Archives for November 2020

Some products force you to choose between style and sustainability. But Hey Poppy thinks you shouldn’t have to. The shop offers three different types of products: sustainable items, Scandinavian decor, and Healing products. Read about how the company brings them all together in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.

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What the Business Does

Offers sustainable home and Healing products.

Co-founder and CEO Abhilasha Singh told Small Business Trends, “Hey Poppy is all about sustainable living, chic Scandinavian interiors, and Healing products such as crystals. Our products are made out of bamboo or cotton that is sourced from Vietnam and Indonesia, we also ethically source crystals for our Healing products from India.”

Business Niche

Mixing sustainability with style.

Singh says, “While doing our research we found that most of the sustainable products weren’t stylish enough. Or if things were stylish then it wasn’t usable enough. So we focus on curating good looking products with better value proposition.”

How the Business Got Started

After a trip through Nordic countries.

Singh explains, “I realized how Nordic regions were sustainable and very much concerned about the environment. And at the same time, their products were very chic. From a simple coaster to full size furniture, designs were simple, materials were sustainable and definitely durable. Given that we are from Asia, a region that does really well when it comes to Rattan and bamboo products, I thought of bringing together the best of both the world. And voila: Hey Poppy was born!”

Biggest Win

Securing the first sale.

Singh says, “Hey Poppy is still relatively new. But as a business owner, I would say my first order was surreal. I am sure it applies to all the business owners. But you really never forget your first order. I remember the excitement that I had while packing the order with all the love and happiness. Till this date I am thankful for the person who gave me my first order. It gave me courage to continue further.”

Biggest Risk

Starting a business during COVID.

Singh says, “Our supply chain was broken, we were unsure of the future, we were using our capital and so forth and so on. It was surely hard for us as a business. But starting a business during a pandemic taught me that if I can survive this then there is no looking back.”

How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000

Expansion.

Singh adds, “Expansion in terms of product category as well as region. Also, we will use a chunk of that money for quicker shipping.”

Team Communication Strategy

A popular chat app.

Singh says, “Believe it or not but most of the major business decisions between me and my employees are done on Whatsapp. What can I say we are millennials like that. *wink*”

Favorite Quote

“Miles to go before I sleep.” – Robert Frost.

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Find out more about the Small Biz Spotlight program

Image: Hey Poppy

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The workplace needs to be fresh and comfortable to achieve optimum levels of productivity. As such, there is a need for fresh air to circulate and remove stale air from the premises to keep both staff and customers healthy.

Besides keeping people upbeat, fresh air helps you think better and increases energy levels. On the other hand, bad odors can cause disruptions in the workforce as well as chase away customers. This also applies to bathrooms, workshops and small confined spaces that can easily trap unpleasant smells.

One of the best ways to maintain a pleasing aroma inside the workspace is by using an automatic air freshener that releases small amounts of fragrances at a set interval

 

Rubbermaid Microburst

Top Pick: Rubbermaid is a leading manufacturer of commercial air dispensers. And according to the company makes the most reliable dispensing technology in the industry. This includes the scents to go along with it. The smart chip technology on this unit maximizes the effectiveness of scents for 90 to 180 days with the 9000 refills.

The LCD model has programming options that include, 12/24 hours per day; or 5, 6, or 7 days per week. It sprays the scent using a Pharmaceutical-grade steel valve to distribute the finest mist for longer-lasting effect.

Rubbermaid Commercial Products Microburst Automated Odor-Controlling Aerosol Air Care System,

Buy on Amazon

 

SVAVO LCD Fragrance Dispenser

Runner Up: This is a wall-mounted automatic air freshener dispenser that is ideal for offices, hotels and commercial places. SVAVO’s automatic LCD fragrance dispenser comes with an LCD display for easy programming and operations.

It works in three modes: Monday to Friday, Monday to Saturday, and Monday to Sunday. And the spray frequency interval time can be set anywhere from one to 60 minutes.  It runs with 2 AA batteries and it comes in at 3.39 x 3.27 x 9.37 inches weighing just 14.1 ounces

SVAVO Automatic LCD Fragrance Dispenser – Wall Mount/Free Standing ABS Auto Air Freshener

Buy on Amazon

 

ELETA Dispenser

Best Value: Using the programmable smart chip technology you can set the dispenser to spray from every 1 to 60 minutes. This includes spraying on weekdays only or setting other intervals.

