by Paul Simister
on November 28, 2017
The full title of this book by Bruce Bowler is
“The Bankruptcy Alternative: Close Your Business Your Way, Without Bankruptcy. Save Time, Save Money, Save Your Sanity!“
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I rated the book at the FOUR stars level which means I consider to be good to very good.
Here is what I posted.
Thoughtful ideas for any business owner heading into difficulty
No one starts a business expecting to have it shut down in a few years yet statistics indicate that this happens far too often.
There are two types of closure: [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on November 1, 2017
The full title of this book by W Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne is
“Blue Ocean Shift: Beyond Competing – Proven Steps to Inspire Confidence and Seize New Growth“.
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I rated the book at the FIVE Stars level, which means that I consider it to be excellent.
Here is what I posted.
A detailed how to guide for developing blue ocean strategies
I’ve been very impressed with the authors’ blue ocean thinking, ever since I read the early articles in the Harvard Business Review. I gave the Blue Ocean Strategy book a five star review.
When the revised Blue Ocean Strategy book was published several years ago, I appreciated the extended text and give it five stars again but I was a little disappointed as well. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on October 17, 2017
The full title of this book by H William Dettmer is
“The Logical Thinking Process: A Systems Approach to Complex Problem Solving“.
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I rate the book at the FIVE Stars level, this means that I consider it to be excellent.
Here is what I posted.
A clear explanation of TOC Thinking Processes
On the one hand, the Theory of Constraints Thinking Processes can be powerful tools for investigating the current situation and identifying vital ways to improve the system in ways to meet the goal. On the other hand, they can be daunting to prepare and/or to understand because of the acronyms, unusual terminology and complexity of both the diagrams and their underlying rules. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on October 5, 2017
There isn’t an extended title with this book, it’s just
“The Choice“
written by Eli Goldratt and his daughter.
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I rated this as a FIVE stars book, which means I think it is excellent.
Here is what I posted.
The most important Goldratt book? A look at the importance of inherent simplicity
I was reading the transcript of an interview with Eli Goldratt, the main author behind the Theory of Constraints and he described this as his most important book.
More important that The Goal?Before I read The Choice, I was sceptical but now I have read it, I can understand why Goldratt said it. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on October 2, 2017
The full title of the book written by Eliyahu Goldratt and with Ilan Eshkoli and Joe Brownleer is
“Isn’t It Obvious?: A Business Novel on Retailing Using the Theory of Constraints“.
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I rated the book at the FOUR Stars level which means I think it is good to very good.
Here is what I wrote.
TOC in a retail setting with wider lessons
This is another business novel explaining the ideas behind the Theory Of Constraints. To make it a snappier read, Eli Goldratt worked with screenwriters who were well used to regularly revising their work.
It is based on a retail business in home textiles in the US. I can’t remember the exact numbers but there are about 100 stores organised into about 10 regions. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on August 31, 2017
The full title of this book by Ron Taylor is
“The 80/20 Rule: Putting the Power of the Pareto Principle to Work in Your Strategic Planning and Business Development“.
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I rated the book at the Four Stars level, meaning that I think it is good to very good.
Here is what I wrote.
An 80/20 business parable
In theory, I like the idea of a business parable, that is a novel style story that carries business lessons. In practice, my experience is that they can be hit and miss. I’ve come across some where the “plot” and dreadful dialogue get in the way of learning by making reading the book a painful and distracting experience. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on August 8, 2017
The full title of this book by Amitav Chakravarti and Manoj Thomas is
“Why People (Don’t) Buy: The Go and Stop Signals“.
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I rated it as a FOUR stars book, meaning it is good to very good.
This is what I wrote.
Fascinating but quite academic
In my business coaching, I sometimes talk about the Buy or Don’t Buy Scales where buyers weigh the reasons to buy against the reasons not to buy consciously or subconsciously.
This book takes the same principles in terms of buying go and stop signals but adds more more meat to my simple analogy. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on July 19, 2017
The full title of this book by David Parrish is
“Chase One Rabbit: Strategic Marketing for Business Success: 63 Tips, Techniques and Tales for Creative Entrepreneurs”.
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I rated the book at the FOUR stars level, this means it’s in the good to very good category.
Here is what I wrote.
A good introduction to strategic marketing that deserves to be read by many small business owners
Although this book is targeted towards entrepreneurs in the creative industries, I believe it deserves a much wider audience of small business owners. The general messages in the book apply to all sectors and whilst the examples and stories used are from creative businesses, they are easily understood.
The main purpose of the book is to introduce the ideas of strategic marketing as opposed to operational marketing. You’re probably familiar with operational marketing because it tells you how to use marketing media – how to have a good website, how to get ranked in search engines, how to use display advertisements in newspapers and magazines, how to create a direct mail letter or how to use social media. It’s probably how you think about marketing. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on June 6, 2017
The full title of this book by Richard Legg is
“Hidden Profits: Get more sales, bigger profits and greater freedom by unlocking the invisible revenue sources that already exist in your business“.
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I rated this book at the Four Stars level, meaning I consider it to be in the good to very good range.
Here is my review.
Focused on Internet Marketing businesses
This is an interesting book about increasing profit without taking big risks on new marketing campaigns. It is written for Internet marketing businesses but many of the ideas can be applied to more conventional businesses although you’ll have to do more thinking about how you can adapt the ideas. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 28, 2017
The full title of this book by MIchael Neill is
“Supercoach: 10 Secrets to Transform Anyone’s Life”.
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I rated this as a Four Stars book, which means I consider it to be in the good to very good range.
This is what I wrote.
A very helpful guide to review your life
I’ve been looking for a book to help my clients with what I call the inner game. This is how they see their role in the world and how, by changing their thoughts and actions, they can live a better, more satisfying life. [continue reading…]
