I will update this from time to time.  I’ll try to post the less obvious ones.

In no particular order:

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement

Eliyahu M. Goldratt (Author), Jeff Cox (Author)

The Goal is a great business book that is also an entertaining read.  It is part of almost every MBA reading list in the world – and for good reason.

Goldratt weaves a nice tale of plant manager’s journey of trying to improve the plant he works at.  Along the way, we learn the Theory of Constraints (TOC) and basic methodology for continuous process improvement.

This book was the first glimpse I ever had at the power of driving operational performance.  I changed the way I thought about things forever.

All Marketers are Liars (with a New Preface): The Underground Classic That Explains How Marketing Really Works–and Why Authenticity Is the Best Marketing of All

Seth Godin (Author)

You can’t go wrong with Seth Godin books – I’ve read them all, and his blog is one that I visit daily.

I especially like this one – Originally released as all marketers are liars, it was updated by Seth to be a friendlier title.

What sticks in my mind is his definition of a brand as a promise… and when that promise matches our world view of ourselves, a connection is made.

Great book that puts marketing into a whole new framework – changed the way I teach marketing and build marketing plans.

Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery [Paperback]

Garr Reynolds (Author)

Take a stand… vow never again to perform “Death By Powerpoint”

Every presentation has common elements

• What you Say
• What they See
• What they Have
• What they Do

Make them all different – and wow them.  Recommended by Seth Godin.  Worth every penny.

Today I commented on his blog. He posted on Financial Projections, a topic I deal with everyday with Small business owners.

Guy only told part of the story.

He has great instructions on how to create an operation forecast – the Profit and Loss statement.  Unfortunately, this is only half the story.

Here’s my comment:

…operational (Profit and Loss) forecasts are an important part of the picture. For inventory and account receivable based businesses it is vital to forecast the balance sheet as well. The relationship between inventory and money people owe you determines a great deal about your cash flow. In the end, we need to forecast the checking account balance.

I recommend Entrepreneurs visit the Small Business Development Center – these non-profit centers are located at over 900 colleges and universities around the US, and can provide resources to help develop complete financial projections.

I am the Director in South Central Minnesota at Minnesota State University, Mankato – and we help around 350 Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs get started and grow their companies. www.myminnesotabusiness.com

First, I love being the first one up.  I have today off from work, so it promises to be a lazy day.

First, coffee.

Then, laptop on…

Check email, see a comment on a Facebook post.  Log into FaceBook and comment on a friends status.

Respond to a LinkedIn request.Find me at www.LinkedIn.com/mikenolan99

My google home page/news reader.  I follow about 10 blogs and feeds.

http://www.jamesaltucher.com/ James Altucher got the first read today. He is a New York Investor/Author/Blogger.  I started reading it on recommendation from my friend Penelope Trunk, another great blogger on my daily feed. (No new post today.)

Nice post about his wife’s bout of Lyme’s disease today.  Led me to read an older post of his. Got me thinking about my investments.

Loaded up Fool.com, read this month’s newsletter.  I subscribe to their original Stock Advisor newsletter.

I updated my investment spreadsheet. I dollar cost average – then signed on to TDAmeritrade.com to schedule some trades.

Log into Twitter, write a short post about an assignment I will be asking my students to do about LinkedIn.

Nothing new by David Pogue at the New York Times, or by Dharmesh Shah at OnStartUps.com

Over to AVC.com, Fred Wilson‘s great blog.  His MBA Monday feature is required reading in the MBA classes I teach.  Today’s post was on scaling the management team.  I even got to make the first comment.

Then on to the Mankato Free Press.  I subscribe digitally.

Instead of reading it, decided to write this post.  Now to edit, link up and post.

Then, more coffee, and my newspaper…

Have a great day.

I did have to look up the word “Quixotic.”

According to Connect editor Dan Vance, “Mike fits a wealth of cover story selection criteria, including being a highly successful businessperson, possessing a long business track record, and having the ability to spin a reader-grabbing tale.”

I just like that he compared me to a Monty Python character.

Read the full story here.

Here’s the link:

http://www.forbes.com/places/mn/mankato/

In the video “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”, Simon Sinek talks about how the average company can become successful through a great leader or leaders. He talks about Apple as an example and how they think from the inside out and instead of explaining what they do, how they do it, and why they do it, they start with explaining why they believe and do what they do and how they do it, and then last what they make. They are selling their company more so than their product. I think this video goes back a lot to our culture discussion and how the leadership of a company can really drive success. People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it and the passion, desire and leadership of a company are what drive its success.

Related articles

• How Great Leaders Inspire Action (penn-olson.com)
• A conversation with Simon Sinek, author of “Start with Why” (asable.com)

I picked this video because I felt it was a great way to introduce different leadership styles from around the world. Fields Wicker Miurin gives examples of leadership styles of three different people and why they chose to do what they do. They show us what is possible when you change the way you look at the world. The video shows how these people with little educational background became leaders without learning how to be a leader. They have qualities that leaders possess such as drive, passion, and commitment for what they do and they know that its not about them but about their communities. At the end she suggests that we should look at them as models and examples of leadership.

