Readers Make More Money
By Dana
We've all heard the old adage "Time = Money", but here's a new and possibly even astounding equation:
Reading = Money
Even in tough economic times, according to several recent studies, business people who read at least seven business books a year earn over 2.3 times more than those who read only one book per year.
Why? One reason is they have a constant flow of new ideas and strategies they can use to help their careers, their teams and their companies. And given all the layoffs and other challenges during this recession, doing everything you can to help your company is not only smart, it's critical.
Maybe this is nothing new to you; in fact, there's another study out there that found that nearly 75% of all managers understand the correlation between reading and competitive advantage. So if you're saying to yourself, I get it -- but who has time to stick their nose in a book? ... let me suggest something that might help. It's a fast read (I promise) by Laura Vanderkam titled 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. Many business people would describe their lives as a frenzied treadmill of 24/7 connectivity and stress, and I'd even argue that small business owners have it worse than most. It's hard to give yourself permission to take downtime and actually enjoy it when you're feeling pressured from every corner. But wouldn't it be nice to play a round of golf or sit on the sidelines of a soccer game without thinking about payroll, or human resource issues, or redesigning your business cards, or your next product launch, or your social networking strategy? Vanderkam didn’t just envy the high-achievers who still manage to perform in community theater, engage in regular date nights, write poetry, and raise Yorkies. She set out to learn how they do it. Her compelling book is not just another future garage sale item on how to manage your day – you’ll be glad you took the time to learn what she has to say.
Providing practical ideas that drive success is the keystone of the Business Audio Plus philosophy, and that's why we feature a business book in every issue of our monthly newsletter, The Microphone. If you're not yet subscribing, please contact Lauren and have your name added to our distribution list. And if you've recently read a business book you'd like us to feature, please tell us about it.
* Sources: United States Department of Labor, Survey by Yahoo! Chief Solutions Officer Tim Sanders and Business Majors, Survey by Bersin & Associates, How Executives Stay Informed.
