WordBiz Summer Update: book winners + gratis teleconference + summer reading

If you'd like to participate in this 1-hour audio conference, just send a blank email to seminar@1shoppingcart.com. You'll get the details for how to dial in by return email, along with a link to download the PDF agenda.

Hint: one of my low-cost tips is a clever idea for your business card...

I use 1shoppingcart.com for WordBiz and highly recommend them as an all-in-one shopping cart service, particularly if you're selling downloadable digital products.

They asked if I'd be one of their guest experts as part of their continuing educational seminar series. Hope you'll tune in Thursday.

Summer is a great time to catch up with your reading. My college-age daughter Amanda & I are partial to a genre we refer to as "pink books." I.e. British chic-lit. Smart and funny... and basically trash. They usually have pink covers. We like Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series.

Another favorite is Allison Pearson's I Don't Know How She Does It. (Thanks to reader Ann Bloch for reminding me about this one... also chic-lit has no"k"!)

On a more serious note, I've got a stack of business management books on my desk that I can't wait to dive into this month. One is Jim Collins' "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't."

Yes, I know this book (a Wall Street Journal bestseller) was published in 2001. I never got around to it.

I'm particularly intrigued with Collins' "Hedgehog Concept" - a combination of what you're best at, what you're most passionate about... and what your target market will buy from you.

Another author I'm devouring this month is management consultant Alan Weiss, the guru of value-based fees.

If you haven't seen the newest version of his "Million Dollar Consulting," I recommend it. Ditto for his information-packed and brand new "Getting Started in Consulting, 2nd edition " It's basically a re-packaging of Million Dollar Consulting in a shorter, better organized format.

BTW, one of my favorite e-newsletters is Michael McLoughlin's ManagementConsultingNews.com. It's published religiously on the first Tuesday of every month. Well-written, informative and always interesting.

Michael has teamed up with Jay Conrad Levinson to write Guerilla Marketing for Consultants. It's due out in October, 2004.

What's on your must-read list?
What's on your list of must-read business books? I'd love to hear. Drop me a line by sending an email to wordbiz@yahoo.com.

Put "Books" in your Subject Line. I'll print some of your suggestions in an upcoming issue of the newsletter.

Warm regards,