Growing a business by Paul Hawken

With my current intention in becoming self employed, I’m soaking up all kinds of good advice about how to make a successful business.  This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I’m happy to recommend it on to anybody in business.  It’s not so much a guide how to “grow” a business, as a collection of topics, thoughts and stories which the author found relevant.  It has many good ideas, and guidelines, which I think I can best summarise as “be nice” – to your customers and employees.  It won’t tell you how to run your business, but it might help you realise what is really important, and what the most productive steps to becoming successful will be for you.

It’s an easy read with lots (sometimes just one too many) anecdotes supporting his ideas, and as a result it’s not all dry theory: it’s funny too.  It is aimed at the American reader, focusing on American models and businesses, but I think the business model which he hails would be successful in any part of the world.  Another interesting element is that the book was written in the mid eighties, but many of the points which Paul says are central to a good business are (if not in their entirety) what we know from, and for which we respect companies like Toyota, Amazon and Google – long after the book was written.

It’s true – I haven’t told you much about what’s in the book… for that you’ll just have to read it!

Who wants to borrow my copy?

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