The device also lets you choose your favorite aerosol spray from different manufacturers. This includes Glade, Air Wick, Hospeco, Timemist and others. You can mount it on the wall or have it free-standing. All it takes is 2 1.5V D batteries.

ELETA Programmable Commercial Automatichttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TDZ0IEG/ Air Freshener Dispenser

Buy on Amazon

 

Rubbermaid Commercial Dispenser

With up to 9,000 programmed, metered sprays, you can manage this dispenser to control your environment. Using the Rubbermaid 3000 or 9000 series of fragrances, the unit can spray the scent 5, 6, or 7 days per week, 12 or 24 hours per day. This includes high, medium, and low spray settings to control the amount of fragrance it releases.

The LCD display along with an audible alarm can notify you of the battery strength along with how much fragrance you have left.

Rubbermaid Commercial SeBreeze 9000 Programmable Plus Metered Aerosol Odor Control Dispenser

Buy on Amazon

 

Georgia-Pacific ActiveAire

This dispenser uses its ActiveAire Care System to deliver scents for up to 30 days with each cartridge. The fan-powered unit provides sustained scent release even if there is no ventilation in a room. And only one D battery powers the stainless-steel dispenser, which includes motion-sensing technology.

It is compatible with ActiveAire Powered Whole-Room Freshener Dispenser Refills, so you can easily find them when you run out.

Georgia-Pacific ActiveAire Powered Whole-Room Air Freshener Dispenser, Stainless Steel

Buy on Amazon

 

Scott Air Freshener

What makes this dispenser stand out is it doesn’t need any batteries. It is completely self-powered and has no moving parts. And a single cartridge lasts 60 days. The system works around the clock without the need to program or manage the dispenser.

The Scott dispenser is made by Kimberly Clark Professional, a leading brand in the industry.

Scott Automatic Air Freshener Dispenser, White

Buy on Amazon

 

Fyng Automatic Air Freshener

The Fyng dispenser can spray the fragrance every 1 to 60 minutes with 24 hour and Monday to Sunday work modes. It takes standard fragrance cans of 6.2 to 7 ounces from any brand making the same sizes.

A programmable LCD display shows the different operations so you can manage the spray of the scent. It uses two 1.5V D batteries and it includes a safety lock to keep the fragrance canisters safe.

Fyng Commercial Indoor Programmable Odor Neutralizing Automatic Air Freshener Dispenser

Buy on Amazon

 

How to choose your Air Freshener 

The best air fresheners today are safe to use. This is an important point to consider because some people are sensitive to some scents, while others are outright allergic.

• Choose the right scent: Granted that air fresheners provide relief from foul odors. But beware to not replace them with strong overpowering scents. Look for mild and refreshing scents.
• Refills: When choosing refills for your air fresheners look for a dispenser that can accommodate several types of scent producers. That way you have options to choose from a variety of suppliers. This will give you flexibility and choice of scents if there are certain fragrances that you are not particularly fond of. It is important to note most refills last up to two months. However, the programming you set and usage will determine how long they last.
• Type: Just like scents, air fresheners are available in various forms too. Consider the type that will address your needs. Air fresheners also come either as portable or wall-mounted. You have a choice on whether to permanently install it in a particular room say your bathroom or move it around depending on where the foot traffic is most.
• Durability and price: Look for long-lasting air fresheners. Manufacturers will display life span, half-life and all the associated information. The material the air fresheners is made of should be both sturdy as well as eco-friendly. Make sure the unit can also be easily cleaned and managed.
• Additional features: Some fresheners come with LCD display to show the amount of fragrance available, a clock display, and options to set frequencies of spraying and much more. When buying an air freshener for public spaces appearance is a factor. Also, look for air fresheners with decorative elements to conceal their presence.

Ventilation

Though air fresheners help in removing the source of unpleasant odors you should not overlook the importance of air quality. Ventilation factors greatly in making the indoor air quality manageable. Ventilation can help bring in the fresh air, helps circulate stagnant air, reduce temperatures, and remove minute particles, allergens, and pollutants – ultimately protecting both employees and customers. By making sure there is adequate natural ventilation throughout the workplace you also help remove moisture that can create mold.

Air fresheners are versatile and can be used in most spaces. To add to their convenience, they can be easily controlled and set-up in minutes. With air fresheners, you can add fresh life to our office space or shop by creating an inviting fresh ambiance.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Images: Amazon.com

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What business books should I read? Below is our must-read list of the best business books of all time.

