Business Books & Resources I Love

It's funny - I know many people think that running an online business is a simple affair. Create a product or service, design the site, get someone to do the techy stuff, plan a launch day and switch the site on. After the initial fanfare, watch the orders roll in, field endless media calls and try to keep everything up-to-date. Heck, and working from home....easy life!

Sit back and relax - it's an online business!

Umm...no.

The day you switch your site to "live" is the day your education begins. Here is a list of some things you will need to become an expert in:

• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
• Website optimisation
• Social media marketing
• Email marketing
• Content creation (written, graphic, audio and video)
• Analytics
• Sales funnels
• Selling
• Customer service
• Manufacturing/product or service creation
• Supply chains
• Market conditions
• PR
• Networking
• Time and stress management
• ......and the list goes on.

Recently I've been talking to other people about where they find their most useful information; books, webinar series, online resources etc.

So here's my personal Top Ten Business Books and Resources

1. The Purple Cow by Seth Godin - how to create a unique product or service
2. 22 Michaels - business blog of Michael Fox, co-founder of Shoes of Prey. Start in 2009 and work up. Fascinating.
3. Marie Forleo's free videos and B School - her kick ass online business course. 
4. Better, Stronger, Faster by Brad Rosser - Simple, actionable methods to launch, build and exit.
5. To Sell is Human by Daniel H. Pink - the art and science of selling, debunking a few myths!
6. Email Marketing Blueprint by Steve Scott - how to create email relationships than convert.
7. Derek Halpern's Social Triggers website, videos and emails - marketing guru (shouts alot!)
8. Australian Businesswomen's Network - excellent webinars and interviews. 
9. Quicksprout - Neil Patel's blog. From SEO, website optimisation, data analysis and beyond, he's succeeded. Great articles and How Tos.
10. The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris - slightly obvious choice but it holds some great ideas and gives you permission to be a bit nuts.

Naturally, this list could go on....I discover so many wonderful, inspiring and informative people , books and resources on a regular basis. But, whether you are currently in business or thinking about it, this Top Ten will set you up nicely. Make it happen!

If there is another book, blog or resource you think I'd love, or influenced you positively, tell me in the comments box below.

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Rockstars, Angels and Me

There comes a time in every business when you have your very own "Donald Rumsfeld" moment.

"....there are things we know that we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns - things we don't know we don't know."

But now I have a secret weapon, my very own mentor; a business rockstar.

A mentor can help you see the wood for the trees, can offer objective opinions and lead you to 'light bulb moments.' They understand your vision, can help fast-track growth and steer you clear of pit-falls. They've been there, done that and got the t-shirt.

Who is my mentor? How did I find him? How does it work? What can we both expect from the mentoring process?

Brad Rosser is a true business rockstar - the brains behind the brains at Virgin; Richard Branson's right hand man. After Virgin, he joined Unilever before setting up his own "angel" and management business, The BSF Group (short for Better, Stronger, Faster)

I didn't actively seek out Brad. We were introduced via a charter member at Sydney TiE; the mentoring and entrepreneur association I joined some months ago. I have been attending their evening seminars and sat in on a pitching contest they held at PWC. (Read my blog post on it here)

This is absolutely a result of my constant meeting with people for coffees (even though I only drink tea), going to events, meet-ups, seminars and always talking about My Bespoke Chair. You never know who you may meet and who will resonate with your story. I believe that people matter - read my blog post on this here - and connecting at every opportunity is vital.

Brad and I met properly today at The Westin; we had previously met briefly at a talk he gave last week. I signed up months ago for his Launch & Grow Smart event, and totally co-incidentally our mentoring introduction was made the same week.

As his mentee, I will be able run ideas past him, bring questions and queries to the table. We will meet regularly and informally discuss the direction of My Bespoke Chair.

I am pinching myself. Is it unprofessional to dance a little jig of joy?!

The path will still be long and winding, and there is no magic bullet for success; I have always been willing to put the hard yards in. But mentors are key to so many businesses in their infancy. And to have Brad on my team is pure gold.

 I am certain that our working relationship will be as rewarding as it will be enjoyable. Today was a great start!



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