Rework by Jason Fried and David Hansson

In the words of Seth Godin, this book will make you very uncomfortable and that is a good thing.

I love this book!

It’s an out of the box view of how to start and run a modern business. With chapter titles such as Meetings are Toxic, Your Estimates Suck, Drug Dealers get it Right and Resumes are Ridiculous,  Jason and David have turned the business world on its head.

In the spirit of this book, I’m keeping this review short and simple. This book is easy to read, straight forward, honest and cutting edge. Buy it, borrow it, read it.

I watched this movie again last night and I forgot how good of a flick it was. Definitely worth the rent. I’m not sure if this one is on the Netflix instant queue yet.

It’s called Layer Cake.

“The art of good business is being a good middle man.” – This movie really drove that point home. For me, this was an incredibly powerful statement. And that is why this principle has become the driving force behind several of my newest business ideas.

I recently began reading a book called The Power of Focus (Les Hewitt, Mark Hansen, Jack Canfield). The authors wrote the Chicken Soup for the Soul series as well, which has sold more than 50 million copies. This is a great book! I actually put all ten of my other books away and have been FOCUSING on absorbing the material in just this one.

It has definitely affected me in a positive way. It is teaching me how to focus on the most fulfilling things in life, give up some control, delegate more and develop great habits.

It is geared towards anyone in business, but I think it is especially helpful for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs tend to be highly fragmented, unable to focus on a single thought or task. I am, which is why I started reading this book. It’s helping and I’m really enjoying it!

Reading is important. I tell that to everyone. I read at least one book a week even though I don’t have the time. How you ask??

I recently discovered audiobooks on Itunes. They have a good selection and you can find more on Amazon as well. At first, I didn’t think I would enjoy listening to books rather than reading them. My mind changed quickly.

Listening to a book on your Ipod or phone is easy and convenient. It allows you to perform other tasks simultaneously as well, such as driving or working out.

I like to cycle often. Instead of listening to music during my workouts, I listen to books. Whenever I’m driving or doing a mundane task that requires little brain power, I listen to a book. It’s great and I’m learning so much!

I highly recommend it to everyone. You don’t have to worry about reading glasses, eye strain or books cluttering your shelves!

I wanted to share one of my favorite movies with you. It’s definitely in my top 5! This is the true story about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and their respective businesses. If you don’t already know the story, this movie will change the way you view a lot of things!

These guys are geniuses. There’s no arguing that. But I sure as hell would never turn my back on one of them if they had a knife in their hands.

Business can be cutthroat, especially if one plans to make it all the way to the top. This story does an amazing job of displaying that.

I’m sure you can find it on Netflix or in Blockbuster. Definitely worth the buy if you can find it on Amazon.

PhillyKitchenShare.com

This new business is based on a model that I’ve always been interested in. Their website is horrible, but the idea itself is very interesting. There are numerous chefs, bakers and caterers in the industry that simply cannot afford their own facilities to operate in. Perhaps they only want to work part time or maybe they just can’t raise enough capital to build a commercial kitchen (a common occurrence in this economy). Whatever the reason may be, having the ability to rent a commercial kitchen for a flat daily fee can open a lot of doors, reduce a lot of headaches and hedge a lot of risk!

Laundromats, self serve car washes, Kinkos and do it yourself pet grooming stores are some existing concepts that follow this model in the consumer market.

What other areas in the professional market could this concept be applied? Machining & fabrication, automotive maintenance and wood working come to mind. Any industry in which the cost of entry (expensive equipment, etc.) is high may benefit from this kind of business model.

Can you think of any?