by Paul Simister
on December 4, 2015
The complete title of this book by Paul Barrow is
“The Best Laid Business Plans: How to Write Them, How to Pitch Them“.
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I rated this book as Four Stars. This means that I think it is Good and Well Worth Reading.
Here is my book review.
Identifies four types of business plan and guides you through what’s needed.
The author recognises four needs for business plans:
- To raise money – this is usually why most small businesses create a business plan.
- To get approval for a course of action – from the owner, the board or the holding company.
- To improve performance.
- To get third party support – customers, suppliers or a landlord may want reassurance about the intentions of the business.
The purpose of the plan then guides its contents. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on December 4, 2015
The full title of this important book on project management by Eli Goldratt is
“Critical Chain: A Business Novel“.
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a rating of Four Stars. This means that it is Good and Well Worth Reading.
Here is my book review.
Interesting ideas about project management in this management novel.
I was reading Critical Chain when I heard the news that the author, Dr Eliyahu Goldratt died.
The Theory of Constraints guru focuses his attention on project management in this book after looking at constraints in the production process in The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement and in the marketing strategy in It’s Not Luck. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on December 4, 2015
The full title of this important book by Michael Porter is
“Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance“.
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave this book a rating of Five Stars. This means I think it is Excellent and is Very Highly Recommended to anyone with a deep interest in business strategy and how competitive advantage is created.
Here is my book review.
Very challenging but very rewarding if you’re interested in competitive advantage
I first read this book in 1990 when I realised strategy was the subject that combined (and reconciled) my interest in finance and marketing. I’d been very impressed with his book, “Competitive Strategy” and wanted to understand more about how you create competitive advantage through cost leadership, differentiation and focus. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on December 3, 2015
The full title of this book by Veena Prashanth is
“Upsells Unleashed: How to Hack Your Sales Funnel to Double Your Profits Using Upsells – With Your Existing Traffic and Existing Customers“.
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave this book a rating of Four Stars. This means it is Good and Well Worth Reading.
Here is my book review.
Mainly focused on upsells for Internet marketing
The author is the entrepreneur behind some software for membership websites and some plugins including one for automating upsells.
This has two implications:
1) her own software is frequently featured but no other software is which makes you feel this is a not-so-disguised selling pitch.
2) the focus is very much on Internet marketing so for most businesses who sell primarily through personal contact, the book offers little. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on December 3, 2015
The full title of this book by Bob Bly is
“How to Create Irresistible Offers: The Easiest Way on Earth to make Your Marketing Generate More Leads, Orders, and Sales“.
In my review on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it a rating of Four Stars. This means that it is Good and Well Worth Reading.
Here is my book review.
The world needs more focus on transactional offers and this is a good start
Legendary copywriter Gary Halbert said “Your offer is by far the most important element in the entire sales message”.
It doesn’t make much sense then that the offer gets little attention in many of the copywriting guides which focus more on creating great headlines and writing bullet points to make the reader intensely curious. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on December 2, 2015
The full title of this book by Jim Gehrke is
“More Clients… More Often… More Money: 70 Strategies That Will Dramatically Change The Way You Do Business“.
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk , I gave this book a rating of Four Stars. This means it is Good and Well Worth Reading.
Here is my book review.
A useful summary, very readable
The author provides a useful summary of the ideas of direct marketing legends like Jay Abraham and Dan Kennedy with 70 different tactics to help you to:
1 get more customers
2 get them to buy more often
3 get them to spend more money
Most of the tips are based on the first issue, more customers, which is where many businesses focus most of their sales and marketing attention anyway. The two other categories can be sources of hidden profits because your customers already trust you. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on November 28, 2015
The full title of this book by Michael Kinlow is
“The Laws of Profit: How Entrepreneurs use consulting secrets to stop losses and increase profits in 90 days or less“.
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave this book a rating of Four Stars. This means I think it is Good and Well Worth Reading.
Here is my book review.
Well worth reading to learn about profit-sense
First as an accountant in practice, then in industry and since as a business consultant and coach, I’ve seen well intentioned people do some very strange things that inevitably harm profits, even though that wasn’t the original intention.
Any book that helps to educate owner-managers about how profit can be created and destroyed is to be welcomed and this one does just that. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on November 27, 2015
The full title of this book by Cameron Herold is
“Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years or Less“.
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I rated the book at the Four Stars level. This means it is Good and Well Worth Reading.
Here is my book review.
Helps good companies become great
The aim of this book is to help entrepreneurs to double sales and profit in 3 years. That’s the equivalent of 25% growth per year thanks to the magic of compounding.
I thought this was a well written book for helping good companies to become great. It’s particularly strong on leadership, organisational culture and team building. It also has some useful tips on how to grow within a recession including some that are counter-intuitive. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on November 27, 2015
This full title of this book by Darran Hughes is
“Break Through Business Growth Barriers: The 5 simple elements for getting more customers buying more, again and again, and increase profits in 90 days“.
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I rated this at Four Stars. That means I think it is Good and Well Worth Reading.
Here is my book review.
A useful but general introductory guide to sales funnels
With a title about business growth barriers, I was expecting a book about the main constraints small businesses face. It isn’t.
Instead this is a short, low cost guide to understanding how to get prospective customers to identify themselves as interested by asking for a free information product and then turn them into customers, first by offering a very low cost item (called a tripwire), and then increasing values and encouraging them to buy again and again. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on November 26, 2015
I rated
Strategy Dynamics Essentials by Kim Warren
as a Four Stars book in my review on Amazon.co.uk. This means I think the book Is Good and Well Worth Reading.
Here is my book review.
Turn your strategy into a detailed model and stop it being wishy-washy good intentions
This is not an ordinary book on strategy and therefore it won’t be suitable for many people who are looking for a how to guide.
The author recognises the problem of well meaning but wishy washy strategic plans that are intended to increase long term profits and cash flows but fail to provide a link from strategic objectives through to tactics and performance numbers. [continue reading…]
