Scale

June 16, 2014
Aimed at small business owners, this book by Priceline founding team member Hoffman and Maui Mastermind CEO Finkel (Build a Business, Not a Job) provides “guiding principles and the concrete formulas” that will take companies to the next level, either by selling it or owning it “passively.” The energetic authors first address some of the common mistakes that business owners make, such as centralizing control. They include brief examples taken from companies they’ve advised in the past and list a wide range of practical steps to success. They suggest helpful team exercises, pose key questions to stimulate discussion, and review sales/marketing, operations, and financial “pillars.” This is followed by tips on how to streamline systems and procedures that will get company owners out of the muck of minutiae while still allowing them to respond to standard excuses from employees (“You do have the time”). This well-written, well-organized book will help business owners who want to enjoy a life beyond business. Agent: Jim Levine, Levine, Greenberg, and Rostan.

July 1, 2014
Similar books on growing a business exist (such as Making Money Is Killing Your Business!, 2010, by Chuck Blakeman and Caleb Seeling), yet none give entrepreneur owners a template to attend to their company successfully. Serial CEO (Priceline.com) Hoffman and author-businessman Finkel do just that through their seven principles, which, instead of referencing philosophies, are based in practicalities. Who could resist such templates as 25 things you can ask your assistant to do to leverage your time? The authors are sensibleand humorous, to boot. How better to get across the idea of ceding control than by posing the question, What would you, Ms. Owner, do if you were hit by a bus? Quizzes, examples, checklists, and questions to ask appear on almost every page. There's a simple sweet-spot analysis tool to identify the best (or worst) of your business model. A three-best-ideas chart will resonate with those who've struggled to hire and retain a team. A one-page quarterly report, boiled down from the strategic business plan, gives quick highlights to all individuals involved in the company. Almost every chapter provides the kind of pragmatic support new business owners needand deserve.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)