Perhaps you are a beginner just entering the business world or are looking for the best entrepreneur books. Or perhaps you are an experienced professional seeking the best management books. Or maybe, just maybe, you want to find the best books on how to run a small business.

Reading great business books is one of the most cost-effective methods to become a whip-smart business person. As business book editors, we read a lot of books — and this curated book list is to bring you the best choices.

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Top 10 Business Books of All Time

The first group of books we looked at is the top business books overall. You may have heard of some of these books because they are classics. These are some of the all-time most popular business books — must-read choices:

How to Win Friends and Influence People

How to Win Friends and Influence People is a classic for any professional person. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is about people and that’s the secret. Use the Dale Carnegie system to win friends, influence people, and connect with employees and team members in an authentic way.

This is Marketing

This Is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See is an Amazon bestseller by veteran marketer Seth Godin. You don’t have to be a professional marketer to realize that marketing is everywhere. Seth Godin addresses the colossal shift in marketing from pushing your message and your offer down the throats of unwilling customers, to focus your marketing efforts on “people like us”. Get this Seth Godin book on Amazon.

Deep Work

If you want to get the right things done, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport will show you how. Instead of multitasking. Deep Work shares research and a common-sense process that will inspire you to dig in and get stuff done. If you need to get and stay focused on achieving your goals, read Deep Work.

The Innovators Dilemma

In the age of disruption, you need a solid guide for figuring out how to pivot. The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton M. Christensen. Christensen focuses on showing you how to listen to customers so that you know where to invest your resources.

First Break All the Rules

If you want to be the best founder you can be, you’ll have to break some rules. First, Break All The Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham is based on an extensive research study by the Gallup Organization.

Positioning

First published in 1989, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout is a classic marketing book. If you do nothing more in marketing, you should learn how to position your brand in the mind of your customer. Ries and Trout include dozens of real-world cases and insightful analyses. Positioning is required reading if you are looking for tips on breakthrough advertising.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Ben Horowitz is considered an icon by many entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers is based on Horowitz’s popular blog and provides strategies for navigating building and running a startup. Ben Horowitz shares his best advice on how to fire employees (even a friend), confront competitors, and maybe most importantly, how to cultivate a CEO mentality.

Influence

When it comes to influence and persuasion, the one name that comes up most often is Robert Cialdini. His groundbreaking book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion is a book that gives you greater insight into the psychology behind persuasion and marketing in a way that will help you grow personally and professionally, Robert Cialdini outlines the six principles of persuasion in a logical manner.

Good to Great

Ever wondered why some companies succeed and others don’t? Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins provides a compelling answer. First published in 2001, the primary lesson in Good to Great has remained relevant over the years — discipline. Even though some of the companies listed weren’t able to sustain their greatness, the insights by the author remain relevant.

Built to Last

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras is the result of a six-year research study about what qualities make visionary companies. The authors focused on 18 well known, well established, and healthy companies (‘visionaries’), and compared them to a counterpart in their niche or industry. Bet you didn’t know that the term “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” was coined by Jim Collins in Built to Last.

Best Business Books for Beginners

The books on the below list are ideal for a recent graduate, new manager, or a new entrepreneur. Many of these are on the list because they contain timeless lessons.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition by Steven Covey is just as relevant today as it was when it was first published in 1989. You may think of this book as a self-improvement book, but at the heart of every successful entrepreneur is self-discipline and good habits. To gain the habits of highly effective people, get this book on Amazon or the Franklin Covey site.

Getting Things Done

The original Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen was published in 2001 and started a productivity movement that has changed how we work. Reprinted in 2015, the new version of Getting Things Done stays true to the key principles of staying relaxed and getting everything out of your head and into a system.

4-Hour Workweek

There’s a difference between being efficient and effective. The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated by Timothy Ferriss challenges the cultural norms of working life and our assumptions. The book helps you design a lifestyle to get away from the drudgery of mind-numbing work and build a life you love. Author Tim Ferriss has added an additional 100 pages to this updated 4-Hour Workweek, with case studies, tips and templates.

The New One Minute Manager

As engaging today as it was when first published in 1981, The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson is a parable of a young man looking for an effective manager — and more relevant than ever. With barely more than 100 pages, the book embodies the lesson it seeks to teach that short management moments yield big results.

