 90-day cycles. Then chunk it down to weeks and then days,” Bruce explains. Read the rest of this entry »
A good hedge against the risks of starting your own business is to start up while you still have a job that pays a regular salary and benefits. If you’re in a position to do that, you’ll have the best of both worlds. There are some simple Do’s and Don’ts that can guide you as you walk a sometimes fine line between your career and entrepreneurship.
1. Consider running your business as a part-time operation alongside your current job. This is a great model because you’ll continue to have income and benefits.
2. You need to understand and follow your employment contract to the letter, especially if it makes reference to inventions and intellectual property (IP) that you develop as part of your job. Almost always, anything developed on company time and using company property belongs to the company. If you do not have an employment contract, you’re still not in the clear. Check the company’s Employee Manual for references to ownership of inventions and IP. No manual? Ask your Human Resources manager or someone functioning in that role to explain the policy. Read the rest of this entry »
Not even a degree from one of the nation’s most prestigious universities will help you excel at entrepreneurship, but it can swing the learning curve. I should know.
Before launching my second company Infographic World in 2009, I earned a Master of Business Administration from Binghamton University. While I’m certain that I’d still be an entrepreneur today if I hadn’t attended graduate school, that experience did help prepare me for the daily rigors of running a business. Among others, I’m able to create financial models and develop marketing campaigns. In addition, I was able to make connections with people who would later become key investors. I also learned how to manage people and businesses. Read the rest of this entry »
Running a business, whether big or small, requires a type of leadership that taps into various areas of business expertise to bring together an all-around profitable business. Some companies excel in certain areas and bleed profits in others. It is important to be sure that all aspects of the business will be managed effectively to profitability.
Need help pinpointing where to start in assuring your small business is on the track to prosperity? Here are 7 vital keys for running a profitable small business: Read the rest of this entry »
It’s a perennial question for college graduates: Should you cling to the stability of a corporate job or try for your dream with entrepreneurship? To be sure, many young people today aren’t flush with job offers upon graduation. But for the lucky ones who do have a choice, the question of what to do is no less though. And in these rocky economic times, it’s likely an even more stressful decision. Read the rest of this entry »
By Jessica Stillman
Do you have what it takes to start a business? A veteran entrepreneur suggests a surprising character for start-up life. Dream of starting a business, but wonder if you have the best personality for the job?
Veteran entrepreneur Kevin Johnson may be able to help you answer that. On his blog, he writes about the unexpected characteristics of successful entrepreneurs.
For example, in his latest post, he suggests that if you like to be the smartest guy in the room, start-up life might not be a great fit for you. Intellectual humility is actually a good sign you’ll do well as an entrepreneur, he writes: Read the rest of this entry »
Shaq O'Neal
The star athlete on why he’s getting his Ph.D., how he chooses business ventures, and the weirdest pitch he’s ever received. One Shaquille O’Neal you probably know: The retired basketball player who has four NBA championship rings and an Olympic gold medal, who was voted an All-Star fifteen times, and who ranks 6th on the all-time scoring list.
Or you might know another Shaq: The one who appeared in movies, released rap albums, was a character in video games, had a reality TV series, and is now an NBA television analyst for TNT. But there’s one Shaq you probably don’t know: The one who has an MBA and is working on his Ph.D., who owns fitness centers, car washes, Five Guys franchises, nightclubs, and real estate, has his own shoe brand, and holds equity positions in companies like Google (his slice was pre-IPO), Vitamin Water, and Muscle Milk. Read the rest of this entry »
If you subscribe to the inspiring articles on this website, chances are you are a member of the millennial generation. I myself am one of them and I must admit it took me some time to get comfortable with the notion of quitting my job, going without a paycheck and risking it all for the dream of starting my own venture, on my own terms.
At a recent entrepreneurial pitch competition it was said that ‘Once you meet one entrepreneur, you meet one entrepreneur’. Not all entrepreneurs are alike and you will find that they all look at the world through a different lens. Here is my story.
I was working at a large IT consulting firm during the day while doing my graduate work at night. I found myself looking for that next move in my life, the one that would lead to that next great challenge and in my case it lead me to start Bookend Technology, an E-Learning company that creates web and mobile products to help students better manage and measure their educational achievement. Read the rest of this entry »
