After leaving his career to pursue his childhood dreams of becoming an Olympic snowboarder, Paul Horton knew that he wanted to be in business for himself. Attracted to making his own schedule so he can work to live (and not the other way around), he started two very successul companies, Remodal and CNG Solutions, both of which he now owns and operates. He also did his fair share of reading on the way, highlighted by the following three books any entrepreneur should have on their bookshelf…
Good to Great – Jim Collins
Through an extensive study of the Fortune 500 companies, the Good to Great team looks at what separates a handful of companies from their direct competitors in allowing them to outperform their peers. There are some great principals that are highlighted that I have found very helpful in structuring the start-up companies that I have been involved with. I would easily put this on my must-read book list for executives.
The E-Myth Revisited – Michael Gerber
Easy read for any entrepreneur that wants to start up their own business. The book looks at why most start-ups are not successful and do not make it past the five-year mark. It provides Ideas on how to beat the odds and structure your company from the beginning to prepare itself for the growth you are going to experience and prepare for it so that the overwhelm of the many roles an entrepreneur has to play doesn’t kill the entrepreneurial spirit.
When Fish Fly – John Yokoyama and Joseph Michelli
The workplace corporate culture can make the difference between a business that thrives versus makes ends meet or worse, fail. I’m a strong believer that having the right people on your team is critical, but more important is being able to keep the right people engaged in your corporate culture and thrive inside of it. This book looks at one example of the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle and tells the story of how a small business can be transformed from bankruptcy into an extraordinary model of success.