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I’m starting a new weekly section – and sharing insights developed by my students. I’m lucky to lead an Executive Series for Minnesota State University – Mankato. I get to interact with MBA students and executives from a variety of industries.

Each week I plan to share the thoughts and ideas generated by the students.

MBA candidate Steve Mars posted a review of a recent Wall Street Journal article:

Should You Resign To Job Hunt?

The recent Wall Street Journal article by Joann S. Lublin takes on a topic that most of us, if not all, can relate to since entering the workforce. If a person is considering a job move, is it better to look for a job while still employed or does resigning first allow for the best chance to land a more desirable position? It sounds like a scary proposition to resign without having a job waiting, so what are the risks involved besides the obvious financial ones? Ms. Lublin catches our attention in her introduction by referencing the current high unemployment rate and even uses the word crazy to describe how this type of career decision may sound to us today. She also gives us a taste of whats to come by mentioning that a person must be a well-connected A player to make it work.

One example where resigning first paid off was for Erin Ascher, Vice President of Human Resources at Omnicare, Inc. Ms. Ascher was unemployed for over a year before finding the position at Omnicare. It’s her opinion that since being an executive is already more than a full-time job it would be very difficult to pursue a new career venture while still employed. She admits later in the article that she hasn’t been made whole yet financially, but she believes that taking her time was a big factor in getting herself multiple offers and increasing her clout in compensation negotiations. Even for people seeking lower level positions having the time to look for something new is definitely a factor. And what about having the financial security to make that decision as well?

Linda Dominguez, an executive coach, cautions that even if someone has the money to search while unemployed it is still risky. She says that being unemployed is still a black mark even when searching for a high-level position. An individual can come off as sounding desperate when the stress of finding a job starts to mount, says Ms. Dominguez. It’s important to avoid looking like damaged goods.

Having the right connections is also a key when pursuing your next position. Chris Liddell of General Motors quit his position as CFO at Microsoft before landing that same role with GM. Putting together a network of contacts that are willing to introduce you to potential employers helped Mr. Liddell. On the other hand Helena Wong, a veteran marketing executive, found out how important the networking aspect really is to this discussion. Ms. Wong didn’t have time to properly network before quitting which now has made it very difficult for her to find a job.  She has been looking for almost two years and is now just getting more traction.

Ms. Lublin’s article focuses on C-level executives, however the opinions, ideas and examples stated are relevant to just about any job seeker. Having the financial resources to make this decision certainly helps, but even if that piece is removed from the discussion are the opinions presented in the article enough to make you feel good one way or the other; especially for lower level positions?

This two day training is absolutely fantastic. You will leave this with a much deeper understanding of your own company – and a tool set of killer financial tools.

My favorites: Estimate debt capacity needed for growth – step-by-step cash flow projections – and a detailed method for exploring the causes of low cash flow…

Here’s the corporate pitch… contact me for more information.

Looking to increase your financial intelligence? Want to make and keep more money in your company? Worry less about the numbers side of your business? No matter what your industry, type of company, or size, we can help you get to the next level of performance. Over the last twenty years, thousands of business owners just like yourself have applied our proven techniques to their businesses, resulting in greater profits and improved cash flow.

Here are just a few of the skills we can help you build:

* Diagnose and monitor your company’s financial performance
* Use break-even analysis to make better decisions relating to cost, price, and profits
* Avoid cash crunches and increase cash flow
* Plan for and manage growth
* Communicate more effectively with bankers and other financial professionals
* Structure a loan that’s the right fit for your business

Workshops
The material is practical, the delivery is dynamic, and the practice is hands-on. If you’d like to attend one of our live Profit Mastery workshops, contact us and we’ll find one located near you. If you have a management team or an employee group that needs to develop skills relating to the numbers side of their jobs, we will conduct an onsite program specifically tailored for your company. Or, perhaps you have a network of customers or distributors who could benefit from our program. Host a seminar and give them a true “added-value” program that will go straight to their bottom line.

Trade and Professional Associations
Our speakers mix practical techniques with plenty of humor for an exciting and compelling keynote presentation, workshop, or break-out session. We work with leading trade and professional associations in a variety of industries. If you’re tired of attending conventions that feature the same old “rah-rah” motivational speakers whose message nobody remembers when they get home, tell your association management about Business Resource Services. We get results and we get asked back, again and again.

Financial Analysis Software
FIT takes up where accounting packages let off. It’s not an accounting software but a financial analysis tool. FIT takes your financial statements and turns them into decision-making tools. FIT does ratio analysis, break-even and growth analysis, and cash budget projections for your company.
Self-study Programs
Our entire two-day seminar is available in self-study format online at Profit Mastery University. It’s great review if you’ve already attended the live program, or use it as a complete training program for yourself and/or your employees.

Performance Groups
Ready to go the next level? Join one of the on-going industry peer groups and get the support, direction and discipline needed to achieve your profit goals.

Business Coaching & Consulting
Looking for a little one-on-one advice to help you achieve your vision? We will match you with a qualified business coach or consultant, depending upon your particular situation and budget. Contact us to discuss your needs in more detail or to schedule a complimentary coaching session.