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Best Internet Business Books

If you want to have a successful home based business, getting the right education is a must!

If you want to become a successful entrepreneur or have a successful home based business, you don’t want to get your business education from academics. You need to learn from people with real world business experience to become a successful entrepreneur. Best Internet Business Books

I have put together a short list of my favorite business books. Reading these great business books will truly help you develop into a well rounded and profitable entrepreneur and enable you to operate a successful home based business.

How to Win Friends & Influence People By Dale Carnegie
The author discusses methods for developing business relationships, a critical first step to any successful home based business. He opens the book with “If You Want to Gather Honey, Don’t Kick Over the Beehive”. I like to reread this book every five or ten years.

Rich Dad Poor Dad By Robert Kiyosaki
This is an educational tale about a boy growing up with two dads; his biological father and his friend’s father who treated him as his own son. His Poor Dad encouraged him to succeed in school and to get a good job later in life. His Rich Dad encouraged him to learn the power and knowledge of investing.

Overall, this book is an excellent read. It will help you to build a strong foundational base for a long and successful entrepreneurial career. I would suggest this book as a primer to a business education and a must read for anybody that wants to build wealth and financial independence. Best Internet Business Books

Think and Grow Rich By Napoleon Hill
The author worked closely with Dale Carnegie to develop this and other business books. Napoleon Hill shares with us his 15 laws of success and 13 principles of person achievement.

The One Minute Millionaire – The Enlightened Way to Wealth. By Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen
This misnomer titled book has a blueprint for building wealth; it literally has a flow chart of “the one minute millionaire system”. The book lists a set of epiphanies that lead toward financial wealth.

The Millionaire Next Door By Thomas Stanley and William Danko
The authors compare and contrast “Under Accumulators of Wealth” to “Prodigious Accumulators of Wealth” to illustrate the difference in habits and actions of wealthy people and everybody else. This is one of the business books that will help you to take an introspective look at yourself.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People By Steven Covey
Steven Covey’s title really does say it all. He writes about the specific traits and behavior required to be effective; this applies directly to having a successful home based business.

How Come That Idiot’s Rich and I’m Not? By Robert Shemin
This book may just top my list of Business Books as my very favorite. Although the author is not particularly eloquent, he really did hit the nail on the head for me personally. The question is, if you are doing all the right things, why are you not more financially successful? He does a great job of summarizing all of the other books on the list.

So that’s my list of business books which I personally recommend to help you become a successful entrepreneur and to operate a successful home based business. Knowledge is power. Best Internet Business Books

There is a major difference between sophisticated accounting software used by larger businesses for financial control purposes than is required for small business where a simple bookkeeping spreadsheet is sufficient.

An accountant needs to not only ensure the financial records are accurate but also retrieve any part of the accounting records to answer accounting questions on the accounts, provide a legal basis for the transactions and report the financial statements at regular periodic intervals.

Accounting is a term that embodies a whole raft of financial activities while bookkeeping is specifically literally the keeping of books of account. For non limited companies that do not need to produce a balance sheet then a simple income and expenditure account can be produced much simpler using single entry bookkeeping principles.

Less financial control is often required from small business accounting software as the bookkeeper is often the owner manager who already has an intimate knowledge of each transaction. Books are still required for tax purposes and a solid requirement of preparing a set of financial books for tax purposes is that each entry is supported by third party evidence.

The prime accounting documents providing back up are sales and purchase invoices or receipts and bank statments. Financial transactions where no receipt exists can still be entered in the business books although all transactions not carrying third party evidence could subsequently be disallowed for tax purposes and certainly would be if the amounts entered indicated unusual income or expenditure.

Producing an income and expenditure statement using single entry bookkeeping is little more than making two lists of financial transactions. Those lists being one of sales income received from sales invoices or receipts issued to customers and the other of purchase expenditure being from purchase invoices received from suppliers.

