I’m guessing you are unexpectedly spending a LOT of time working from home lately (not by choice, but by social distancing courtsey of COVID-19.) Luckily, I can work from home, which I know is a privdge that not everyone has. I also have the ability to have our staff work from home with minimal impact (other than the first few days of setup…) to us, our clients, or our staff.
With that said, it is easy to slip into bad habits when you can ditch makeup (not shaving for the gents) and wear PJs all day. Besides getting showered and dressed and keeping somewhat of a schedule, using this time to improve your business skills is a good idea. Shipping of physical goods is becoming difficult, so I recommend Audible and Kindle books when possible.
Mike Michalowicz
Mike’s book are my small business bible. Every one of the books below I have in all three formats, and they are all in regular rotation in my listening/reading circuit. I’m thrilled to jump into Fix This Next when it launches on April 28, 2020. His small business philosophy and mine are very tightly intertwined, but he 1) is an author and actually took the time to write it all down and 2) he has a much better way with words than I do. When clients work with me, they are getting my own flavor of Mike’s books, uniquely customized for their particular needs.
- Clockwork – Design Your Business to Run Itself (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
- Profit First – Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
- Pumpkin Plan – A Simple Strategy to Grow a Remarkable Business in Any Field (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
- The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur – The Tell-it-Like-it-is Guide to Cleaning Up in Business, Even if You Are at the End of Your Roll (The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur / Kindle / Amazon)
- Fix This Next – Make the Vital Change That Will Level Up Your Business (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
I have become a Certified Fix This Next Advisor!
Michael E. Gerber
This book literally transformed how I run my own business and how I’m growing my business. I don’t want to do everything all the time forever… and E-Myth taught me the skills on how to grow.
- E-Myth Mastery – Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
Laura Gassner Otting
Listen, LGO is a walking example of how to live your best life while taking no sh!t from anyone. If you feel stuck, feel unfocused, feel unmotivated, feel useless – Limitless is the book for you.
- Limitless – How to Ignore Everybody, Carve your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
Phil M. Jones
Phil teaches those of us that don’t know what to say or how to sell exactly how to do those things without choking on the words. His books have quickly become paint-by-numbers for me to sell the very products that my company makes.
- Exactly What to Say – The Magic Words for Influence and Impact (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
- Exactly How to Sell – The Sales Guide for Non-Sales Professionals (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
- Exactly Where to Start – The Practical Guide to Turn Your BIG Idea into Reality (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
John Jantsch
John’s books, starting with Duct Tape Marketing, are pillars in the small business marketing arena. Be sure to check out his website and sign up for his email list, he has been sharing solid gold!
- The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur – 366 Daily Meditations to Feed Your Soul and Grow Your Business (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
- Duct Tape Marketing Revised and Updated: The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
- The Referral Engine – Teaching Your Business to Market Itself (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
Denise Duffield-Thomas
I love this woman’s style, sass, and results. Denise is the first place I turn to in order to learn balance when it comes to growing a business and clearing blocks in your personal and professional life.
- Chillpreneur – The New Rules for Creating Success, Freedom, and Abundance on Your Terms (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
- Get Rich, Lucky Bitch! – Release Your Money Blocks and Live a First-Class Life (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
Mel Robbins
Mel wins the game at punching down self-doubt and fear all while looking it straight in the eye and saying “not today Satan.”
- Take Control of Your Life – How to Silence Fear and Win the Mental Game (Audible Original)
- The 5 Second Rule – Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage (Audible / Kindle / Amazon)
Have Kids?
I just received an email from Audible with the following:
At stories.audible.com, you will find hundreds of our titles available completely free. The collection has been handpicked by our editors and is a mix of stories to entertain, engage, and inform young people, ages 0–18.
Take a look around, there are a lot of classics in here that adults would love, too!
Have any other suggestions? Let me know!