10 Business Books You Should Read To Get Ready For 2015!
2015 is right around the corner so stock up on these books and get your business ready for the new year!
Let's start with #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso, founder and CEO of Nasty Gal. To quickly sum up this book, Sophia keeps it real from how she dropped out of school to become a hitchhiking, shoplifting, dumpster diving teenager to running a multi-million dollar business. She did it all on her own and stresses that she bust ass to get Nasty Gal to where it is. No one handed her anything.
I really like Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, founders of 37signals. This is a very quick read and even though I am not planning on starting or working at a start up anytime soon, there were some valuable tidbits I kept in mind after reading this book. Number one is meetings are a complete waste of time. I may throw people off when they start talking to me about something they want or need and they launch into this long diatribe. I stop them and ask for them to get to the point. It may sound rude but they say what they need to, I give a response, and then we both move on with our days. Getting rid of meetings saves so much time!
Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk is another quick read by a man I look up to very much. He took his dad's liquor store and turned it into the largest wine reseller in the world. If I'm going to take anyone's advice, it will be this guy. Crush It! is a guide to everyone who has a passion and wants to share it with the world. If you work hard and commit to blogging, you can cash in and make money off your interest, be it photography, wine, or even worms.
The Thank You Economy, also by Gary Vaynerchuk, really is for larger businesses who need to need a reminder that the customers are people and not just money coming in. What I got from it as my one and only employee, connections with existing and future customers is key to keeping my business alive. Reaching out and responding to everyone who talks to me and staying active on social media is what will set me apart in the sea of photographers.
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. Now how on earth could this book relate to a photographer who does it all herself? I could automate and have other people do editing or emailing but that's not me. I like to do it all myself. The biggest takeaway is to relax. Working for yourself is hard and it's even harder to take some time off for yourself. I don't work 9-5. I work when there is work to do and that seems to be every moment of every day. I can't take weekends off but I need to remember that it is ok to stop working, even if just for a little bit. The world won't end. People won't forget I exist. Everything will be just fine.
If You Have To Cry, Go Outside by Kelly Cutrone. Kelly is my queen. If you know me then you know I have many queens, but she's up at the top of the list. I probably first became obsessed when I saw her on The Hills and then when she got her own show on Bravo called Kell on Earth (which is on Netflix!!!). She talks about how she left upstate New York with some cash her dad gave her and ended up becoming a top fashion PR executive. She worked for everything she has and holds nothing back. Don't expect a free ride if Kelly Cutrone has anything to do with it. Normal Gets You Nowhere is her second book which is more of a question and answer book on life, fashion, dating, and sex. I feel like they go hand in hand for all fashion girls.
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh is about making sure Zappos customers and employees both are happy. If your employees are happy that will translate into their work and in turn will keep the customers happy and coming back for more. Again as a business of one, what I took from it is keep my head up, stay positive, and it will reflect in my business.
Blog Life by Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman. This one is an e-book actually but definitely a great read if you are starting a blog or already have a blog and are looking for a refresh or a little bit of inspiration. I struggle with blogging because I don't have many other blogs like mine. I don't really post photos of myself so it's hard for the reader to see a consistent face for these posts. Do I make my blog more personal or keep it about work? Blog Life attempts to answer some of these questions many aspiring bloggers have.
Are there any business books you recommend? Leave them in a comment below!
Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg changed my life. Ok, that may be a little extreme but I listened to this audiobook (hence no photo of an actual book) on a trip to New York and what she had to say really hit home for me. More on a personal level than business to tell the truth. Women tend to be more inclined to sit back and not say anything when it comes to work and life. If we want to to succeed we need to sit at the table, speak up, and not be afraid to want to be in control of our own lives.
