2018 Small Business Week
About 98% of all businesses in British Columbia are small businesses. They are responsible for having employed over 1 million people in the province in 2016. Their impact on the economy are great and October is the month to celebrate them!
Here at UBC, we’re celebrating the 2018 Small Business Week, along with our partners from the Small Business Accelerator (SBA). This week is not only about celebration, but also about improvements to grow, where entrepreneurs and business owners take some time to work on ideas to improve their businesses.
To help you improve your business or to become an entrepreneur, we selected a couple of new books from our Library!
Blueprint to business: an entrepreneur’s guide to taking action, committing to the grind, and doing the things that most people won’t by Michael Alden
If you are thinking about opening a business, then this could enter your list. The book is a guide, full of advices based on experiences of several company founders and entrepreneurs, which aims to help people to transform their dreams into reality.
The new business road test: what entrepreneurs and investors should do before launching a lean start-up by John Mullins
Before driving, people take road tests. Why not do the same when opening a business? This book can help people to assess their business idea, regarding the market, consumers, investors, and other aspects that affect the success of a company.
Starting a green business in Canada: how to make a difference – and prosper by Ramona Materi
If you consider opening a green business in Canada, than this should be added to your list. The book is filled with practical information that may help you.
Post-capitalist entrepreneurship: startups for the 99% by Boyd Cohen
This book presents several aspects associated with entrepreneurship in this new economical phase, where cryptocurrencies, crowdfunding, and distributed autonomous organizations are present (among other aspects).
Building your dream: a Canadian guide to starting your own business by Walter Good and Wendy Mayhew
A hands-on approach to entrepreneurship, where the reader gets to know the basics of starting a business. From conducting a feasibility study to creating a business plan, the authors present an 11-stage approach to start a business.
Social startup success: how the best nonprofits launch, scale up, and make a difference by Kathleen Kelly Janus
This books is a great resource for those interested in creating a business for social good, written by an award-winning social entrepreneur.
The startup way: how modern companies use entrepreneurial management to transform culture and drive long-term growth by Eric Ries
From the same author of the “The Lean Startup”, this book focuses on presenting how businesses from all industries can apply entrepreneurial principles to be more competitive, grow and innovate.
The power of little ideas: a third way to innovate for market success by David Robertson with Kent Lineback
Did you know that there is a third type of innovation? The book presents the idea of an innovation that is of low risk with high rewards, a strategy of companies like GoPro, LEGO, Disney, and other companies.
Competing on analytics: the new science of winning by Thomas H. Davenport and Jeanne G.
This book is already worthy because the author is Davenport. But, as someone commented on the Amazon review for this book: “Want to learn about the how analytics has been transforming business since 2005? This is your book. Highly recommended reading”. That may be enough to intrigue you.
Shift ahead: how the best companies stay relevant in a fast-changing world by Allen Adamson and Joel Steckel
The market is always changing, and companies needs to adapt to new scenarios, otherwise they will lose market. The book presents the results of interviews conducted with over 100 executives and experts, about how companies create strategies to shift their businesses and remain relevant on the market.
If the books sparkled an interest on becoming an entrepreneur, then there are resources that can help you in this journey. For example:
- Industry overviews from the Small Business Accelerator (SBA) to find out more information about markets.
- Industry profiles per country, or segment, from the UBC Library databases, to know about sales revenue, driving forces, market share, and more.
- Events promoted by the Small Business BC, specially the ones from the Small Business Week 2018. You can find seminars on finances, business models, marketing, and talk to experts.