Wednesday, June 27, 2012

New Business Titles

Breakthrough Branding: How Smart Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs Transform A Small Idea into A Big Brand Kaputa, Catherine, c2012. [On order by EPL]
"how-to-brand" book, in which the author points out that the small idea is best. She describes simple approaches to the brand promise, positioning, verbal and visual identities, and marketing, all of which can help a small business owner position his or her enterprise.

By Invitation Only : How We Built Gilt Groupe and Changed the Way Millions Shop.

Maybank, Alexis and Alexandra Wilkis, c2012  [381.142 Mayba.A]
Maybank and Wilson started the online business, Gilt.com.  In this book, they discuss how they solved practical and strategic problems, including choosing the right new hires for their growing business and appealing to male consumers. The authors provide helpful checklists, as well as concise overviews of their respective leadership styles. Their combined expertise can help any budding entrepreneur launch a new business.

Entrepreneurship Quizzes: 12 Easy tests to Help You Become Successfully Self-Employed Liptak, John J., c2012.   [658.1141 Lipta.J]
The book takes readers through a four-step self-reflection process assessing readiness, determining a business type, overcoming barriers, and maintaining momentum designed to help readers find their own path to self-employment success. The appendix includes an extensive list of self-employment resources for readers to explore that are tied to their responses. (Amazon.com)

The Loyalty Leap Turning Customer Information into Customer Intimacy.  Pearson, Bryan, c2012. [ 658.8343 Pears.B]
The author discusses components of the loyalty bond, how to engender it, and the roadblocks one may encounter in the process. Additionally, he outlines tactics to avoid--such as the creepy and the invasive--since data acquisition and mining are such crucial elements of loyalty development.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Language skills for business owners and others


If you do business in or need to communicate with other countries, you will be interested in Mango Languages, a language learning tool that you can access with your Evanston Public Library card.  The interactive software allows you to practice speaking another language in the comfort and privacy of your own home or office.  Choose from Spanish, French, German, Arabic and many other languages.  Mango uses real-life situations and actual conversations to teach a new language more effectively .  Or, if you or your employees are non-native English speakers, you can take advantage of the "English as a Second Language" options that Mango offers.  English courses for speakers of French, Chinese, Polish, Spanish and a number of other languages are also available.