Archive for April 28th, 2011

Don’t you wish there was a BIG MANUAL called “Everything you ever need to know about running your freelance or small business”?   It would be huge, but it would cover all the sections – from the first chapters on starting your business, through to growing the business, finding customers, through to eventual selling it off (taking the cash and running)?   Of course there isn’t such a book – but there are numerous books which when combined, can cover much of what you need to know.

One such book is the 30 day MBA.   Now I am not personally sold on the idea of an MBA courses as a concept.  I am not sure you can attend a university, do an MBA course and come out ready to run any sort of business.  BUT, MBAs are a really good foundation for business knowledge.  The 30 Day MBA by Guy Cornwall takes what is covered in these university courses, and boils it down into bite sized chunks which anybody can understand.

It covers most of the topics you need to know to run any form of business.  Whether you are a contractor, a freelancer or (like me) run a small business, this book will cover a lot of the subjects you need to know.   Finance (how balance sheets work, what is a P&L report, how to use an aged debt report), sales, marketing (advertising, customer retention, etc), growth, legals – everything is given a good foundation.

Even for seasoned freelancers and small business owners/managers, this book is well worth a read as it refreshes ideas and knowledge which can help you grow your business.  In fact, sometimes it makes sense to read chapters with your real business data to hand – it will help pull everything together.

If you want to get a handle on your business or want to get some ideas for driving it forward, this book is recommended.