Now that’s we’ve given you a list of the five best books for small business owners, we’d like to suggest some more great material: Ted Talks!
There’s a good reason why TED Talks have grown to be so popular. They feature compelling thought leaders and experts, they are easy and accessible to consume, and they offer instant inspiration. In other words, TED Talks are definitely worth 10-minutes of your attention. The only problem is choosing the best ones for your goals as a small business owner or entrepreneur.
Well, we’ve solved that for you! We’ve gone through dozens of useful and powerful TED Talks to curate the absolute best ones for small business owners. Best of all, you can watch them all within an hour’s lunch break (which you should definitely take!).
Here are the top five Ted Talks for small business owners and entrepreneurs:
1. What Customers Want
If you want to dive into how and why customers make decisions, then Joseph Pine, author of “Mass Customization,” has some great insights for you. Pine explains how customers seek authentic experiences and messaging, and offers advice on how to create a sense of authenticity even if your product is mass produced.
2. Why the best hire might not have the perfect resume
As a small business owner or entrepreneur, your hiring decisions can make or break your business. The obvious choice might be to hire the candidate with the most impressive resume. But human resources expert Regina Hartley explains why you need to dig deeper than what’s on paper. Watch her TED Talk to hear why you should “hire the scrapper.”
3. How great leaders inspire action
Not everyone is a natural-born leader. But, you can emulate and develop leadership skills by understanding how great leaders succeed in inspiring others to take action. Famed marketing expert Simon Sinek delves into the his theory, called the “Golden Circle,” to explain the qualities and conditions that produce amazing leadership. USing famous examples of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Apple’s Steve Jobs, Sinek examines the patterns and common attributes that give leaders their edge.
4. Do what you love. (No excuses!)
Entrepreneur and thought leader Gary Vaynerchuck takes the TED stage to remind business owners what matters most: doing what you love. Running your own business is no small undertaking, and this talk is a terrific way to remind yourself why you chose to do it. It also explores the true meaning of doing what you love, and not what simply what earns you the greatest bottom line or independence.
5. Two reasons companies fail and how to avoid them
The “F” word is a frightening thought in the small business world. We’ve all heard the statistics of how often new ventures fail. So what does it take to survive? IMD’s Knut Haanaes explains that the key to creating a viable, lasting business is to strike a balance between doing what you are good at and seeking new ideas and ways to innovate your business.