Eight Indie Books That Celebrate Women as Entrepreneurs
Indies can’t get enough of career and business books by and for women. There are several good reasons for that, beginning with the fact that currently, more women than men live in the United States (161 million vs. 156.1 million men as of December 2013, reports the US Census Bureau).
Another good reason: Female entrepreneurs are starting an estimated 1,200 new businesses each day, according to research conducted by American Express OPEN. Four out of ten new firms are started by women, and there are more than 9 million women-owned businesses in the United States.
Females are on the rise in America’s Fortune 500 as well. Of the fifty most powerful women in business, a record twenty-four of them are the CEOs of large companies, reports Fortune in its 2014 feature, Most Powerful Women in Business. For example, Ginni Rometty is chairman, CEO, and president of IBM, Mary Barra is CEO of General Motors, and Indra Nooyi is chairman and CEO of PepsiCo.
Despite lingering concerns about pay inequity (the Institute for Women’s Policy Research reports that female full-time workers made only 78 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2013), this is an era in which women are breaking business barriers.
To acknowledge and celebrate that reality, here are our picks for the top eight indie titles by, for, and about women in business.
Briefcase Essentials: Discover Your 12 Natural Talents for Achieving Success in a Male-Dominated Workplace by Susan T. Spencer (Greenleaf Book Group)
Spencer, who worked in male-dominated businesses such as professional football and started several companies of her own, organizes her award-winning book around twelve specific abilities. She relates many of her own engaging stories along the way. Our reviewer wrote that Briefcase Essentials shows “how readers can use the feminine traits of intuition and compassion in promoting positive business outcomes by engaging in effective communication and problem solving with their colleagues in and out of the workplace.”
Careerpreneurs: Lessons from Leading Women Entrepreneurs on Building a Career Without Boundaries by Dorothy Perrin Moore (Davies-Black Publishing)
This book by Moore, an international authority on women’s entrepreneurship, provides real-world case studies of women who started businesses. Careerpreneurs is an IndieFab Gold Award Winner. “What makes this book particularly interesting,” wrote our reviewer, “is that not all of the women profiled knew from the start that they would have entrepreneurial careers. This may provide the inspiration or encouragement for readers considering a change in their own careers.”
Executive Advantage: Resilient Leadership for 21st Century Organizations by Jacqui Grey (Kogan Page)
Executive Advantage is not gender-specific; the advice doled out by leadership development consultant Grey is relevant to anyone facing the considerable task of running a business or managing people. Still, Grey devotes an entire chapter, titled “Women on the Edge,” to such compelling issues as self-confidence, using gender difference in a nonstereotyped way, and the special challenge of being a gay woman in business.
Liber8 Your Business: The Revolutionary Business Planning Technique that will Set Every Small Business Owner Free by Laura Humphreys (Liber8me)
Humphreys, who developed and sold two successful businesses of her own, now sees her mission as helping others. The award-winning Liber8 Your Business is certainly relevant to both men and women; in fact, Humphreys largely writes from a gender-neutral perspective. However, she is not afraid to share how she dealt with the personal challenges of being a woman entrepreneur, such as when her marriage disintegrated. Supplemented by a workbook, Humphreys’ eight-stage approach to achieving financial success through freedom will enlighten and guide any entrepreneur.
Mom, Incorporated: A Guide to Business + Baby by Aliza Sherman and Danielle Elliott Smith (Sellers Publishing)
In this IndieFab Gold Award winner, two work-from-home moms advise women on how to build a home business while managing a family. The authors cover kinds of businesses, employing the power of the Internet, funding, staffing, and more. Our reviewer wrote, “Their book maps out every step, from brainstorming a business to building a workspace to marketing tactics. Complete with helpful worksheets and checklists, readers will close this guidebook feeling motivated and confident that they can make it work.”
The NICE Reboot: A Guide to Becoming a Better Female Entrepreneur by Penina Rybak (Maven House Press)
Entrepreneur Penina Rybak directly targets other female entrepreneurs in a book that centers around the author’s “NICE” philosophy (Nice, Informed, Competent, Entrepreneurial). Interestingly, Rybak celebrates women who break through two barriers—becoming entrepreneurs and being tech savvy. She includes plenty of advice and resources in both areas, balancing the worlds of business and technology with the real-world concepts of kindness and values.
Would YOU Want to Work for YOU?: How to Build an Executive Leadership Brand that Inspires Loyalty and Drives Employee Performance by Brenda Bence (Global Insight Communications)
Brenda Bence’s credentials are unusual enough: She is both an internationally known executive coach and a branding expert. The unique aspect of this IndieFab Bronze Award winner is the author’s approach to building a personal brand—counsel that anyone, including women on the rise, will find eye-opening. Every executive leader, says Bence, already has a brand; the question is whether they have the brand they want. “How well you manage that brand makes all the difference in your success or failure,” writes Bence. “Indeed, without a brand, your chances of making it to the upper echelons of any organization are limited.”
Your Career, Your Way: Personal Strategies to Achieve Your Career Aspirations by Lisa Quast (Career Woman)
Lisa Quast takes readers through a step-by-step strategic plan for career management in this IndieFab Bronze Award Winner. Quast, a former Fortune 500 executive and women’s career coach, helps women review their assets and liabilities, determine their differentiators, obtain feedback, identify and evaluate competitors, determine goals, and create, implement, and monitor a strategic career plan. Plus, she offers advice on how to celebrate and reward achievements.
Barry Silverstein is a business writer, author, and marketing consultant. You can follow him on Twitter @bdsilv.
Barry Silverstein
