business books

There are lots of business books out there ... here are three that I recommend:

Craft, Inc., by Meg Mateo Ilasco. This is a great resource for anyone who is thinking about starting a creative business. It has helpful info about how to price your goods, when to exhibit at trade shows, and how to market your business. I wish this book had been around 10 years ago when I started working as a designer!

Mommy Millionaire, by Kim Lavine. For anyone who wants to mass produce a product... learn from Lavine's mistakes and her successes. Her insight into the trade show world is about as true and honest as it gets. And her behind the scenes peek into QVC/HSN is eye-opening. A couple of things she wrote I did NOT agree with: for instance she said that hiring a professional graphic designer can be a waste of time, and that her little home-spun logo has served her well. I don't agree at all...I think she needs an updated logo! If your logo is amateurish then buyers' first impressions of you and your product will likely follow suit. Overall, though, this is one of my favorite books.

Meatball Sundae, by Seth Godin. Godin, who, I think, is the master of common sense & telling it like it is, says that to be successful with "New Marketing" (i.e. social networking, websites, blogs) you must integrate them into a marketing strategy, not just slap them on top! His book "explores the 14 trends that are changing our world and how organizations can either embrace them or be punished by them."