Think and Grow Rich

If there were ever a classic, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill meets the definition. First published in 1937. Some people today question Hill’s abilities, but there’s a reason this book appears on so many lists of best business books for beginners. You can get this book on Amazon, but you can sometimes find it online for free.

Made to Stick

Why do some messages spread and others don’t? There are six traits that stand between a marketing message that falls flat and one that flies around the world in a viral wave. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath, outlines the anatomy of ideas that stick and explains ways to make ideas stickier. Understanding viral content will make you a better marketer.

Laws of Marketing

Some things work and others don’t and there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason. In The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, authors Al Ries and Jack Trout try to provide a sense of predictability by laying out 22 Laws of Marketing that you can use to create breakthrough advertising. Written in 2009, read this book for the big ideas like be first, be patient, be humble and not the specifics.

ReWork

Just because you learned it in school or you may have practiced it years ago, doesn’t mean it’s still true. Rework by Jason Fried is a book that shows you how to see your world for what it is and manage accordingly. Jason Fried shares advice like stop glamorizing the startup, the “hustle” and workaholic behaviors. Instead, use simplicity as a differentiator. The key message from this management book is that not every piece of advice works for everyone. Be clear-headed about your business.

Dare to Lead

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Bréne Brown is a New York Times best seller for a reason. Bréne Brown has made being vulnerable and authentic a strength in today’s working environment. Brown engages vulnerability as a strength by providing research, sharing personal narratives, as well as offering practical advice, tips, and tools.

The Psychology of Selling

There are a lot of selling systems out there.  But The Psychology of Selling: Increase Your Sales Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible by Brian Tracy is a classic.  You will get an easy outline of the sales process and fantastic techniques to improve yourself and your sales presentations to close more sales.

Best Management Books

Successful people know how to inspire everyone to take action. A great manager and a great leader know how to increase employee engagement and bring out the best in a team. The following list of management books will give you insights and new ideas on powerful decision making strategies and mindsets.

Start With Why

Great leaders inspire everyone. This job becomes much easier when you understand your why and can communicate it to your team. If you don’t have a burning desire or “why” established for your business, you’ll have a difficult time managing your team in a way that will help you reach your goals. In Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action, Simon Sinek breaks down how to rethink what you do each day in a different light.

Blue Ocean Strategy

Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant by management experts W. Chan Kim and Renée A. Mauborgne, was first published in 2014 . The new and expanded edition of Blue Ocean Strategy brings all of the original case studies and examples up to date. It adds new material that addresses a manager’s key challenges and trouble spots in putting blue ocean strategy into practice.

Essentialism

Feel busy but not productive? Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg Mckeown is the book you should be reading. Think of essentialism as minimalism. The idea is to pare down your “stuff” to what really matters to create a better life. Do less, do it better. Think of Essentialism as a productivity technique for figuring out what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that isn’t.

Blink

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell is a book that analyzes the way people make decisions. Gladwell says that people use one of two strategies to come to a decision; a conscious strategy and an unconscious strategy in which a person’s brain reaches a conclusion in a matter of seconds. These conclusions are what we call hunches or instincts. It is the development and reliability of these types of decision making strategies that Malcolm Gladwell outlines in this book.

Leaders Eat Last

Leadership is more about helping people thrive and find meaning in their work than managing numbers. Unfortunately, many a manager seems to have lost sight of this fundamental truth. In Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t, Simon Sinek explains where we’ve gone wrong and puts out an urgent call for real leaders to step forth to make a positive difference.

Upstream

Are you sick and tired of reacting to problems? Then Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath us a must-read if you’re ready to stop the madness and prevent those problems from robbing you of your time and sanity. Dan Heath outlines three barriers to upstream thinking; Problem Blindness, Lack of Ownership, and Tunneling.

Never Split the Difference

Perhaps the most important management skills are conflict resolution and negotiation. Top FBI negotiator, Chriss Voss uses his negotiating skills to secure business deals in his book, Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It. You’ll learn nine effective principles, counter-intuitive tactics, and strategies that you can use to become more persuasive in both your professional and personal life.

The Power of Habit

Is management a talent or a skill? This question is deftly answered by Charles Duhigg in The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. This book explores how habits are formed, what influences them, and how to create new habits. This isn’t just about personal habits. It’s about how to implement habits within an organization. This is a great book for understanding the social psychology and science behind habits.

