Summer Books to Help You Become a Best Seller

One way to alleviate the guilt of taking time off is to bring along a book that might help you run your business better. Here are some new ones that are worth packing.

“Stop and Sell the Roses: Lessons From Business and Life,” by Jim McCann, is perfect beach reading. The founder and president of 1-800-FLOWERS shares insights and advice in a lively style. McCann, a New York social worker before he became a florist, has a warm, people-oriented management style worth emulating (Ballantine Books, $25).

For more inspiration, Cynthia Kersey’s “Unstoppable” presents 45 stories of “perseverance and triumph from people just like you.” Although the multiple typefaces and poor graphics are distracting, the profiles offer an inspiring view of what keeps people going when the going gets tough. People ranging from comedian Joan Rivers to Kinko’s founder Paul Orfalea are featured (Sourcebooks, $12.95).

If expanding overseas is in your company’s future, check out “Global Gold” by Ruth Stanat. The comprehensive book features contributions on doing business abroad from a variety of experts. Stanat, who runs a global market-research firm, claims she provides $1 million worth of market research between the covers of her book. I’m not sure about the dollar value, but you will learn the ins and outs of doing business in scores of countries.

For instance, be sure to rest up before a trip to Brazil because business dinners there start as late as 10 p.m. And don’t schedule a trip to China around the Chinese New Year because the noise from firecrackers makes working nearly impossible. The book also features a detailed international reference guide with hundreds of contact names, phone numbers and addresses (Amacom Books, $35).

Financial books can be a snore, but here are three lively ones. “Going Public,” by James B. Arkebauer with Ron Schultz, spells out everything you need to know about selling stock to the public. It begins with a list of questions to ask yourself and takes you through the often baffling regulatory process. The authors explain in detail all the forms and reports you need to prepare before making a stock offering, as well as the dos and don’ts of going public in today’s economy (Dearborn Financial Publishing, $29.95).

“Financing Your Business Dreams With Other People’s Money,” by Harold Lacy, offers basic advice to novice business owners. His highlighted “secrets” are not very secret if you’ve ever borrowed money or met with a banker, but the book is very easy to read. It includes a government-issued, state-by-state financial resource guide with lots of phone numbers (Sage Creek Press, $15.95).

Joseph Krallinger’s “Mergers & Acquisitions: Managing the Transaction” is a sophisticated book written for business owners thinking of buying another company or being acquired. Krallinger, a veteran CPA and businessman who has negotiated dozens of big and small deals around the world, knows what he’s talking about. The book includes samples of model letters of intent and confidentiality agreements. It also features extensive checklists and tips to help you cover all the bases before signing a deal (McGraw-Hill, $55).

Without customers, we’d all be out of business, so here are two new customer-service books worth reading. “Outrageous! Unforgettable Service--Guilt-Free Selling,” by T. Scott Gross, is bursting with enthusiasm--and some great examples you can put to work. Gross’ four steps to salvaging an upset customer are easy to follow: establish rapport by letting the customer know you are on his or her side; discover the problem by listening to what went wrong; offer a complete solution after asking the customer what he or she wants done; and cement the relationship by apologizing again (Amacom, $19.95).

“Customer Service Nightmares,” by Nancy Friedman, offers 100 tales of “the worst experiences possible and how they could have been fixed.” Some of these experiences are so awful, it’s hard to believe they’re true. It’s a quick, worthwhile read for anyone dealing with the public or planning to.

July 31 is the deadline to enter your card in this year’s Best and Worst Business Card in America contest. Send your business card to the Applegate Group, Box 768, Pelham, NY 10803. Winners will be announced in a future column.

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Jane Applegate is author of “201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business.” For more resources and to contact her on the Internet, visit https://www.janeapplegate.com.