Whenever a new member joins our team, I have a special gift for them: a carefully curated selection of books that I recommend they read. These books have significantly influenced my thinking about running a business and, in many ways, define the journey on which we aim to take our clients.
Recently, I had the pleasure of handing a fresh batch of books to Charlotte, our brand-new finance manager. It made me realise that these books might also be valuable to you, as well.
So, today, I am excited to share with you four books that have profoundly impacted my approach to business and could potentially do the same for you.
One of the great misconceptions is that businesses are created by entrepreneurs when in fact most are created by technicians – people who love what they do, and want to build a business around it.
The problem is just because you have the skills and experience to do a particular job, doesn’t mean you are any good at running a business!
Gerber advocates building your company as if you were creating a franchise. This means creating a business model which can be repackaged and sold on without needing you, its founder.
By creating processes and systems which even the most unqualified employee can follow, you will create a well-polished, professional business that will run just the way you want – and can scale quickly.
Gerber’s ideas have significantly influenced the service we offer here at Insight Associates.
We’ve adopted his model of the different stages of a business’s life, from the early infancy phase, through the growing pains of adolescence, to the mature entrepreneurial perspective. I’ve realized that we primarily help businesses moving from infancy — where the business is very dependent on its owner — to adolescence, where the business starts to professionalise.
By helping businesses systematise their accounting function so that it runs smoothly and reliably at all times, we ensure they are well-prepared for sustainable growth.
The E-Myth Revisited provides a blueprint for building a business that is more scalable and ultimately more sellable, offering you greater freedom and flexibility as a business owner. I highly recommend it!
This book also looks at how to set up a scalable business that can be sold when you’re ready.
The problem Southon and West identify is that entrepreneurs often have fantastic ideas, but find it hard to see them through. They humorously suggest that if the entrepreneur was in charge of running the back office, you’d come into work to find an advanced phone system, but no milk in the fridge!
Their solution? Hire well. To grow your business, you need to surround yourself with ‘cornerstone’ people in key areas such as sales, delivery and – of course – finance. They can build the right team for you and create the processes you need to make your business a success.
The authors show how to hire the right skills for your business, because no one knows it all. Plus, this book is both concise and entertaining. Excellent.
Sinek argues that the most successful organisations are those whose founders start with a clear understanding of their purpose, or their “why.”
By focusing on why they do what they do, rather than what they do or how they do it, leaders can inspire others and drive deeper loyalty and engagement.
Through examples from business and history, Sinek demonstrates that when companies and leaders communicate their core beliefs and motivations, they attract followers who share their vision, leading to lasting success and impact.
The idea that business can be meaningful, not just about profit, has become very popular in recent years – and rightly so. Inspiring.
This is a guide to achieving exceptional customer service, and is exceptionally good itself!
The authors present a three-step approach: Create a vision for customer service, discover what the customer wants, and over-deliver each time. The goal is to turn satisfied customers into “raving fans” who are loyal and enthusiastic, driving long-term business success through their advocacy and repeat business.
What I like about this book, which is written as a parable delivered by a mentor to a manager, is that the authors do not over-complicate the concept. In fact, they argue that delivering exceptional customer service is not difficult!
It’s about the little things you do, from the way you handle complaints to special touches.
They give the brilliant example of a supermarket which employed a team member with learning disabilities to manage one of their tills. The employee used to put personalised notes into people’s shopping bags – and soon became the most popular check-out till.
Again, here at Insight this is a lesson we’ve taken to heart. For example, we love sending out gifts to clients, contacts and most frequently, to people who have referred us to potential clients. We also enjoy sending out handwritten notes.
Raving Fans shows that delivering exceptional customer service is not about grand gestures but about consistently doing the little things right.
I hope you find these books as valuable as I have!
What business books do you recommend? Please write back with your own recommendations – I’m always on the lookout for great reads to add to my collection and to share with our new team members.
Warmly,
Garry
