I was very impressed with "The Small Business Survival Guide" by Jason Reid. The book is a fantastic reference for the small business owner or manager, and contains a wealth of information on a large variety of business topics. Included in this information is an abundant amount of other resources available, and I found it very convenient to have all of this contained in one volume. I really think this book will benefit anyone running a small business.
First of all, the book is pragmatic and pragmatic. It's not a bunch of theory, but rather straight forward advice on the things a small business owner faces on a regular basis. There are tips, strategies, suggestions, and lists that guide you through a plethora of topics.
Chapter topics include: branding; marketing; when things go very bad; leads; sales, sales, sales; sales management; employees, hire slow, fire fast; it's your turn, use it wisely; customers; technology; business intelligence; back to school; expenditure management, running a lean business; estimating and pricing; big opportunities; management; meetings, communication is key; dream management or whole life management; goals; protect yourself, your company, and your employees; and business planning.
This book really is a hands-on tool for running a successful small business. Reid does not pull punches and lays it out the way he's experienced it. For instance, in the chapter titled "Big Opportunities," he discusses making deals with big box retailers. Rather than provide some stimulating rah talk, such as, "work at getting your product onto the shelves of a big box retailer, and watch your profits soar," he tells it like it is. He provides some straight forward advice that shines a light on the many small businesses that have been chewed up and spit out by these big corporations.
In some chapters, Reid has specific advice for specific businesses. If yours falls into one of these categories, so much the better. If not, you can still learn from the advice and look to ways it will apply to your own situation. Throughout the book there are side boxes with questions to assist you in figuring out how to apply the information to your business. Of course, to get the most value from these, you'll have to take the time to think about the questions and come up with the best answers and solutions to them.
Because Reid covers so many topics in this book, he can not go into great depth on them, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much depth he did provide. This book has more practical ready to use business advice than I've seen in one volume in quite a while. I guarantee if you are a small business owner, this book can help you run your business better and more efficiently. This survival guide will show you the way towards success.