ChApter 12 | GOOD RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES | 197
Oh, and one more thing. Several of the
books I list are also published by Nolo.
That’s because Nolo concentrates on how-
to-do-it books and avoids the double-talk
that makes many business books virtually
unreadable. I recommend their approach
highly, especially if you don’t have a
graduate degree in business administration.
After all, a wise man once said that if
you can’t explain something to a 12-year-
old child, you probably don’t know your
subject thoroughly.Background Books
Here are some general business books that
are particularly helpful for small business
owners. As you may already know, when
you search for one of these books at
Amazon.com or at other online retailers,
the product page often contains helpful
suggestions for similar books on the same
subject.
• Honest Business, by Michael Phillips,
Salli Rasberry, and Peter Turner
(Shambhala Pocket Editions). This
book might as well be entitled “Zen
and the Art of Small Business Success.”
It is a remarkable book focusing on the
personal and psychological qualities it
takes to succeed in a small business.
Much of this book’s advice stands
conventional small-business wisdom
on its head. A must-read.• Small Time Operator, by Bernard
Kamoroff (Bell Springs Publishing).
Gives you the basics of keeping
books, paying taxes, renting a
building, becoming an employer,
and other important business details
more thoroughly and better than any
other book. If you never buy another
business book, buy this one.
• The EMyth Revisited, by Michael E.
Gerber (HarperCollins). Contains
practical advice about small business
management. Also, the author manages
a telephone consulting business that
specializes in small businesses and
employs 30 people; call 800-221-0266
for information about management
consulting by telephone.
• EMyth Mastery: The Seven Essential
Disciplines for Building a World Class
Company, by Michael E. Gerber
(HarperCollins), which is another
equally well-recommended title from
the E-Myth team.
• The Small Business Handbook: A
Comprehensive Guide to Starting
and Running Your Own Business, by
Irving Burstiner (Prentice Hall). This
book is just what the title says. I used
it as a textbook in a small-business
management class with good results.
Its only fault is that it tries to cover
all aspects of running a business,
which sometimes results in hitting the
high spots, rather than the in-depth
coverage many of these areas deserve.