I love working on cash flow management problems. I approach cash flow management through two different lenses. One lense is upstream cash flows and the second is downstream. Most articles on cash flow directed toward small business owners are downstream in nature such as improving AR collections and speeding up inventory turns. I prefer focusing on upstream cash flow–marketing and sales.
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If You Liked College Behind Bars
During the winter months, I watched College Behind Bars which I thought was outstanding. Yes, I’m the guy who believes in putting the bad guys behind bars, but this film opened my eyes to rehabilitation and what it takes to reduce recidivism rates in the U.S. If you did see the series and liked it, now what? I have a few book suggestions that will augment what you saw.
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The Best Psychology Books for Financial Leaders
Don’t ask me how, but I never took a psychology course while obtaining two different degrees at a liberal arts university. Accordingly, I may be the very last person who should share a book list about psychology books for people like you and me. My task is impossible but think of this as an ideas booklist.
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The Best Books on the Retail Industry
Over the past 10 years, we’ve seen iconic retail brands go under or shut their doors for good including names like Blockbuster, Borders, Toys R Us, The Limited, and Pier 1, and Woolworth. Many other stores are hanging on for dear life. Does that mean we should not read retail-centric books?
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Do You Read the Books You Have Listened To?
I listen to about 40 audio books a year. That’s because I do a lot of driving and I walk about an hour nightly on my property. During those times, I’m listening to audio books. There’s a downside to listening to non-fiction books. It’s hard to take notes when you hear something you wish to remember.
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The Human Element of Startup Businesses
One of my favorite startup books is The Lean Startup by Eric Ries. But I have a bias – it’s bent toward processes, checklists, and following a clear path no matter how unpredictable. Steve Blank, I admire him too, and I mean a lot. I love his scientific approach to startups in The Startup Owner’s Manual.
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Great But Unknown Business Books
Every year, I read the top 2-3 new business books that have been published. Beyond that, I still prefer reading obscure books, titles that fly under the radar. Accordingly, here are 20 obscure business titles ranging from management to marketing to small business.
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Your CEO Wants You to Know These Fundamentals
Once upon a time, every business manager and leader in a mid-sized to large company read Charan’s and Bossidy’s classic, Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done. However, you may have missed a gem that Charan published about a decade later.
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Remembering the Best Books of 2010
Can you remember the books you’ve read a decade ago? If so, can you remember some of the key points from those books? I recently revisited my top 5 books that I read 10 years ago. You might recognize some of the titles, and four of the authors are household names. Let’s dive in.
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Are You a CFO SmartBriefer?
Most of us have a morning reading routine. Mine starts with reading the front page of the online WSJ reading articles that interest me. I have about 6 other sites I scan quickly drilling into stories warranting my attention. Then I check my inbox from curated content providers like SmartBrief.
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