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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Why I love Mondays

Yes, I really do!

Mondays = the start of a freshly laundered week; crisp and clean; full of hope and promise.

Mondays say "Yoo-hoo, I'm here. Let's create some more loveliness. Let's get stuff planned. Let's start getting it done. Isn't this exciting?!"

Tuesdays say "Ok, Monday, you did a good job. Nice set-up for me. I'll take it from here."

Wednesdays say "Right, we've got some half-finished stuff here. Let's take it up a notch and make the ride to the weekend smooth."

Thursdays say "Last day of full action. People are still working strong. We need to get these projects finished. Hustle, hustle before slow Friday saunters in."

Friday says "I'll put you in a great mood if you've worked hard this week. If not, I'll leave you feeling frustrated."

What I've noticed about other small business owners, entrepreneurs and work-a-holics*, is that we don't see our weeks or days as chopped up into regular chunks. It's 24/7. No clocking in or clocking off. We feel frustration when we can't get something done or speak to someone simply because it's weekend.

In our minds, Monday is no different from Saturday; though that doesn't mean we don't take downtime. I make pancakes for the family on Saturday mornings, which is a tradition now. And I'll enjoy a lie-in. Plus, the kids are home, so we'll go out together or have friends over. But in my head, all days are created equal. If something needs doing, I won't wait for the traditional working week to start.

Sometimes we feel very envious of people with regular hours and regular pay checks. But doing what we do is in our DNA. If I stopped My Bespoke Chair tomorrow, what would I do? I'd probably be doing something like painting, designing, surfing the web and trying to make money from my love of interior design....hmm, sounds very similar to My Bespoke Chair to me...!!

So here we are - Monday again. Enjoy! Grab the day with both hands - it's the best day of the week. This week is YOUR week, and it's only just begun.


* I'm not one!

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