Small Business Essentials

What is an E-Book? It’s basically just a regular book or booklet in digital format. It can come in many formats, some requiring special readers and some not, but the basic premise is that you can download the book and read it on your computer or an e-book reader. The importance of an e-book, however, is not what it is, but what it can do for you. This is what I shall be discussing today.

Benefits for Small Business Owners
(as Consumers and Knowledge Sponges)

While there are many, many e-books out there, some are good and some are bad. (I recommend getting your e-book from a reliable source – or at least take the information with a grain of salt just like you would with any business advice.) Somewhere in this sea of books, there is a wealth of wonderful information that is available to you free of charge. Many of these excellent e-books are in a more booklet-like format as well, so you can get all the information you need in a quick, condensed format.

The e-book format is also easier to discuss with your colleagues in places like the StartupNation Community. Due to the easy download and short form of the e-book, it is more likely that you can get others to read it and discuss it with you. (If other business owners have to purchase the book and spend a few weeks reading it, you will probably end up with less people to discuss it with. A short read and free download means you can get the discussion going within an hour or 2 of posting the link!) This adds value to the e-book, as you can gain additional knowledge by discussing the e-book with others who may have different perspectives and experiences than you do.

Benefits for Small Business Owners
(as Businesses and Marketing Professionals)

Seth Godin coined a concept called "Ideavirus". Essentially, you put yourself out there and watch it spread across the internet like a virus. Sure, you are not making any money by releasing your e-book for free. But by getting your ideas out there and letting them spread freely, your name is now everywhere. This can lead to many things, including more business, more strategic contacts, and even calls from publishers who would like you to expand on your e-book and make it into a full-length publication. We’ll call this "internet karma" – you’ll set your ideas free (not all of your ideas, but some) and they will come back to you in amazing ways. It’s the "Pay It Forward" system in the internet marketing world!

Some Really Valuable (and Free!) E-Books for Small Businesses

• Bootstrapper’s Bible: Seth Godin’s Guide to Starting a Business with Little or No Money
• Digital Window Shopping Report by ScanAlert
• Everyone is an Expert: Seth Godin’g Guide to Squidoo
• Flipping the Funnel: Seth’s Godin’s guide to using your biggest fans to market for you.
• A Guide to Business Blogging v2 by the Blog Studio
• Knock Knock: Seth Godin’s Incomplete Guide to Building a Website that Works

Additional Resources

• Formats and History of E-Booking (from Wikipedia)
• How to Make an E-Book (on Squidoo)

Good luck and Happy E-Booking! I’ll post more links as I find them. I’m always happy to pass on a good find! (And of course, when I stop being lazy and write my own, I’ll give you the link to that as well.) If you have any good e-books, add them to the list by commenting below! (One note: They must be free content and not require log-in to download. If you’d like to link to your non-free e-book, you can contact me about advertising on this site.)