4. Marketing/Advertising

Here are some excellent books on marketing your business:

Marketing Without Advertising, by Michael Phillips and Salli Rasberry (Nolo). An essential book about advertising and marketing. An indispensable source to help you understand your business from the customers perspective.

Marketing High Technology, by William H. Davidow (The Free Press, New York, 1986). Although the book discusses a few specific high-tech products, it is about the principles that define a product, as opposed to a device, from the customers perspective rather than from an inventors point of view. Absolutely necessary for anyone considering a new product.

Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, by Al Ries and Jack Trout (Mass Market Paperbacks, 1993). This book invents the concept of distinguishing you from your competition in the customers mind. It explains how that process works and how positioning has become one of the most important factors in business success.

Total Customer Service: The Ultimate Weapon, by William H. Davidow and Bro Uttal (Harper, 1989). A discussion of how customer service can provide a competitive advantage.

Write Great Ads, by Erica Levy Klein (Wiley, 1990). If you must advertise, read this book before you write the copy.

5. Personnel

If you need to hire anyone, you may want to glance through:

Smart Staffing, by Wayne Outlaw (Upstart Publications, 1998). Essential read for business owners who cant afford an HR department.

6. Home-Based Businesses

Running a business out of a home has its own special issues. Youll be interested in:

Home Business Made Easy, by David Hanania (Oasis Press, 1998). Step-by-step guide to setting up a business at home.

7. Corporations, Partnerships and Legal Matters

As I discussed in Chapter 4, you may want to organize your business as a partnership, limited partnership or closely held corporation. The following materials will prove helpful.

Corporations

How to Form Your Own California [Texas, Florida or New York] Corporation, by Anthony

Mancuso (Nolo). Includes step-by-step instructions on how to incorporate a new or already