Lean In

One way to see where you stand on management as a woman leader is to read Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer. This book generated responses on all ends of the spectrum; both negative and positive.

Hooked

As a manager, you’ll most likely be involved in creating, developing and selling products. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal is a great book for a manager who wants to understand insights around the user journey. This book will teach you how to create a lasting engagement with the user instead of designing for a one-off experience.

Best Entrepreneur Books and Startup Books

You’ve decided to take the leap toward becoming an entrepreneur. We’ve got you covered. Here are the best books for entrepreneurs to read and the best startup books to get up and running fast. And they will help you with building a business.

The Art of the Start 2.0

Written by iconic entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki, The Art of the Start 2.0: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything is an unvarnished take on what every startup should keep in mind when starting a business. Art of the Start covers topics such as innovating, recruiting, fundraising, and branding.

The E-Myth Revisited

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael Gerber is the updated version of his original groundbreaking book. The E-Myth assesses the most common problems faced by founders and co-founders. Michael Gerber guides small business owners through the process of embracing your “why” and then creating a process that shares that process and passion with team members.

Zero to One

In Zero to One: Notes on Start-Ups, or How to Build the Future, Peter Thiel and Blake Masters argue that as more and more businesses come into existence, innovation will be the gate to survival, and the monopoly may very well be the key. Peter Thiel and Blake Masters advise startups to think for themselves — don’t get caught up in culture or movements.

Escape From Cubicle Nation

Thinking about leaving your day job? Then read Escape From Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur by Pamela Slim. The book covers how to determine if you have what it takes to become an entrepreneur, how to recruit a team of advisors and tips on breaking free from your corporate job.

The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan

The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan (StartUp Series) by Tim Berry simplifies the planning process and reveals how to create business plans that grow with you. This book covers instructions to help you quickly build the type of plan that helps you take total control, improve profits, raise capital, operate a profitable enterprise, and stay ahead of the competition.

Lean Startup

The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries has become a classic. The Lean Startup gives entrepreneurs a way to test their vision, adapt, and adjust before it’s too late. Eric Ries provides a scientific approach to creating and managing a successful and lean startup in an age when companies need to innovate more than ever.

The $100 Startup

You don’t need a ton of money to start your business. In The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau, you’ll learn how to connect your skills and interests with what people want and how to test pricing and positioning to generate the highest profits.

Grit

If there’s anything that an entrepreneur needs, it’s grit; the ability to persevere in the face of obstacles, challenges, and rejections. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth gives entrepreneurs proof that you don’t have to be a genius to start and build a successful venture.

Start Your Own Business

Start Your Own Business: The Only Startup Book You’ll Ever Need by Rieva Lesonsky and the Editorial Staff of Entrepreneur Magazine is written with millions of freelancers in mind. This book will help you get through the first three years of being on your own. Find tips on everything from testing ideas to Facebook ads.

The Thank You Economy

The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk is like the “B-side” song that never became a big hit, but should have. Written in 2009, when Gary Vaynerchuk was more like everyone else than a celebrity. The Thank You Economy offers a customer-first strategy any entrepreneur can implement. This book is one of the best books for entrepreneurs because it gives practical, real life advice to use when building a business.

These are the best books for entrepreneurs that business owners can use to get real life advice that will help them on a business plan.

Best Books on How to Run a Small Business

Starting a business is easy. Running it takes commitment and discipline. Here is a list of the best books on running a small business.

Built to Sell

You want to work on your business and not in it, but how? Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow shows you how. This book is written as a parable. The main character, Alex is struggling to sell his advertising agency. Alex turns to Ted, an entrepreneur and old family friend, who helps him transform his company.

J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes

J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes 2021: Your Complete Guide to a Better Bottom Line by Barbara Weltman is a must-read for owners who want to understand business taxes. After all, it’s not just about how much revenue your company generates, but how much you keep to turn into big profits.

Simple Numbers 2.0

If you had to choose between investing in yourself or the stock market — choose yourself. Simple Numbers 2.0 – Rules for Smart Scaling: A Play by Play Analysis for Pure Growth by Greg Crabtree shows you how to generate big profits. This book provides advice from Greg Crabtree on how to use data to find hidden opportunities for maximum return on investment.

Fix This Next

According to author, Mike Michalowicz, the biggest problem owners have is not knowing what their biggest problem is. Fix This Next: Make the Vital Change That Will Level Up Your Business provides a simple problem-identification model that you can use to help you focus on the most important thing your company needs right now.

