Since things are slowing down due to both the weather and the economny I think it’s a good time to develop a good winter reading for 2009. A big book for me and I know a lot of others last year was William Asdal’s Defensive Estimating: Protecting Your Profits.
I’ve noticed this fall that our good friend Mike Hussein Smith has talked about and recommeded Blink: The Power of Thinking Without ThinkingView Image and after getting started with it just the other day I’ve got to agree with him in that regard. it’s an eye opening book.
In one of my blogs the other day I wrote abouta bunch of books amongst which there are two new constuction business books that I think a lot of people here will appreciate. From what I wrote in my blog….
I’m putting together a Christmas/Winter reading list for 2008-9. It consists both of books I’ve reently read or am reading right now that I would recommend to other contractors and some new books I’ve just discovered and plan to read.
View ImageThe first book I’ll mention comes from that last category in that I haven’t read it yet but it looked so good I just ordered it and plan to start in on it in just a couple of days. ItsHow Fit Is Your Business?: A Complete Checkup and Prescription for Better Business HealthView Image by Mark G Richardson who is President of Case Design/Remodeling , Inc. I’ve been a long time fan of Richardson’s articles and commentary in Remodeling Magazine so this one was sort of a no-brainer i my book but in reading from a preview chapter I discovered on line I spotted a passage that tells me some of the information in the book is going to be particulary apropos for me and a lot of the contractors I work with. Quote:
“When all of your business comes from personal referrals, you are not really in control of your future. If the economy slows down or a specific market changes, you need to be able to generate new clients. Over-reliance on referrals can make your marketing “muscles” weak; when you need some “heavy lifting,” your strength will not be able to handle it. Most businesses with a very high percentage of revenue from personal referrals ride a rollercoaster from good times to bad.”
I’ve long been a beliver that contractors that don’t market and advertise are steering an aimless rudderless ship in terms of directing their business towards the projects they feel they are best suited for and Richardson comment illustrates another problem with the all my business comes from refereals perspective. I’m looking forward to see what else is in the book.
View ImageNext on my list is a book I ordered a month or so ago and have worked myself a little over halfway through at this point. It’s entitled Building a Successful Construction CompanyView Image by Patricia W. Atallah.
While I think a lot of small shop, mom and pop contractors will find the book addresses concerns and planning that they think is beyond them I still find it full of rich ideas and concepts and highly recommend it to the more serious contractor businsess owner regardless of the size of their business.
An excerpt (the introdution) from the book is avaible on the authors website at Building A Successful Construction Company – Book Introduction and in that excerpt the author writes:
“I started a construction business more than 12 years ago with business and banking experience and scant knowledge of the construction industry. What on earth possessed me, you ask? I’ve always had an entrepreneurial bent, and in my early 30s, I became anxious to drop out of the corporate fold and start my own business. I was looking for flexibility, a better balance in my life, and freedom from the limitations of a job description. I researched various possibilities for about a year and, based on my research, finally decided to start a business in the construction industry. With the perspective of an outsider looking in, I recognized some of the critical issues facing the industry and saw an opportunity to eventually make a contribution.”
I often hear the you have to have “experience” argument being thrown around by a lot of men in the industry and I think that the author, Patricia Atallah, illustrates that business smarts are probably the most valuable asset an individula can have.
Beyond that there are some other more general businss books that I wrote about but I leave to the interested to check out what I wrote there: A 2008-2009 Christmas/Winter Reading List.
So anyboody else here have some good book recomendations for 2009?
Replies
http://www.amazon.com/Out-Our-Minds-Learning-Creative/dp/1841121258
http://www.amazon.com/Element-Finding-Passion-Changes-Everything/dp/0670020478
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY&feature=channel
http://www.cliffordrenovations.com
http://www.ramdass.org
Edited 12/22/2008 11:49 pm ET by andybuildz
given the death spiral we have been in for the last 8 years i was gonna suggest something by the Survivor-man dude..
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"After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
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If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
Yeh well...I hate even turning on the news. Might as well listen to and read motivational stuff while the world keeps on turning...
Stuff that makes you go...hmmmmmm....instead of...grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
http://www.cliffordrenovations.com
http://www.ramdass.org
my sentiments exactly hmmmmmmmm Vs Grrrrrrrrr
take that hmmm anytime
thanks to Splinter i have been introduced to Gladwell on the tube w/ Charlie Rose - a very comfortable hmmmm
Malcolm Garfunkel <lol> has a new book coming out in a cpl of weeks. Looks interesting.
http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz4hPbHIZ6Y
http://www.cliffordrenovations.com
http://www.ramdass.org
I like that garfunkel marcante
don't know if you caught the Charlie Rose shows but he is a hair twirler & both my kids are ( were )
I missed it John...wahhh...Jerrald told me it was on too....too late though.
Maybe they'll do a replay. I'll check it out..
http://www.cliffordrenovations.com
http://www.ramdass.org
this luddite is thinking you are one of the first w/ dvrwe have it & my wife has charlie rose on her listMr satellite radio should have itfor or five arrows forward & seven minutes of commercials amount to a brief blurr - we or i do slow down for the twin tubs thoughwatch what you want when you want and no commercialsjust for kicks once I watched all the commercials for super bowl & fast forwarded the gameI don't have mp3 or satellite but gleaning what I do here/hear has inched it up into the evolutionary spiral
Jerrald,
Did you ever read a book titled "Thick Face, Black Heart" by Chin-Ning Chu?
It was out in the early '90s and I remembered it being reviewed in Success Magazine back then. In general it is a (Chinese) way of looking at business and life challenges, without getting caught up in the emotion of the moment, and other people's opinion's.
I read it in 2008, and I wish I would have read it way back in the begining.
Richardson's book is probably the only one I plan on getting next year. I saw him at the Remodeler's Show in 2004, and the title of the book was also the title of his seminar. the part you copied, stood out in my mind at the show also. It caused me to take a look scources of my job leads, and come up with other ideas to bring in "new blood". He was an excellent speaker and later I bought CD recordings of his seminar, and still listen to them every now and then. Before the seminar, I had been sitting alone having a cup of coffee outside the building, and he came out for some fresh air before speaking. We talked for a few minutes and I'd have to say he is very passionate about helping people survive and prosper in the business.
Bowz
Bowz, I haven't read 'Thick Face, Black Heart' but I have heard and know of it. Perhaps I even read about it Success magazine way back when. I have however read The Art of War and it's derivitives such as Sun Tzu: The Art of War for Managers; 50 Strategic RulesView Image
and The Art of War for Executives: Ancient Knowledge for Today's Business ProfessionalView Image
(although I read a older edition).
I received a couple of Amazon gift certificates for Christmas so I'll put 'Thick Face, Black Heart' on my list when I put together my next order later this week.
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