Vote on our First Book for April & May 🗳️📘

[Pesso]

Hey Square Readers, 

Welcome to the Square Readers Book Club!

Me with all of our book options.

***VOTING HAS ENDED***

Check out our Announcement Post for our first book for April & May 2023

We’re so excited to kick things off and dive into reading together! But first, we need your help to pick our first book.

These are all books geared towards business owners like you, with strategies that can help run your businesses better. And of course, we’ll all share our own experiences along the way.

We’re starting with 3 books to choose from for our first book for April & May, and we’d love for you to help us decide!

1. Start with Why by Simon Sinek

"Why do you do what you do? Any organization can explain what it does; some can explain how they do it; but very few can clearly articulate why. WHY is not money or profit—those are always results. WHY does your organization exist? WHY does it do the things it does? WHY do customers really buy from one company or another? Starting with WHY works in big business and small business, in the nonprofit world and in politics. Drawing on a wide range of real-life stories, Sinek weaves together a clear vision of what it truly takes to lead and inspire.”

2. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

“Small business consultant and author Michael E. Gerber, with sharp insight gained from years of experience, points out how common assumptions, expectations, and even technical expertise can get in the way of running a successful business. Gerber walks you through the steps in the life of a business—from entrepreneurial infancy through adolescent growing pains to the mature entrepreneurial perspective: the guiding light of all businesses that succeed—and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether or not it is a franchise. Most importantly, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business.”

3. Competing Against Luck by Clayton M. Christensen

“How do companies know how to grow? How can they create products that they are sure customers want to buy? Can innovation be more than a game of hit and miss? Customers don’t buy products or services; they "hire" them to do a job. The "Jobs to Be Done" approach can be seen in some of the world’s most respected companies and fast-growing startups, including Amazon, Intuit, Uber, Airbnb, and Chobani yogurt, to name just a few. By understanding what causes customers to "hire" a product or service, any business can improve its innovation track record, creating products that customers not only want to hire, but that they’ll pay premium prices to bring into their lives.”

Which one do you want to read first?

Vote by putting the number 1, 2, or 3 (or the book name) in the comments below!

What else is on your list? Do you have any business books you’ve been wanting to read? Put your suggestions in the comments below and we’ll take a look and consider them for the next round for June & July.

Stay tuned, we’ll announce the first book and start things off on Monday, April 3rd!

Make sure you click Join Group at the top of our Book Club Group Hub.

Also head over and help us pick a day & time for our Live Video Chat Discussion!

We can’t wait to read with you!

Pesso

***VOTING HAS ENDED***

Check out our Announcement Post for our first book for April & May 2023

[ShadowsOfPeace]

Number 2 on the list for me! 🫶🏾😁💖

Then #1 and round it off with #3

[SeletaScents1]

I would like to nominate - Start with Why by Simon Sinek  ^_^

[Beyondthegrain]

#3

[chefsian]

#2 

[brandsendeavor]

#2

[LoriS2]

#1

[ReginaRMT]

I’m in for #1 I think. I can’t believe how many have joined. Last I looked there was around 6 interested.  

[Pesso]

Thanks! Right? I'm completely in awe of it -- almost 2000 folks!

[Ladiny]

Competing Against Luck by Clayton M. Christensen

[vineandcloth]

1,2,3

[EstaNocheDance]

Number 3! Competing Against Luck by Clayton M. Christensen

[LisaGal]

Number 2 please!! 
The E-Myth Revisited 

[Meadmkr]

3

[JG003]

I read - a lot, and I also consult with small businesses. These are all great books, but not where most small businesses are failing. The E-myth book is close, but if there's only 1 book every two months something like Donald Miller's new book, "How to Grow Your Small Business" as more wholistic, concise, and immediately actionable. 
In this he covers everything from the mission and why to finances, operations, sales, and marketing. 

• Others would be: 
  Clock Work by Mike Michalowicz - adds actionable steps to concepts discussed in the E-Myth
• Profit First by Mike Michalowicz - more depth about finances
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni - how to effectively work in a group
• The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni - how to identify what people are good at and should be doing within your organization
• Scaling Up by Verne Harnish - more on operational health
• Obviously Awesome by April Dunford - how to position your products and services 
• Radical Focus by Christina Wodke - using OKRs to align your team
• Traction by Gabriel Weinberg - strategies for scaling your company
• The 4 Disciplines of Execution - another perspective on aligning organizational effort. Dovetails nicely with OKRs
• Measure What Matters by John Doerr - an overview of OKRs and how they've been used to scale companies.
• The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman - how to think about creating products and services 

Obviously there are loads more we could read, but in my experience these cover most of the areas businesses are failing. 

[GourmetOnWheels]

I love these two

• Clock Work by Mike Michalowicz - adds actionable steps to concepts discussed in the E-Myth
• Profit First by Mike Michalowicz - more depth about finances

And I love this one: The Good Jobs Strategy by Zeynep Thon and she has a new book coming out June 6th

[Pesso]

Thank you so much @JG003 for sharing all of these! I'm adding them to my list to go through and to hopefully include some in our future votings!

Very good point about focusing on areas that businesses are failing-

[JG003]

Thank you for putting this together @Pesso 

[GourmetOnWheels]

If you do not want to buy these books and bring more clutter into your home.

Get a library card and download Libby on your computer or phone and read or listen to them for free.

René

[Pesso]

That's a great suggestion, thanks so much @GourmetOnWheels - thanks for sharing!

[LukeNieuw]

#3

[baumannsh]

1 Start with why