Growing Your Business!: A Must Read

I interrupt our series on financing for this special suggestion

Some friends recently suggested I read Growing Your Business! What You Need to Know What You Need to Do by Mark LeBlanc, CSP, CPAE. The author was coming to my home town to speak to the Mountain West chapter of the National Speakers’ Association.

I bought a copy of this small (4”x5”, 77 pages) book for $8.00. I read it through the first time in about two hours. My second reading of the book took longer because I stopped and did every exercise he suggested. He calls the exercises From the Idea File. They impressed me. I completed the exercises directly into my business plan. They improved my business plan.

I gave my copy to a friend who wants to grow his business. I bought a second copy and gave it to another friend. I bought 4 more copies. I gave one to my son who wants to start a business. I gave 3 to colleagues who are starting a business. I’m keeping the fourth for myself to reference to grow my own business.

I hope you sense from my comments how much I regard this book. Mark LeBlanc boils the essence of business development into simple, concise activities. He asks questions that stimulate thinking and a number of “aha” moments. I hesitate to share his concepts for three reasons.

1. I want you to read the book for yourself
2. I would not know where to start or end without giving away the whole book
3. I respect Mark LeBlanc’s work and don’t want to plagiarize it

Instead, I encourage you to buy Growing Your Business!, read it, and complete the suggestions from the idea file. Your business will benefit from it. You will benefit from it.  Your business will grow.

I will return to my series on financing your business in Saturday’s post.

Please share your impressions of the book in the comments section below