To record sales income it would not normally be sufficient to simply add up the total of the invoices as such a summation does not leave an audit trail of the items which have been included. A written list of sales invoices does provide an audit trail.

Sales accounting for a small business accounting purposes can be either a manual list of the sales invoices or by using a spreadsheet package a list can be made on a bookkeeping spreadsheet. Basic formulae canh be used to add up totals in a bookkeeping spreadsheet.

The essential information to enter for a sales invoice would be the date of the sale, name of the customer, sales invoice number if applicable and optional a brief description of the item sold. In the next column would be the total sales invoice amount. Additional columns might be required to account for taxes on sales such as vat in the uk or sales taxes.

A further small complication might be if at the discretion of the small business owner additional information was required from the bookkeeping records to indicate the totals of the different types of products and services then additional columns could be incorporated to enter the net sales figures in these columns.

There it is then, a simple list of sales invoices to satisfy the sales accounting requirements for a small business where a balance sheet is not required.

On the expenditure side of the business the bookkeeping can also be a simple list of the purchase invoices and receipts showing the amount spent. The list should also produce an audit trail by showing the date of the purchase invoice, name of the supplier, purchase invoice for identification purposes and the total amount spent.

Usually tax returns are the main purpose of producing small business accounts and invariably some analysis is required to show what the expenses have been spent on. The small business owner can insert additional standard columns to the bookkeeping spreadsheet.

The expenditure analysis columns do not need to be a different column for each type of expenditure. It is better to set up and group the analysis columns in general headings which can accommodate all the expenses.

These bookkeeping analysis columns would include stock, other direct costs, premises costs, general administrative costs, transport and delivery costs, repairs and maintenance, travelling and hotel costs, motor costs, bank and legal costs and other expenses. It is better not to enter too many items under a general heading of other expenses as this is more likely to be investigated as the type of expense has not been precisely identified.

One important column to also include is for asset purchases as fixed assets usually have different tax rules applying to the claim of the expense against tax and should be separated from other expenditure.

Having set up two bookkeeping spreadsheets the task is then to produce the income and expenditure account by collecting the totals of each of the analysis columns. The sales total is the sales turnover from which is deducted the totals of each of the expenditure classification totals with the result being the net profit and loss of the business.

Where stock is bought and sold a further adjustment may be required to account for the difference between opening and closing stock. This is done by taking a physical stock check and valuing the stock at the start and end of the financial period.

On the income and expenditure account adjust the stock purchases figure by adding the value of the opening stock and deducting the value of the closing stock. The result is not the stock purchases total as shown in the bookkeeping spreadsheets but the cost of the goods which have been sold to produce the sales turnover being reported.

Simple bookkeeping for a small business accounting purposes can be two lists of sales and purchases supported with sales invoices and purchases invoices.

The one thing that nobody seems to have enough of these days is time. This is especially true when you are building a career. For aspiring musicians, singers and songwriters, learning how to establish, promote and sustain a career is a full time job in and of itself and would leave little time for working on music.  That’s why The Indie Bible is considered one of the most thorough and valuable resources for anyone in the music business but especially newcomers.

Written by David Wimple, The Indie Bible is currently in its 11th printing, which reflects the rapidly changing nature of the music business. What makes The Indie Bible so valuable is the depth of the research to give musicians and songwriters the most up-to-date information possible. It would literally take someone months of intensive research to gather all of the contacts and resources detailed in the book. Even music industry veterans have endorsed The Indie Bible as an invaluable tool.

The resources listed include 3600 radio station and radio show contacts; the names of 4200 publications and periodicals that review music; the names of 500 CD vendors and music promoters; 500 web site where you can post your music for downloading and promotion; 500 miscellaneous resources – all together more than 10,000 contacts are contained within The Indie Bible.

The Indie Bible is written to address a wide range of situations, from seeking representation to selling your son online, across all genres, from Hip Hoop to country. The book is organized into seven sections to make it as user-friendly as possible.

