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Articles And Book Reviews About Moving From Being Stuck To Getting Unstuck

The Small Business Life Cycle by Charlie Gilkey

The full title of this book by Charlie Gilkey is

The Small Business Life Cycle: The No-Fluff Guide to Navigating the Five Stages of Small Business Growth

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book Three Stars. This means Worthwhile.

The business life cycle from the entrepreneurial idea through to mature businesses is taught in theoretical studies of entrepreneurship and business. It also has real world implications because the challenges facing the entrepreneur change as the business grows and becomes more established.

This short book gives an overview of the stages which is useful for aspiring entrepreneurs. The challenging work is only starting when the business is formed and there will continue to be plenty to do. In fact, there is always more than could be done.

I think it’s less useful for business owners with businesses. They have problems that need to be solved and real life doesn’t fit neatly into a theoretical model. As the owner tends to work with a short term detailed focus, wherever the business is currently, the book doesn’t have much to say that’s relevant. This is inevitably the weakness of a book that looks along the life cycle and the shorter the book is, the less it can say that’s helpful to navigate away from any one stage.

I much prefer a book like The E-Myth Revisited which is packed with light bulb moments. Owners can relate to the frustrations, recognise themselves in why they started and then accept they need to change.

Perhaps it’s caught me on a bad day but I thought the book was quite dull and uninspiring.

Recognising that businesses differ with age and maturity is important to understand. There is an adrenalin rush at the start and then a series of frustrating problems. Some businesses stay very small and don’t experience many of the growing pains. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on “scaling up” which can be thought of as an optional stage or perhaps a series of optional stages. There are a huge number of books telling you about the startup phase and an increasing number of books that look at the issues around scaling up.

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Unstuck by Keith Yamashita

The full title of this book by Keith Yamashita is

Unstuck: A Tool for Yourself, Your Team and Your World“.

In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a Four Stars rating which means I consider it to be in the good to very good category.

Here is what I wrote.

A systems approach to why businesses get stuck and how to get them unstuck

This is a book of three sections. At one stage, I thought it was going to be the clear leader in books about how businesses get stuck and how you can get them unstuck. Sadly it tailed off in the main tactics section so we’re left with a 5 star start and a 3 star finish.

I’ll cover the looks of the book to start. It is one of those “designed” books that look stylish. [continue reading…]

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What’s Stopping You? by Robert Kelsey

The full title of this book by Robert Kelsey is

What’s Stopping You?: Why Smart People Don’t Always Reach Their Potential and How You Can

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it Three Stars.

Here is my review.

Starts well but finishes limply

I’ve bought this book twice. The first time it was recommended by someone in my mastermind and the second time, I saw it on Amazon and thought it looked interesting because I was interested in constraints and why people get stuck.

I’d forgotten I’d read it the first time until the book arrived and it all looked incredibly familiar. I buy and read a lot of business books but I can’t remember ever buying one I’d forgotten I’d already read. It says a lot about the small impact of the book on me. [continue reading…]

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Turn Around Your Business by 5 PM by Maurice Stein

When I reviewed the book

Turn Around Your Business by 5 PM

by Maurice Stein, I gave it a four stars rating. This means I consider it to be in the range of good to very good.

Here is a copy of my review on Amazon.co.uk.

The title of this book gives the wrong impression but it is good for business owners who feel stuck

I’m reading and reviewing quite a few turnaround management books at the moment which describe how to rescue a business at risk of failure.

Before starting to read this one, I thought I was going to criticise the 5 pm part of the title. Turnarounds are tough, and while they need urgent action, you can’t do everything in a day, or as many business owners will think, three quarters of a day. [continue reading…]

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Business Turnaround in 7 Easy Steps by John Quinn

In my review of the book

Business Turnaround in 7 Easy Steps by John Quinn

posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it 3 Stars.

Here is my review.

A short guide to help you improve your business

I’m not keen on the title of this book. Turning around a business is rarely easy and, perhaps the most difficult step (not in the book) is accepting that you need to take urgent actions to save your business. Too often business owners leave it too late which is why failure rates are so bad. [continue reading…]

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The Unstuck Process by Robert Middleton

The full title of this book by Robert Middleton is

The Unstuck Process: 12 Powerful Questions That Create Breakthrough Results“.

In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a rating of Four Stars. This means I consider it to be in the good to very good range.

Here is a copy of my review.

A book to help you eliminate your limiting beliefs

Although this book is written by a business coach, its scope is much wider.

It is generally accepted that beliefs, thoughts, feelings and actions are linked together in a chain. [continue reading…]

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Unstuck by Kenyon Blunt

The full title of this book by Kenyon Blunt is

“Unstuck: How Businesses Get Stuck & How Your’s Can Get Unstuck”.

In my review on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a Four Stars rating. This means I consider it to be good or very good.

Here is my review.

A very good book for business owners who are stuck

This is a very good book written to help business owners who feel stuck and want to get unstuck.

This is an area of special interest for me and in another book review, How to Get Unstuck: 25 Ways to Get Your Business Growing Again, I committed to reading and reviewing all the books on being stuck and getting unstuck. [continue reading…]

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How to Get Unstuck by Barry Moltz

The full title of this book by Barry Moltz is

How to Get Unstuck: 25 Ways to Get Your Business Growing Again“.

In my review on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a Four Stars rating. This means I consider it to be in the range of good to very good.

Here is my review.

An interesting look at common mistakes and how to fix them

I help business owners get unstuck but, until recently, it had never occurred to me that there would be plenty of books on the subject. It’s my intention to review them all.

This is an interesting look at common mistakes made by business owners in terms of sales and marketing, finance, managing people etc. As well as identifying the causes of the mistakes, the book also reveals how to fix them. [continue reading…]

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The Sticking Point Solution by Jay Abraham

The full title of this book by Jay Abraham is

The Sticking Point Solution: 9 Ways to Move Your Business from Stagnation to Stunning Growth in Tough Economic Times

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it Three Stars. This means it is Worthwhile.

Here is my book review.

Disappointing book, lacking structure and organisation

I’m a big fan of Jay Abraham. He received help from Internet marketing guru, Rich Schefren, and I’m a big fan of his too but I thought this book was very disappointing for the people writing it.

Of course, my expectations were high, perhaps too high because I think Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got: 21 Ways You Can Out-Think, Out-Perform, and Out-Earn the Competition is essential reading for entrepreneurs and business owners. [continue reading…]

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The full title of this book by Jimmy Akela is

10 Tips for Scaling Up Your Business When Life Gets Crazy: Use These Tips and Get Your Business Ready to Scale Up and Get Growing!

In my review on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it Three Stars. This means it is Worthwhile.

Here is my review.

Short and sensible but nothing special

This book is very short but it’s hard to argue against the ten tips which mainly look at issues of finance, team and the entrepreneur’s mindset.

It’s the kind of report that is normally given away for free as part of a lead generation process. If you’re facing the problems of scaling-up, you’ll want a much more substantial book. If you can read it for free because you have a kindle unlimited subscription, it’s worth looking at.

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