Ask the Finance Experts: What Are You Reading?
A roundup of some good-for-you (and your business) content
We know the stereotypes about “successful” entrepreneurs — little sleep and a full schedule, with every millisecond dedicated to some form of productivity.
But our financial experts don’t wake up at 3 a.m. to drink green juice, read a book, and bench-press before the sun comes up. We’re not about hustle culture or adding one more thing to your list.
Sometimes it just takes one book, podcast, or how-to video to change the trajectory of your next business decision. But there are thousands of resources out there. How do you figure out which ones will actually help you?
We asked our team of finance experts for their current favorites — content in the form of books, podcasts and videos relevant to small business owners like you.
Here’s what they came up with. We hope one of these resources will save you a mistake or two!
Books
1 — Tribe of Mentors by Tim Feriss
Finance expert Jeff loves this collection of interviews from more than 100 leaders in their fields, where they share details about their careers, life, failure and success. Since each interview only takes up a couple of pages, you can flip through and find the stories of those you’re most interested in. You can also find tools and resources that many of these leaders rely on.
“It’s so interesting to see trends across so many people,” says Jeff.
2 — The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
Finance expert Pat summarizes this quick read: “Look at your goals. Look at your performance. See if your behavior matches your goals.”
Simple enough!
3 — The 4 Disciplines of Execution
Our experts love this book because it details how to focus on the daily activities that really matter. This book will help you implement a system to hold yourself and your team accountable.
This book offers lessons in creativity from IDEO, the design firm behind the Apple mouse and hundreds of other cutting-edge products. The main takeaway? Inspiration comes through observation, and can lead to tangible results.
Who doesn’t want a “richer life?” One of our finance experts, Carolynn, says she loves this book for anyone struggling to charge what they’re worth.
Videos
For many small business owners, Quickbooks can be a mysterious, complex and frustrating software to get the hang of. This YouTube playlist has all the tutorials you need to walk through common function step by step — Carolynn says they’ll help you feel at ease with handling the basic accounting needs of your business.
Tactical Resource
NerdWallet's Free Personal Budget Worksheet
How you do one thing is usually how you do everything. If you’re not thinking through your personal finances, it might be an indicator that your business finances are struggling, too. Carolynn loves this free tool to help you get your personal budget organized.
There you have it — our current favorites!
We know there’s a lot to learn, and we hope you take advantage of these resources that could benefit you and your business.
What else would you add? Let us know!
Want to keep the inspiration going? Read more success stories.
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