Boost your business with a book

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author, Better Than Before, Big Magic, bloggers, Boss, building a brand, business books, business plan, Colin Barrow, cyber safe, designer, easy to follow advice, easy to read, Elizabeth Gilbert, employee, fear, Fiona Humberstone, food for thought, getting ahead, Gretchen Rubin, How to Style Your Brand, imposter syndrome, industry experts, Jen Sincero, John McLachlan & Karen Meager, knowledge, Little Black Book: A Toolkit for Working Women, love, make money, negotiating payments, networking, new, Otegha Uwagba, pages, photographer, power, practical advice, public speaker, read, self employed, self-sabotaging beliefs, sing, smart way, Starting a Business for Dummies, success, The Million Dollar Blog, Time Mastery: Banish Time Management Forever, transition, vision, work life balance, writer, You Are a Badass

With more and more people working for themselves, there has never been such a wealth of business books available to increase the knowledge of the self-employed.

We have had a look at some of our favourite reads and hope they will be food for thought for you too.

The Little Black Book: A Toolkit for Working Women is a ‘must have’ book every creative woman should buy. Otegha Uwagba’s compact companion is full of easy to follow advice and gives you a basic understanding of what you need when to do it comes to getting ahead. Whether it’s negotiating payments, building a brand, networking or being a confident public speaker, this book gives you insight and confidence and because it’s light, you can read on your commute.

Getting your branding right is paramount, and Fiona Humberstone can help you nail it from the start if you read How to Style Your Brand. From finding a brand focus, to creating an overall vision and how to the power of colour, this book can take you from OK to amazing.

If running late is your thing then Time Mastery: Banish Time Management Forever, by John McLachlan & Karen Meager, is the book for you. The authors teach you to make the most of your time so you can do the things that are most important to you and aren’t always chasing your tail.

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert might not sound like a business book but this outstanding author shares her wisdom and unique understanding of creativity, so that readers can deal with what they most love, and fear. Whether you’re a writer, photographer, designer or PR, this book will help you look at your business, and your life, in a whole new way.

Starting your own business can be a huge learning curve and a reliable place to start is with Starting a Business for Dummies. The name shouldn’t put you off because Colin Barrow offers solid ideas and advice that can help you navigate the transition from employee to boss. Whether you need help writing your first business plan, want details about funding or want to keep cyber safe, this book really gets to the point so you aren’t left in the dark.

Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin is a best seller around the world for good reason. Her easy to read book is full of practical advice and strategies on how to create a true work life balance and gets you thinking about what really matters to you.

If you want to know how to blog and make money from blogging, you need a copy of The Million Dollar Blog. Natasha Courtenay Smith has combined practical advice with interviews from industry experts so new bloggers and vloggers can get out there and make money the smart way.

If self-sabotaging beliefs and feelings of imposter syndrome get in the way of your success, read You Are a Badass and the pages will simply sing to you. Jen Sincero will change your beliefs and show you why you are how you are, how you can love what you can’t change, change what you don’t love, and be the success you deserve to be.

Got a book you love, let us know about it.

Team Pure-Beauty

Get on your bike

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bag, bigger, bike, Bike Week, challenge, clean, cycle, employee, environment, equipment, faster, fit, fresh, Government’s Cycle to Work scheme, handles, HR, layered, lights, lock, office, official, organisation, padded shorts, parking, pavements, red lights, reflective, road, rucksack, rules of the road, showers, taffic, tax, vital, work, workplace

11-19th June is Bike Week, an annual event that promotes cycling and demonstrates how it can easily become a part of your everyday life.

This year the main focus is on cycling to work, so we have had a look at how to get started.

First things first, you need a bike. If you already have one, make sure it is in good working order and if you haven’t used it for a while, take it to your local bike shop for a service. If you don’t own a bike, start with something simple, functional and ensure it is the right size for you. There are some great bikes on the market and you might be able to pick up a good second hand cycle that will ease you into this lifestyle change without making a massive financial investment.

You might want to take a look at the Government’s Cycle to Work scheme; an employee benefit that provides tax savings on bikes and equipment.

Get a helmet. No they aren’t cool but protecting your head is key to safe cycling, so make it a priority. It is also a good idea to invest in bright, reflective clothing especially for the evening and winter commute, as well as decent lights for your bike.

Always carry spare inner tubes, tire levers and a pump in case you get a flat and learn how to use them too.

It is one thing driving or getting the bus to work, but cycling needs a little more planning. You ideally want to find a route where you can use roads with dedicated bike lanes or take the quieter streets with slower speed limits. Ensure there is good lighting as this will make you feel more confident and safer.

Trial the route before you use it for work as this will help you feel prepared. Once you are happy with the route, leave early the first few times you do it for real. Giving yourself an extra 15 minutes will help you relax so you can deal with any unexpected traffic or delays calmly and not get stressed or nervous. Once you get in the swing of things you will find you simply take these in your stride, or peddle!

Be aware of the road and the traffic around you. Buses, cars and lorries are bigger and faster than you so it is vital that you keep focused and in their view. It is also important that you follow the rules of the road and never cycle on the wrong side, don’t use pavements and always stop at red traffic lights.

Whilst you can wear your work clothes for cycling, many people prefer to change into them when they arrive so they feel clean and fresh. As well as the reflective clothing we have mentioned, you may want to wear padded shorts or tights and go for layered clothing, as you will work up a sweat. A rucksack means you are free of a bag on your handles and you can also keep your lock in this.

Find out what facilities your workplace offers cyclists. Ask colleagues or HR about cycle parking, showers and a place to store your gear. If there isn’t anything official in place, see what can be organised and you might be surprised by how many other people want to get involved but were to scared to ask.

Cycling with a friend can be fun so see if anyone else is up for the challenge or maybe someone in the office is looking for a buddy to join them?

Most of all, remember that cycling is meant to be fun. Yes it is a great way to get fit and you will be doing your bit for the environment, but try to relax and take it easy. You want riding to be enjoyable, so do it when you feel like it and if it is raining or you don’t feel 100%, give it a miss and try again the next day.

Stay safe and cycle happy.