Legal Forms for Starting and Running a Small Business

Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business: 65 Essential Agreements, Contracts, Leases & Letters by Fred S. Steingold is an ideal book that contains all the forms you’ll need to manage and run your company. Each document comes with thorough, plain-English, line-by-line instructions.

Rich Dad Poor Dad

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki highlights different attitudes towards money, work, and life and the need to build assets not debt. The author shares advice about what it takes to be financially literate — something every owner needs.

Profit First

Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz shows you how to use the “pay yourself first” philosophy to guarantee that your company is profitable.

Atomic Habits

Don’t let negative people drag you down. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

Best Business Biographies

Great leaders inspire everyone. The companies we admire and use daily often started as a vision. We’ve curated what we think are the best biographic of all time. Our goal with all of these books is to provide value. Investing your time in understanding how these people turned into great leaders.

Shark Tales

Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business by Barbara Corcoran and Bruce Littlefield will inspire everyone to take action. After failing at 22 jobs, Corcoran borrowed $1,000 to start her real estate office in New York. In this book, she shares her common-sense advice on how to turn lemons into lemonade.

The Everything Store

The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone tells the story of Amazon icon, Jeff Bezos. In July of 1995, Jeff Bezos started an online book store. But he wanted more than that. The Everything Store tells the story of Amazon and how it implements his vision of becoming the world’s most customer-centric company.

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Experience a deep dive into controversial entrepreneur, Elon Musk. Written by Ashlee Vance, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future compiles more than forty hours of interviews into this fascinating history of one of today’s most visionary entrepreneurs.

Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

This Silicon Valley icon is just as popular today as he was decades ago. After hundreds of interviews with friends, family, and associates, Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography by Walter Isaacson offers an unvarnished view of Steve Jobs and his obsessions, flaws, and genius.

Empire State of Mind

An inspirational biography of JayZ and how he went from being a rapper to entrepreneurial superstar. Written by Zack O’Malley Greenburg Empire State of Mind: How Jay Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office tells Jay Z’s story from the perspective of classmates, friends and the people who convinced him to focus on music.

Business the Bill Gates Way

Believe it or not, it’s hard to find a good biography about Bill Gates. After reviewing several, we chose Business the Bill Gates Way: 10 Secrets of the World’s Richest Business Leader by Des Dearlove. This book highlights universal strategies and identifies lessons that can be applied to any career.

Shoe Dog

Have you ever wondered what made Nike the iconic brand it is today? Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight tells the story of how he took $50 that he borrowed from his father and started building a shoe empire.

Warren Buffett on Business

The name Warren Buffett is synonymous with success with common sense. Warren Buffett on Business: Principles from the Sage of Omaha is a practical management handbook. Before Warren Buffett was a billionaire, he was a small business owner. You’ll learn how Warren Buffett incorporates his personal style and values into corporate governance: patience, perseverance, admitting mistakes, value-investing and having a sense of humor.

Losing My Virginity

Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way explains entrepreneurial icon Richard Branson’s meteoric rise to success. The book outlines what made him the daring, adventurous, go-with-the-flow entrepreneur he is today and what lessons you can learn from him.

Grinding it Out

You’re never too old to start a business. Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald’s by Ray Kroc is the personal story of the man behind McDonald’s meteoric growth.

And that concludes our list. If we had more room we would have included such classics as Business Adventures by John Brooks, which Bill Gates called one of the best business books ever.

How Do You Choose a Business Book?

The factors to choose a good book are not always what you think. Successful people go beyond big-name authors or books about well-known figures. Such books don’t always have sufficient practical help for a startup entrepreneur or owners of smaller companies. We suggest you consider:

• Your goals – The business book category is broad, encompassing everything from Wall Street finance to marketing approaches, to stories about famous entrepreneurs. Pick the type of book to meet your need.
• Skill gaps – You don’t have to be an expert in everything. But you do need general knowledge about leadership, marketing, finance, management and more. Find your gaps and fill them.
• Inspiration – What will get you fired up? One thing that’s awesome about books is their ability to inspire and motivate.

Additional Reading Lists

See other best books for business people:

Images: Small Business Trends

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Visual communication has been improving with each new development in digital technology. From personal computers to tablets and smartphones, you can now get your ideas across quickly and efficiently. Smart boards look to do the same by integrating some of the features of these devices to ideate, communicate and collaborate.