Sections one and two offer tips on how to get your CD reviewed in print publications.

Section three discusses who t contact about doing radio promotion. Radio stations are a particularly accessible area because they have a lot of air time to fill. It’s especially smart to approach home town radio stations; they are usually very open to promoting local talent.

Section four focuses on marketing oriented services.

Section five covers the growing importance of Internet based distribution and cuts through the clutter to list the top sites proven to be most valuable to performers.

Section six is a compilation of miscellaneous resources.

Section seven reprints over 50 articles on various aspects of the business to give a complete and informative overview of the business.

Today, I’ll let you in on a little secret that I use to read AT LEAST FOUR BOOKS EVERY MONTH, without taking any additional time out of my day.

Every single successful person I know focuses on learning daily, and it’s no accident. Top business owners know that ongoing education is an absolute necessity.

I don’t mean the kind of education you got in school, in those dusty old text books that were full of numbers and boring graphs.

I mean a different kind of education that deals more with street smarts, than book smarts.

Did you know that the majority of people will NEVER read a book again after high school? Our education system leaves such a bad taste in people’s mouths. When we are forced to learn, we end up dreading the process, instead of embracing it.

I know that in my own life, it wasn’t until I was out of school that I really started to love learning. I realized one day, that learning wasn’t just for reading, writing, and arithmetic. You could literally learn how to do ANYTHING in life.

Whether you wanted to get in shape, become more creative, build wealth, or start a business…it is a LEARNABLE skill.

And you do it much the same way you learned in school. You start by surrounding yourself with people who know more about the subject than you do. Then you read, listen, and watch everything that they have to teach you. Mimic the best until you reach a level of mastery where you can innovate on your own.

Once I realized the importance of learning I started trying to read more books about business. The problem was that there was never enough time. Sure, I could TRY to read a chapter per day, but the time would be filled each day with something urgent, and the reading would never get done.

I literally had a STACK of books that I wanted to read, and wasn’t making much progress.

That is, until one day I discovered a secret to success, which I learned from a man named Brian Tracy. The secret was to start listening to AUDIO BOOKS in my car while I was driving.

You see, every day I HAD to drive somewhere. There was no way that I could forget to drive, or not have enough time to drive. Every day, I was going to drive somewhere no matter what, so it was BUILT IN to my life.

I eventually came to hear of more and more successful people, who ALL followed this strategy. Pretty soon I was going through a book a week on tape. I would even “read” books while I was at the gym, taking public transit, or flying (so even if you don’t drive, there are still opportunities).

For me, the real beauty of listening to books on tape is that I get to hear someones voice, and this is how I learn best. It was like I was surrounding myself with these great authors. Everyday, their way of thinking and great outlook on life was changing the way I thought. I heard their voices and ideas so much, it was like they were my personal friends who I couldn’t get away from!

Some people are audio learners, and learn best when hearing someone speak (like me). Some people are visual learners, and learn best when they can SEE the words on the page (I have a different secret for you in my online course). A small percentage of the population are even touch learners, and learn best when moving their body or using their hands.

If you learn well by listening or hearing words in any way shape or form, then audio books are the secret you’ve been missing to start learning more every day, without taking any additional time out of your day.

Life is quite simply TOO SHORT to spend listening to Britney Spears and Snoop Dogg on the radio. Instead, start getting more reading done then you ever thought possible today by listening to audio books.

A great first one to listen to is Brian Tracy’s, The Psychology of Achievment, which you can purchase online.

You can get audio books through services such as www.audible.com (the Amazon.com of audio books), which allows you to download MP3′s to burn to CD’s or to use on your MP3 player.

They are often a bit cheaper than the actual book. You can also get audio books for free at your local library, and find some online for free. Finally, I have a handful of friends who also listen to audio books and we always share.

Start listening to audio books today, and you will AUTOMATICALLY start devouring great books at an incredible pace.

