BOOK REVIEW

THE SMART ENTREPRENEUR: HOW TO BUILD FOR A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS: by Bart Clarysse and Sabrina Kiefer, Imperial College Business School: How to evaluate your business idea before committing your capital... Developed from new research by senior academics at Imperial College Business School, ranked by the Financial Times as the foremost school for entrepreneurship in Europe this innovative new work addresses the initial decisions that are fundamental for the design and build of a new business. Key themes include Managing Uncertainty, Applying Evaluation and Business ‘Dating’ (knowing how far to go … and crucially when to quit). Combining the very latest academic thinking in the field of entrepreneurship with practical, real-world business experience, The Smart Entrepreneur offers an invaluable professional toolkit that is both directly relevant and immediately applicable.

 BRILLIANT EMAIL: by Dr Seeley: What would you do if you had an extra hour each day? By adopting some basic principles of email best practice, this book teaches you how to take control of your inbox, substantially improve your productivity, and win back time to fit in more of what you love doing each day. Packed full of powerful techniques developed after years of working with individuals and organisations of all sizes, Dr Seeley shares tips with you that will dramatically change the way you send and receive information - for the better - forever! Brilliant Email is part of a series of Brilliant Books. Others include Brilliant Marketing, Brilliant Selling; Brilliant Time Management; Brilliant Influence...

MOBILE MBA: by Jo Owen: The Mobile MBA is a unique and brilliant book, which delivers all the knowledge you need to fast track your career, within your own time. Like your own portable business coach, The Mobile MBA includes 11 complementary Skill – Pills (or downloadable videos) – these summarise the key messages in each chapter, providing a short, sharp and succinct overview of each step of your training. It covers everything you need to know to get ahead in business, including strategy and marketing, finance and accounting, leadership, management and colleague relations and managing yourself and your career. What is really smart about this book is that it is complimented by an online forum, providing a great networking opportunity – something which home students can sometimes miss out on.

URE WISDOM: by Dean Cunningham: Running a business can be stressful and sometimes you need to take a and remember what is important in life. Pure Wisdom offers unique, powerful perspectives on 21st Century living that will awaken the mind, stir the senses, refresh the soul and change the way you think about your own life and the world around you. Looking for something different? Pure Wisdom offers a fresh new take on personal development publishing with focussed and enlightened to the point philosophies that encourage a deeper understanding of life and what it really means to be happy and fulfilled.

RECOMMENDED: by Andy Lapata: This practical book is authored by Andy Lopata, named one of Europe’s leading business networking strategists by the Financial Times and nicknamed ‘Mr Network’ by The Sun. In today’s risk-averse economy generating referrals through networking is proving to be the most effective, and least expensive, way of creating new business. Perfect for start-ups looking to make their mark without breaking the bank, or established companies wishing to expand an existing customer base, Recommended will show readers how to implement simple strategies which will result in the leads crucial to keeping a business flourishing. Presented in an easy to digest, takeaway format, Recommended is the must-read book for any business that wants to capitalise on the most valuable of assets; their own networks.

ACCOUNTS DEMYSTIFIED: by Anthony Rice We all know the feeling of struggling to get our accounts in order in time for the tax return. Stressful to say the least! Well help is at hand with Accounts Demystified, an astonishingly simple guide to the fundamental principles of accounting, written specifically for people without a financial background. It REALLY does clarify things and will help you understand balance sheets, profit and loss accounts and cash flow systems. Even if you outsource your accounting, these are things that every business owner really needs to get their head around – this book makes the process a lot less painful!

PERSUASIVE WRITING: by Peter Frederick: Being a great entrepreneur does not necessarily mean you are a great writer (and why should it)? But it is a skill (one of the many) which you’ll probably need to develop. This practical book, Persuasive Writing is an invaluable tool for anyone who needs to sharpen their writing skills. It offers advice on how to write concise, convincing and effective documents. Peter Frederick, explains how you can use emotive language to persuade the reader, how to add energy to your writing, how to plan and structure your text and what common mistakes to avoid. Whether you’re writing a sales pitch, web copy, press release or brochure, Persuasive Writing will prove invaluable time and time again.

INSPIRATIONAL MANAGER: by Judith Leary-Joyce: This book is entertaining, practical and relevant to any business that wants to grow and employ people. Your staff are the most crucial part of your business – they can result in the failure or success of your venture so you need to know how to manage them well and get the best results from them. This book shows you what sets inspirational and great managers apart from the rest and what you need to do to be able to achieve fantastic management results. With real life examples of exceptional managers, this book highlights the challenges of managing and how to deal with ‘difficult’ people. If you are a manger, or plan to be in the future, this book is for you!

Olympus VN 8600pc digital voice recorder. This flash based digital voice recorder from Olympus gives first-time users the ideal combination of simplicity and features. It is lightweight at 66 g and with bigger full-dot displays, easy-to-use recording modes and double the memory this is a great addition to the VN series. The model boasts long battery life and an enhanced ergonomic design, while being PCcompatible. It can be used for anything from recording meeting, interviews or brainstorming moments to capturing and sharing holiday sound bites and notes-toself. Sometimes there is just no time to write things down and this voice recorder offers the perfect solution.

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