You can now bring your team into a room and collaborate on a smart board together on the spot. And if you want to bring in other people from a remote location, you can do it right away. Together you can take notes, scratch bad ideas, watch videos, and get online while sharing and saving it all.

If you are in the market for a smart board, this list will show you the best devices you can get right now.

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Best Smart Boards for Collaboration

 

Samsung Flip 2

Top Pick: The Samsung Flip 2 comes from a global brand and leader in display and communication technology. This 65” 4K UHD digital flipchart has a pen-to-paper-like writing experience to make meetings and brainstorming more efficient and productive.

Touch out functionality lets you sync personal devices with the Samsung Flip for real-time content sharing and control. And you can store your meetings securely and share notes via email, network, thumb drive or printouts.

Samsung Flip 2 – 65″ WM65R Digital Flipchart for Business with Connectivity Tray for The Samsung Flip 2

Buy on Amazon

Vibe All-in-one Interactive Whiteboard

Runner Up: Vibe is a leading brand in this segment. Moreover, the feature-packed displays it offers are affordable. The company offers a robust app ecosystem for this 55″ 4K UHD touch screen. The Vibe OS supports multi-person and multi-device edit and sharing capability.

The screen has a 5ms response time, so your touch and pen respond like a traditional whiteboard and a marker. And when you make changes, you can use Vibe Cloud to save your content in real-time and make it available on Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and Box. This includes editing in real-time on your device of choice with a wireless screencast.

Vibe All-in-one Computer Real-time Smart Interactive Whiteboard, W/ 55″ 4K UHD Touch ScreenSign

Buy on Amazon

Sharp 70″ Class Interactive Display System

Best Value: Sharp is known for its quality displays and this 70” ten-point multi-touch screen smart board doesn’t disappoint. It is a high definition Edge Lit LED display.

This board can support up to four simultaneous users with the Sharp Display Connect Software. The software simplifies connectivity with mobile devices and manipulation of multiple file types.

Sharp PN-C705B 70″ Class Interactive Display System” 4K UHD Touch ScreenSign

Buy on Amazon

ViewSonic 98” ViewBoard

ViewSonic is another manufacturer known for its high-quality computer displays. This 98” board is big, without losing quality. The ViewBoard is a 4K Ultra HD interactive flat panel board with next-generation IR touch technology. The result is a 50% latency reduction with the 20-point touch capability for multiple simultaneous users.

Additional features include myViewBoard annotation software with enterprise-grade security, SmartPort USB function, and a sound system with 10W stereo speakers and a 15W subwoofer.

ViewSonic IFP9850 98” ViewBoard 4K Ultra HD Interactive Flat Panel

Buy on Amazon

Microsoft Surface Hub 2 50″ PixelSense Display

The Microsoft Surface Hub 2 is a 50” device with a 4K PixelSense 120Hz touchscreen display with multi-touch/pen capabilities. The Hub 2 is basically a large computer and it includes Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, and 128 GB SSD along with a modular hub to increase capacity.

Wide-angle cameras on each side produce 1080P video and a four-element microphone array can capture what everyone in the room is saying. You can talk, draw, and share on the Hub using Microsoft Office applications.

Microsoft Surface Hub 2 50″ PixelSense Display

Buy on Amazon

LG 75″ Touchscreen LCD Display

The LG touchscreen display lets you draw, write, and capture notes. You can also connect, display, and control different devices to bring other members of your team in to collaborate.

The UHD display has a capacitive touchscreen functionality with multi-touches of up to 40 points. This allows multiple participants to simultaneously use the touch features without any dead zones. And the LG webOS 3.0+ is powered by high-performance System-on-Chip/SOC. With this performance, you can execute several tasks at the same time without a separate media player or PC.

LG 75″ Touchscreen LCD Display

Buy on Amazon

OneScreen 75″ Canvas Touch Screen

OneScreen is known for all the features it packs in its display. This includes a powerful built-in PC module with Intel i7 processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB SDD, and Windows 10 Pro OS. With this capability, the processing speed renders collaborative communication faster.

The computing power also makes the 20-point multi-touching technology seamless with a pen or your fingers. And according to the company, you can connect up to 40 different kinds of devices to create a connected environment.

OneScreen 75″ Canvas Touch Screen

Buy on Amazon

What is a Smart Board?

