The 5 Best Books on Success Factors for Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises {Reading Tip}

This time five books that are tailored to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). For those who cannot and do not want to hire a team of advisors for every question. To the companies that want to position themselves professionally from the bakery to the IT forge.

Quick check for SMEs

This is about almost 100% of German companies. To be more precise, by 99,7% of all German companies. It's about SMEs, small and medium-sized enterprises. Under 50 million Turnover, less than 500 employees.

In the media, however, most of the 0,3% of the other companies are the Rede. Although SMEs create over 60% of all jobs subject to social security contributions and generate almost 40% of sales.

Do not make consultants

Most of these companies can not afford to hire expensive consultants for any question. In this respect, the same applies to company management: self-making.

With the book “Management for the SME”, which is published by the “Offensive Mittelstand”, those responsible and entrepreneurs now find instructions for examining their business for the eleven essential success factors.

Review your own strategy

Small and medium-sized companies are characterized by the fact that there is usually one Founders with an idea and that Courage for Implementation gave. As a result, the company grows around the orders, becomes larger - and more confusing.

And the threats are also increasing. That is why it is important to make a cut again and again and put the company to the test.

Discounts for your success (advertising)!

Eleven factors show where the hare is in the pepper

The makers of “Offensive Mittelstand” have filtered out eleven factors that can be used to determine the orientation of the Company can be checked.

The eleven factors are each briefly described, their Significance for the companies will clear made and the most important methods are presented. Practical tips and Checklists for implementation make the book an excellent tool.

The big picture in view

All eleven success factors are presented precisely on just a few pages. And in such a way that entrepreneurs and Executives fast recognize where the rub is in the pepper. In addition, the authors show which steps can be initiated quickly.

Of course there are meters of specialist books on all the factors described here. But precisely in the conciseness and brevity lies the advantage of “corporate management for medium-sized companies.” This is the only way to get an overview of all important factors and quickly determine where there is a need for action. Predicate "valuable" because "corporate management for small and medium-sized businesses" deals precisely with the circumstances of SMEs and, thanks to its very good structure, quickly reveals important findings.

From the tramp to the own model

How to start small and get rich is shown by Sophia Amoruso, successful CEO of the million dollar company "Nasty Gal" and employing over 350 people Employees. She lived off shoplifting and badly paid jobs for a long time. Her book #Girlboss is a brilliant challenge to follow your own path.

The author of the book is Sophia Amoruso, who is her first Money earned with it, stolen books in Internet zu merchandise - and who, when she was not even 30, set up a multi-million dollar company: the fashion label “Nasty Gal”. Sophia Amoruso was not given that into her lap.

Her beginnings were more than rocky: moved out of home at 17, ignored college, and hitchhiked through the United States for a few years. During this time she made a living from shoplifting (until she was caught) and badly paid jobs. The big turning point came when they first started selling vintage dresses on eBay merchandise. Amoruso had found her passion ...

Management tips and instructions for shoplifting

Her book #Girlboss contains exact instructions for successful shoplifting (taking as much as possible is the least noticeable). The book is also a Hollywood-style biography of a young American. It is the embodiment of the American “dishwasher-to-millionaire dream”.

And it provides (future) entrepreneurs or executives with a few important ones Business-Basic rules (your employees are not your friends). In short: a gripping book that you read with your mouth open on one side, laugh out loud on the other and really get practical life tips on the other side.

Sure, she was very lucky - but above all an indomitable will. At the beginning there was the decision - she was just 18 - to stop eating from garbage cans in the future. She sold old clothes on eBay and was a model, photographer, buyer, supplier and laundress herself. Always accurate, always obsessed with hers customers provide a great shopping experience. Then it went up steeply and quickly. From your own shop to an international fashion brand.

Just start and make

Such a meteoric one Ascent suggests saying: “Look, I did it, you can too”. But Sophia Amoruso does not fall into this trap. She probably also wrote this book to show that behind the “sexiest CEO alive” (Business Insider 2013) is a Ms. stuck, which did not let itself be defeated and will not be defeated. Her book is also a courage book.

It doesn't always have to and can't always be a group that jumps out from behind - but one confident lived life anyway. The book is a brilliant challenge to women to think big. Includes precise advice on hiring and firing people, finding (and sending them home) venture capitalists, and why it's good to just get started.

How companies become attractive employers: Employer branding can not be prescribed

Employer branding is also important, especially for small businesses. Because if a company is attractive to Candidate is made, it must automatically become attractive for its employees. Tight markets always have good effects.

With “Employer Branding” Katja Nagel has written a book that Strategy- and HR- Those responsible in the company ideas provides the best framework conditions to become an attractive employer.

What to do when good people are rare?

Because take a close look: What keeps the best people in your Industry from working for you? Or what can you do to ensure that the best people in your industry break into your booth?

The right weapon in the “war for talent” seemed to have been found in the 90s. With “employer branding”, companies were focused on the Objective geared towards an attractive “employerBrand" to become.

Employer branding increases satisfaction

The on account worked out. And even more. Because companies that rely on employer branding increase the satisfaction levels of the entire workforce, reduce sick leave and even theft rate.

Today it is therefore no longer a question of “whether”, but rather “how” of employer branding. The expert Katja Nagel provides very good insights in her book “Employer Branding”, which has now been published by Linde.

Bad working atmosphere with little return

Whether it’s a start-up or an international corporation – employees are primarily looking for a good working atmosphere, a challenging one Tasks, the possibilities for Further Training as well as a company in Future a lot can still be expected.

In order to make this list of preferences editable for companies, Katja Nagel distills the main “drivers” of “employer attractiveness”. In this way, every company can see which adjustment screws need to be turned and where the company's good performance only needs to be communicated accordingly.

