Reviews by Beth Wallace and Alexandra Johnson

Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat: Serial Entrepreneurs’ Secrets Revealed!

By Colin Campbell (Forbes Books, 2023), ebook and audiobook.

Run time: 10 hrs 5 mins

The success rate of entrepreneurs isn’t great, with 11 out of 12 startups doomed to fail. Yet, serial entrepreneurs have much greater odds: 30% if they’ve already succeeded in a prior venture, compared with first-time entrepreneurs, who only have an 18% chance of success.

Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat author Colin Campbell has been a serial entrepreneur for more than 30 years, having founded, scaled and often sold a variety of internet companies, including TUCOWS Interactive, Internet Direct Canada, GeeksForLess, Hostopia and .CLUB domains.

In this book, he shares the lessons he’s learned at each of the four stages he deems essential to entrepreneurship.

Starting from the beginning – identifying a business idea – he offers advice for putting the right story, systems, people and money in place to protect a business venture.

The scale section is particularly detailed, guiding readers to identify and take advantage of what sets their business apart; track benchmarks, key performance indicators and goals to measure and drive results; and to explore different avenues that facilitate growth.

While the exit and repeat chapters might not be relevant to every business owner, Campbell cites examples from his own experiences to illustrate the benefits of selling and starting again.

Though the book does have a US focus, most of its lessons are universally relevant, with insights from Campbell’s successes and failures providing an instructive resource for what to do – and also not do – as an entrepreneur.

Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits That Separate the Best Leaders From the Rest

By William Vanderbloemen (HarperCollins Leadership, 2023), ebook and audiobook.

Run time: 4 hrs 55 mins

When assessing job candidates, what qualities should hiring managers look for – and how can they determine whether people possess them? On the flip side, how can workers stand out from their peers to get the job they want, or become irreplaceable in their current role?

This book covers all bases, highlighting the qualities that ‘unicorns’, or people with the ‘X factor’, possess. Author William Vanderbloemen, a former pastor who now heads an executive search firm, has analysed data from thousands of job interviews to ascertain what makes these superstars so special. He has concluded that extraordinarily successful people have certain habits, skills and traits in common, all of which are teachable. This book is therefore a how-to guide for becoming or finding one of these unicorns.

The 12 traits range from speed and agility to transparency, self-awareness and curiosity. Each chapter outlines a trait, the data behind why it is so valuable, examples of how it manifests – whether in well-known celebrities or people Vanderbloemen has encountered – and tips for identifying or developing it.

This is not just a useful resource for hiring managers and employees wanting to distinguish themselves; businesses can also learn how to encourage desirable qualities in team members, in order to build an exceptional workforce.

Moreover, although the book emphasises the impact these qualities can have on someone’s career, they can all be leveraged outside of work, ultimately helping people to improve relationships and other areas of their life.

Buying Happiness: Learn to Invest Your Time and Money Better

By Kate Campbell, (Major Street Publishing, 2023), ebook

It’s often said that money can’t buy happiness, but financial educator and The Australian Finance Podcast co-host Kate Campbell is on a mission to disprove this theory.

In Buying Happiness, she argues that by spending money – and time – more intentionally, we have greater control of our lives, which in turn reduces stress and boosts wellbeing and life satisfaction. To that end, she suggests practical tips for spending, saving and investing time and money better, not only to help people become happier, but also so they can work towards gaining financial independence.

Covering topics such as paying off high-interest debt, accumulating emergency savings, setting goals and opening a brokerage account for easy investing, the book is a step-by-step guide for building wealth. It contains many valuable lessons: how to overcome financial regrets, develop a healthy money mindset, normalise money-related conversations, recover (and learn from) mistakes and lean into risk.

Campbell also highlights research into the different ways money has been proven to create happiness, for example, when given away. There’s even a great section on ‘crowdsourced happiness’ in which members of her podcast community share details of the activities or purchases that have made them happy.

Perfect reading if you want to focus on building wealth or making better choices about how you spend your resources.

Master Tax Guides 2024

New Zealand Master Tax Guide and Australian Master Tax Guide 2024

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The Shortest History of Economics

By Andrew Leigh (Black Inc, 2024), ebook

Andrew Leigh, an Australian politician, lawyer and former professor, presents an illuminating look into events that shape our society. He regales the story of economics, from ancient times to the modern world, and delves into a wide variety of topics from gender inequality to the origins of the game Monopoly.

Public Net Worth: Accounting – Government – Democracy

By Ian Ball et al (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024), ebook

Experts discuss government financial management, stating governments tend to ignore basic financial information which leads to inefficiency and bad decision making. They advise that governments need to create balance sheets that properly reflect assets and liabilities, and better understand their obligations and revenue prospects.

Building Interactive Dashboards in Microsoft 365 Excel: Harness the New Features and Formulae in M365 Excel to Create Dynamic, Automated Dashboards

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Listen

In Her Own Voice: A Woman’s Rise to CEO: Overcoming Hurdles to Change the Face of Leadership

By Jennifer McCollum (Matt Holt Books, 2023), audiobook.

Run time: 8 hrs 34 mins

Less than 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. Jennifer McCollum outlines the key competencies and steps to overcome the hurdles facing women and identifies what is holding women back.

The Art of Bouncing Back: Find Your Flow to Thrive at Work and in Life – Any Time You’re Off Your Game

By Darleen Santore (McGraw Hill, 2023), audiobook.

Run time: 5 hrs 19 mins

Darleen Santore offers strategies and techniques to help you transform obstacles and setbacks into vehicles for success. She draws on her extensive career as a mental skills coach to help readers learn about themselves, reframe their setbacks and cultivate resilience.