Business tips available in libraries

The library has gotten a number of new helpful, easy to use books on starting your own business. They are very easy to use and easy to pick through and pull out what you need.

Perhaps you have already started your own business, but not only is it challenging, but along and along, maintaining a business has its challenges, too. Even if you read both of the first two books listed and get only one great idea your time will be well spent. One thing you should definitely do with all due haste is to join the local chamber of commerce and start attending all their after-hours, ribbon cuttings, whatever. If you are an entrepreneur and interested in small business start-up, be sure and check with the library – we have a well-developed collection of resources to help you. A bibliography is prepared and we’re ready to help you take the big leap.

“The Complete Guide to Working for Yourself: Everything the self-employed need to know about taxes, recordkeeping, and other Laws,” by Beth Williams and Dr. Jean Murray (with companion CD), got excellent reviews from people who actually used this book to help them start their businesses and earned praise from those who had been in business for themselves for awhile. This title includes the most current tax rates and changes in IRS regulations, and comprehensively will guide you through each step of starting your own business and address any issues or concerns that you may haveThe Companion CD-ROM contains all the forms in the book as well as a sample business plan you can adapt for your own use.

“The Boss of You: Everything a Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain her Own Business,” by Lauren Bacon and Emira Mears. In “The Boss of You,” Mears and Bacon, founders of Raised Eyebrow Web Studios Inc. and co-editors of the well-known webzine “Soapboxgirls,” set out to answer this question. As intelligent entrepreneurs and straightforward writers, the authors offer insight into beginning, and sustaining, small businesses from the female perspective.

“Effective Advertising: Understanding When, How, and Why Advertising Works,” by Gerard J. Tellis, summarizes what we know today on when, how, and why advertising works. The primary focus of the book is on the instantaneous and carryover effects of advertising on consumer choice, sales, and market share. In addition, the book reviews research on the rich variety of ad appeals, and suggests which appeals work, and when, how, and why they work. Author Tellis distills three decades of academic and professional experience into one volume that successfully dismisses many popular myths about advertising, such as: Advertising has a powerful influence on consumers and often generates consumer need, The best ads are unique and original, If an ad fails initially, repetition will ensure its ultimate success ...

“Birthing the Elephant: the Womans’Go-For-It guide to overcoming the big challenges of Launching a Business,” by Karin Abarbanel and Bruce Freeman. Customized for the female entrepreneur's unique psychological experience of launching a business, “Birthing The Elephant” goes beyond logistics to prepare women for the emotional challenges they will face, with expert advice on reshaping one's business identity, giving up the paycheck mentality, anticipating problems, and avoiding costly mistakes.

“The Specialty Shop: How to Create Your Own Unique and Profitable Retail Business,” by Dorothy Finell. Finell shows readers how they can establish a business that they are passionate about and that will also be profitable for years to come. Filled with lively vignettes and beautiful photographs, “The Specialty Shop” will show prospective owners how to open the shop of their dreams and nurture their business into a success.

“Why it Sells: Decoding the Meanings of Brand Names, Logos, Ads, and other Marketing and Advertising Ploys,” by Marcel Danesi, is an entertaining and insightful tour guide to decoding the messages woven into the advertisements, commercials, brand names, and logos we see on a daily basis. “Why It Sells” will fascinate and inform all readers interested in how ads, marketing, and branding take hold in the consumer psyche.

“The Great Garage Sale Book: How to Run a Garage, Tag, Attic, Barn or Yard Sale,” by Sylvia Simmons. Simmons is a New York advertising executive and a hands-on tag sale operator, which makes her something of an authority on turning clutter into cash. The author honed her skills in promoting and selling merchandise in the advertising business where she wrote copy, directed a large sales promotion department, and served as senior vice-president for corporate communications at three of Madison Avenue's biggest global agencies.