Also know as an interactive whiteboard, a smart board is in most cases a large display resembling the traditional whiteboard. And as such, it can be used where the analog versions were used. This includes offices, boardrooms, classrooms, coaching, and planning projects.

Generally fixed to a wall, a smart board has a touch screen that allows you to use a smartpen or your fingers to interact with it. You can write on the board or integrate your computing device to show presentation, media, and other content. Additional features allow the smart board to connect with projectors, the internet, and other applications.

As part of the global interactive display market, this segment was valued at $14.63 billion in 2018. And according to Allied Market Research, it is projected to reach $29.19 billion by 2026. This is a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.80% from 2019 to 2026.

Features to Look for In a Smart Board

• Size: Smart boards come in many different sizes. And how you use it is going to dictate the size you purchase. If it is purely remote, you can get away with a smaller screen size. If, however, you are going to be using it in your office, it needs to be bigger.
• Connectivity: The ability to connect with all the participants without any compatibility issues is extremely important. You want everyone to log on and participate whether they are on a PC, tablet, smartphone or even another smartboard.
• Compatibility: Once you are connected with the different devices, you need seamless compatibility on Windows, Android, iOS, and other platforms. With full compatibility, you can easily share the content on your screen and use native casting to stream any media you might have.
• OS: Make sure the operating system on the device is what you need.
• Cameras and other accessories: Not all smartboards have the accessories you might need to make collaborations possible. And if you have to buy the accessories, make sure you have enough ports to plug them all in.
• Multi-user Collaboration: You want your board to be able to bring multiple users and collaborate. This means they can write, erase, and move notes simultaneously. And it must do this with object awareness detection. This makes it possible to automatically allow pens to write, fingers to move, and palms to erase on the board.
• Write into files: Writing is one of the key features of smart boards. However, it must allow you to annotate into PDFs, Microsoft Office files, websites, and other programs. Not only that, but it should also save the notes in the most popular file types. The ability to convert notes to text is also a must.

Benefits of an Interactive Whiteboard

Efficiency is the name of the game when you adopt new technology. If it makes your workflow more efficient and your team more productive, then it is worth looking at.

The ability to quickly get on an interactive whiteboard and bring your team together is a huge benefit. This can take place in your office or with your remote team, wherever they happen to be.

The technology of this board allows you to save all your notes, discussions, and content automatically. And you can share, access, edit, and save all the material in a collaborative production while making changes in real-time. This means you can communicate your ideas quickly while you are in the meeting and email, print, and share your discussions when you are done.

When it comes to connectivity, you can connect the board with PCs as well as Android and iOS smart devices. This gives you more interconnectivity and data sharing with team members without having to worry about compatibility issues.

And on a lighter note, you will not have to get messy with the erasers and markers of traditional whiteboards.

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Images: Amazon

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Zoho has been holding a series of webinars to give small business owners a primer on how to establish a digital presence. These webinars cover Setting Up Your Website, Establishing Your Brand Story and Elements of Website Design, and Converting Visitors to Leads: Web Forms, CTAs (Call to Actions).

This particular webinar, titled Zoho One for Every Business Need will provide an overview using real case studies from Zoho customers. The goal is to demonstrate different ways Zoho One can support your business. With more than 40 applications, the suite of tools it has covers everything from growing sales to accounting, communication, collaboration, productivity, finance, operations, business process, and more.

Together with the other webinars, Zoho is providing a free course to give you a basic understanding of digital presence. It is important to understand these are not webinars to mastering these subjects. But the knowledge you gain here should be enough to encourage you to further your education. And luckily the web is full of resources to make this happen, whether you want free or paid tutelage.

The webinar is going to take place on November 24, 2020, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST.

Click the red button and register now. And if you happen to miss the webinar or you can’t make it, Zoho will send you the recorded session after the session finishes.

 

Register Now

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Featured Events, Contests and Awards

Getting Started with Zoho One
November 24, 2020, Online

A walk through overview of Zoho One using real case studies from Zoho customers to demonstrate different ways Zoho One can support your business. Join us!

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Small Business Saturday: #ShopSmall
November 28, 2020

Small businesses are counting on all of us – let’s show them how much they mean to our communities. From getting takeout to shopping online, every time you
#shopsmall, you’re supporting small businesses at the heart of your community.

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This weekly listing of small business events, contests and awards is provided as a community service by Small Business Trends.

You can see a full list of events, contest and award listings or post your own events by visiting the Small Business Events Calendar.

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