Filed under: Books in General, Entrepreneurship, From the Editor, Leadership, Small Business | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Investing, management, Small Business, The Snowball, Warren Buffett
I came across this review of a book released earlier this year that discusses R.C. Willey, the furniture and electronics store purchased by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. I wonder if people didn’t focus on this book because it dealt with Bill Child, the founder of R.C. Willey, rather than on Buffett himself. That’s a shame, because Child is a fascinating character whose efforts helped propel his business to blue chip status in the eyes of the world’s most famous investor.
How to Build a Business Warren Buffett Would Buy does more than just give readers a peek into how to remodel a business from one that struggles to one that exceeds expectations. The book goes beyond numbers into the aspects of moral character and trust that form both a good workplace and a company profile that Buffett admires.
In regard to ethics, Child’s own belief in the adaptability of a business and the importance of creating a loyal work force have been echoed time and again in books about Buffett. When we reviewed Alice Schroeder’s comprehensive Buffett biography, The Snowball, we were struck by how often Buffett executed acquisition decisions by paying as much attention to the company’s philosophy as he did its balance sheet.
As the reviewer in the article above notes, the acquisition of R.C. Willey made Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway a substantial profit, while Child certainly benefited from receiving “A” shares in Buffett’s company as part of the buy-out. Without going into a long explanation, “A” shares in Berkshire Hathaway trade for a significantly higher price than “B” shares. It just goes to show that there is still a value on companies founded on a strong work ethic and firm moral character.
Filed under: Books in General, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Leadership, Personal Development, Strategic Management, Success, iPhone app | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, iPhone app, Leadership, management, Survival Skills, Technology
I confess that I occasionally drag my feet when it comes to adopting new technology. Between GPS systems, Web 2.0, and my cell phone, I’m wired and traceable to the point where even I wonder if Big Brother is bored with me. Still, it’s hard to deny the overwhelming appeal of certain devices.
There are a large number of people who would put their iPhones at the top of the list of devices they can’t live without. Hopefully, we’ve just added three more reasons to keep it at the top of your list.
I mentioned earlier this week about our Entrepreneurship application. If one application is good, how does a total of three new apps sound?
In addition to the Entrepreneurship app, Soundview is also debuting Survival Skills Vol. I, as well as Innovation Vol. I. Each app features three crucial titles that will help you with the app’s specific subject.
These three apps are the latest in a growing collection of Soundview iPhone apps. Click here to see the complete list!
The convenience of having these apps at my fingertips is something that I underestimated. It makes me glad that I got on board with this technology more quickly than my usual pace. Now if only I could force myself to upgrade my DVD player to a “ray” of a certain shade (For trademark reasons, I’ll let you figure out the obvious).
Filed under: Books in General, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Hands-On Management, Innovation, Technology | Tags: books, Business, business books, career skills, Economics, Innovation, Internet, iPhone app, Leadership, management
There’s so much concern anymore about the state of the average company that executives can’t help but wonder if they’ll be in their current jobs by the end of the quarter. However, there is some good to come out of an era of turbulence.
Let’s face it, people like to take notice of problems at their companies. You probably have a small list yourself. Who hasn’t said to him- or herself, “If I was the president of this outfit, I’d make this change”? Fortunately, times of economic hardship are often the moments when people decide to strike out on their own. This can be the result of a dismissal from their current position or the desire to leave the firing range before the crosshairs fall on them. Either way, I have a sneaking suspicion that a couple of the next great success stories will get their start during this era of difficulty.
With that in mind, we’ve got something special for you iPhone fans. We’ve got a new application that includes three stellar summaries about the business of being in business for oneself. Soundview’s Entrepreneurship Vol. I app includes three excellent titles:
NEVER BET THE FARM by Anthony L. Iaquinto and Stephen Spinelli Jr. This book celebrates entrepreneurship in its entirety, presenting a framework that can help entrepreneurs reduce risks and simplify decision-making. It is at once both encouraging and cautionary, but neither a textbook how-to nor an inspirational tome lacking substance. “We’re living in a world with unimaginable adversity and invisible threats,” writes Iaquinto. “Why should entrepreneurs be any different from a sailor who stows a well-stocked emergency pack or a mill worker who puts a little bit aside each month for a rainy day or a Boy Scout following his motto, ‘Be prepared?’”
THE ART OF THE START by Guy Kawasaki. In The Art of the Start, Guy Kawasaki writes that his goal is to help you use your knowledge, love and determination to create something great without getting bogged down in theory and unnecessary details. At Apple in the 1980s, Kawasaki turned ordinary consumers into evangelists. As founder and CEO of Garage Technology Ventures, he has field-tested his ideas with dozens of newly hatched companies. In The Art of the Start, Kawasaki takes you through every phase of creating a business, from the very basics of raising money and designing a business model through the many stages that will eventually lead your company to doing the right thing and giving back to society.
HOOVER’S VISION by Gary Hoover. Gary Hoover, the founder of BOOKSTOP, Inc. and Hoover’s Inc., lays out a plan that can turn an enterprise into a success by showing entrepreneurs how to address inputs with an open mind, and see more than what others envision. Demonstrating how leaders can recognize the importance of history and trends, Hoover drives business owners to create and feed a clear and consistent vision, and helps them find the essential qualities of entrepreneurial leadership.
Take at peek at these three titles and let your iPhone help you open your mind to the idea that you can be the next big entrepreneur. We believe! So should you.