Those who want to stay successful in business understand the need to stay updated and constantly push themselves in new directions. Every year there are new books on business and marketing published. Some of these offer great new perspectives, while others are just rehashes of older classics.
Sometimes older books can be just as valuable as new books. Just think of classics such as Dale Carnegie or Napoleon Hill. These books are timeless in that the advice they offer is about human interaction and human nature, which hasn’t changed much for the last 10,000 years when we discount changes in technology. This year there are 5 books which are must reads for any serious business man or women:

1. Good to Great
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make The Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins is an impressive book on corporate culture, that is based on rigorous research of over 1400 companies and what made them successful or not. It includes learning from top CEO’s of American businesses and other notable people from the business world. The learning taken from this book, through theory and examples, is that above technology and other external factors, a strong, disciplined corporate culture is the key to success.

2. Positioning:
The Battle for Your Mind: A marketing classic form 1981, which shook the world with its direct approach to sales and marketing. Now available in a new edition, this book describes why it is so important to position your brand in the consumers mind and how to do it.

3. The Tipping Point:
How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell, discusses how events become trends and go onto global phenomena. A very eye opening book for all who want to get the word out. This book is particularly fascinating to read, considering the exponential growth in web 2.0 and social groups online. Gladwell argues that trends are created, not just random. It is about knowing exactly who to tell exactly what to.

4. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:
Another true classic from Stephen Coldwell deals with everything from raising your children to becoming successful in business, by incorporating 7 habits of success into your life. A bestseller for many years, this book is still as relevant now as it was when it was first published.

5. The World Is Flat 3.0:
A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century: Thomas Friedman could be called a futurist, that is he makes predictions of what is to come. In this book though he focuses more on what wonders have already happened and makes us reflect upon their significance. In that respect, he actually teaches understanding of the present to prepare for the future. The title of the book is a reference to globalization and breaking down political, economic and cultural barriers. A truly inspiring read on how we went from leaflet printing to spread the news of the world to online social groups that transcend borders, age and cultures. If we are to understand the future of globalization this is a great starting point.

“Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.” – Isaac Asimov|

Are you aware of the Personal MBA? It’s a concept created by Josh Kaufman (following an idea by Seth Godin). Going off the assumption that business schools don’t have a monopoly on knowledge and wisdom, he suggests that every one of us passes a personal MBA by reading a selection of the best business books that exist, around 77 published in 2008 (93 with supplements) in 12 different categories :

1.Quick Start
2.Productivity and Efficiency
3.Psychology and Communication
4.Design and Production
5.Marketing, Sales and Negotiation
6.Entrepreneurship
7.Management and Leadership
8.Strategy and Innovation
9.Finances and Analysis
10.Personal Finance
11.Supplement : Business History
12.Supplement : Business Reference

My crazy project involving the Personal MBA consists of 52 books from this list. I am approaching this project seriously, and I am preparing for it in the same way I would train for a marathon: I know that the challenge will be long and hard, especially once the initial drive – as well the enthusiasm of getting started – wear off.

How shall I undertake this task? Here are the rules of the challenge:

1) Choose 52 books from the actual list of The Personal MBA.

2) Read one a week for 52 weeks. Write a relevant summary, that includes an overall summary as well as chapter by chapter, if the book lends itself to that.

3) Sacrifice only what is useless. I don’t plan on giving up my other activities – my business, improv theater, sports, my two entrepreneur clubs, my other blogs, my leisure time, my personal life. I am going to try and organize myself better and get rid of only what is useless – casually surfing the web, video games, YouTube, everything that wastes precious time in general. I can’t cut out TV, since I hardly watch it anyway.

4) Take action. To think without doing something is just as stupid as to do something without thinking. Thought is based both on our experience – in the field – and our knowledge – acquired from books, school, in conversation with others.

I don’t plan on necessarily reading the books in this order, but I will try to read everything one category at a time so that it is easier to compare and connect my new awareness. It will be a difficult challenge, but a really interesting one !