The good guys are doing it

What Katja Nagel describes here is well to the point, but not new. Her book is useful when the author makes use of her good contacts.

After all, as a business owner with a lot of group experience, most recently as a communication and strategy manager at O2 Germany, many doors were open to her. And so she provides in this book illuminating case studies on Employer Branding from the best addresses.

Case studies from practice

With Siemens, Bertelsmann, SAP, Unilever and Roland Berger. And the case studies Omicron electronics and compeople AG show that employer branding can also create the special “spirit” in medium-sized companies:

Employer branding was practiced here rather than “implemented”. And that shows: You won't find a great employer by talking, but by acting. Because it unfolds its Effect from the inside out and thus also systematically takes into account the value of each individual employee as an "ambassador" of the company.

Proudly you can not prescribe

It is no wonder that employer branding is now considered an important tool for corporate positioning. But it also shows that the tools of consumer branding at Employer Branding do not help.

Because whether a company is considered an “attractive employer” can also be seen from the fact that the employees are proud to work for the company. And you cannot prescribe pride. You can only be proud if the general conditions are right.

B2B - job without regular training

So far, I've reviewed numerous books, which tended to be the soft-skill topics. Now it was once again time for hard-hitting sales knowledge. After all, it is also important that the checkout is right, or is an important aspect.

Sales is a difficult business. And a particularly responsible one at that. Because it's about a lot of money. And mostly complicated products. The sales teams and Seller in B2B business are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of a product or even an entire company. And yet there is no regular training for this job.

The book “Hot on cold calling” by the professional Tim Taxis is therefore extremely important. I recommend it to all entrepreneurs to bring sales up to scratch. And all sellers who want to fill up their commission account.

There is no way around the phone

The focus of the book is cold calling by telephone. Because B2B products usually have a limited number of potential customers. And with them it is important to Conversation get.

That does not work eMail, And that is not possible by spontaneous appearance at the customer. Remains the phone. So pick up the handset, choose and - avoid the click-surring effect.

The deadly click-surr-effect

Sales-Professionals know that. You call and the person called puts the record on: “No, Thank you, we are already taken care of”. Tim Taxis calls it the click-surr effect. You press play (click) and the other player unwinds his record (surr). That's what happens when you get the wrong one Method applies.

And that's why Tim Taxis shows in his book what sellers can do to prevent this effect. For example, through consistent change of perspective. By practicing an opening greeting. Or by using positive speech patterns.

Please do not warn meeMail!

In “Hot for cold calling”, Tim Taxis lets the spark jump. Anyone who is even a little bit motivated for their job will be keen to try out the new methods right away. Because taxis succeed in showing the structures and laws of the sales process.

Sellers are confirmed with their experiences - and they learn to “read” these experiences again. You will find many practical tips and hints in this book. For example, that a call is better not through one eMail is being prepared ("Do you have mine eMail to get?" is one of the most boring and least promising entry points).

I do not need it.

The quality of Tim Taxis' book is also reflected in the fact that he covers the usual Background put to the test. And not as a provocation, but as intelligent questioning. The result is, among other things, a differentiated and productive discussion of the topic of “benefit argumentation”.

Tim Taxis breaks it down into "arguments from the customer's point of view", differentiates between features, advantages and benefits and shows that, in addition to the business benefit, there is also a personal benefit (e.g Status, Anxiety, security...) of the buyer plays an essential role. Conclusion: Very well suited for self-study and training for all B2B salespeople and sales departments.

The big book for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs:

There are very few books dedicated to the needs of medium-sized entrepreneurs. The new book of Cay of Fournier is one such. And indeed a very good, which is why I liked to have reviewed it.

Entrepreneurs have one outstanding characteristic that sets them apart from most others: they have courage. And with that they are exploring new territory. It doesn't matter whether someone opens a hairdressing salon or a high-tech company. It is always a departure into an absolutely uncertain future.

With courage and responsibility

And usually there is also the responsibility for them Family and for a growing number of employees. The demands on structures, methods and tools grow with each passing day.

For only those will be rewarded who develop the skills to sail on the high seas in good time. In his opulently furnished book "Unternehmer-Energy” Cay von Fournier teaches exactly these skills to entrepreneurs at the highest level.

High book art with wow effect

It is not an ordinary book, which the CEO of the SchmidtColleg presents here. With its over 2 kilo weight, its oversized format and its 400 richly illustrated pages it has become a large compendium of the company management.

No linear book in which one has to fight from side to side, but a splendid book, in which one just as gladly leafs as reads. And in which you get valuable and often surprising suggestions on each side.

The more chaotic the markets, the more important corporate governance is with system

That is at the heart of the book System "Leadership Energy" in which all essential areas of corporate management are systematically examined. The advantage of the system is that it enables corporate management to be experienced as a holistic process.

In this belong the Health of the employee and the entrepreneur as well as the correct use of organizational aids, a comprehensible controlling and the clear Definition of corporate goals. All against the background, one Organization to build and run that contributes to a “humane market economy”.

A cornucopia of ideas and tools

Woven into the dramaturgy of the book are interesting examples of best practice, exciting portraits of entrepreneurs and practical tools such as monthly reports or “responsibility contracts”.

Huge input for medium-sized entrepreneurs - entertaining, full of aha effects, written without technical jargon, but in the language of entrepreneurs.

Too much self-promotion, but great tips

For so much class one can forgive the author even the sometimes somewhat applied self-promotion!

My conclusion: “UnternehmerEnergie” by Cay von Fournier is an excellent book for entrepreneurs because it helps to systematize and successfully master the diverse requirements. ”

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