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Book reviews

The PR Buzz Factor - Russell Lawson

The PR Buzz Factor

(Kogan Page, £14.99)

If you are small business on a tight budget The PR Buzz Factor is a real gem of a book. Accessible and jargon-free, it will teach you basic PR in no time. Head of public affairs for the federation of small businesses in Wales, Russell Lawson covers every stage of devising a PR campaign, including the relatively new areas of ePR and website design, as well as more traditional PR activities, such as handling the media and writing newsletters. You’ll find all the tools you need to find out what others think of your business and how to devise an effective strategy to reach a target audience, deliver key messages, stand out from competition and generally create a buzz about your business. It could be the best few pounds you spend this year…


Family Wars - Grant Gordon & Nigel Nicholson

Family Wars - Grant Gordon & Nigel Nicholson

(Kogan Page, £18.99)

Whether you run a family business or work in one, Family Wars, by Grant Gordon, director general of the Institute for Family Business and Nigel Nicholson of London Business School, is essential reading. This collection of behind-the-scenes accounts of the highs and lows of some of the most famous business dynasties, from The Guinness family to The Guccis, makes compelling reading in itself. But it’s much more than that; it provides valuable insights and advice on resolving conflicts in family-run businesses. It works equally well whether read in its entirety or as a resource to dip into – with an easy-to-use checklist of warning signs and risk factors as well as a ‘lessons learned’ comment at the end of each case study. 


The Long Tail - Chris Anderson

The Long Tail - Chris Anderson

(Random House, £8.99)

Editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, Chris Anderson turns the traditional business model on its head in The Long Tail. Anderson’s basic premise is that the future of business no longer lies in high-volume mainstream products at the head of a traditional demand curve but in the high numbers of low-demand products that populate The Long Tail of that same curve. This book is not only a thought-provoking look at the future of business, but it gives small businesses an insight into the opportunities opening up to them in this broadband era of worldwide audiences and seemingly infinite choice.


Starting Your Own Business - The Good The Bad And The Unexpected - David Lester (Crimson Publishing)

This book reveals what you really need to know to start a business and how to succeed: so far, so predictable. But this guide is a bit different. A lively and realistic book by serial entrepreneur David Lester, it is packed with practical tips and honesty about the author’s mistakes and how he coped with the bad times. David knows first-hand about the highs and lows of starting your own business. He shares his disastrous foray into magazine publishing when due to an oversight at the research stage his business model didn’t work – a mistake that cost the team he’d hired their jobs and him and his partners thousands of pounds.

Make your first million - Martin Webb (Capstone)

An honest look at the pitfalls of starting your own business or businesses by Martin Webb, presenter of Risking It All. Another serial entrepreneur, he takes us through the great idea, the opening and first few months, then branching out, selling and moving on to the next thing. His amazing energy takes the reader rushing through his journey with plenty of tool-kits and box-outs of tips, so we can think how to apply them to our own businesses. An inspirational and practical guide that could be read in one sitting.

Commonsense Direct and Digital Marketing - Drayton Bird (Kogan Page)

Packshot of two pocket books
If you’re an SME this book will provide the education you need to get the most out of your marketing budget – including how to put together a DIY marketing job that looks like it was done by professionals. This new paperback edition is an update of the direct marketing classic dubbed ‘the authoritative textbook’ with extensive material on how to use the internet as a direct marketing tool added. Drayton Bird draws on over 40 years in advertising – as copywriter, client and then vice chairman and creative director of Ogilvy and Mather Direct – to offer a practical and entertaining guide with a great combination of experience and easy reading.

Start: How to get your business underway- Kevin Duncan (John Wiley & Sons)

Start is the classic guide to getting a success business up and running. Written by someone who has actually been there and done it all, it sorts the wheat from the chaff and lets readers get straight to the point. It covers all aspects of launching a business, from licenses to bookkeeping to marketing to setting up shop. Everything is presented in a step-by-step format with checklists, worksheets, and top-notch advice from one of America’s most highly regarded business writers.

Making a Fortune: Learning from the Asian phenomenon -Spinder Dhaliwal (John Wiley & Sons)

Making a Fortune is testament to men and women of vision, dynamism and acumen. It is a book about people who are not afraid to embrace change, who create the wealth on which the economy is built and who have made major contributions to society. These pages illustrate fascinating stories from fascinating people, showing the complexities of communities that at some levels are fully incorporated into their host societies – and, at others, remain quite separate.

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