which said something along these lines:

“Hello, We have received a spam complaint that originated from your account. Upon a further investigation it was determined that your account has been exploited. It appears that your account is running out-dated scripts or plugins which have been exploited. “

There was a lot more to the email so that I knew it wasn’t a phishing email. But you get its drift?

Basically I hadn’t upgraded the WordPress software running one of my site for quite a few months.

The result was that site was used by spammers to send junk to people. A follow-up email described the problem further:

“User sent approximately 25,919 messages to 25,916 unique recipients. “

All the email was sent in a very short space of time.

Obviously I upgraded the site as quickly as possible. And the hosting company was great and really followed up to make sure all was ok.

And yet if I’d read a book on WordPress security that’s just been released I’d have saved myself a lot of time.

Because this month publishing house Packt announced discounts and promotions to launch a new book; WordPress 3 Ultimate Security.  Packt are really keen on WordPress and do produce some useful books on its use, and abuse! Anyway, readers are being offered exclusive discounts, 20% and 30% off the cover price of all their WordPress print books and eBooks (for a limited period only.

And the reason why WordPress 3 Ultimate Security would have been mega useful?

As Packt says “WordPress 3 Ultimate Security shows you how to hack your site before someone else does. You’ll uncover its weaknesses before sealing them off, securing your content and your day-to-day local-to-remote editorial process. This is more than some "10 Tips …" guide. It’s ultimate protection – because that’s what you need.”

For more information on the WordPress discounts and promotions being offered by Packt throughout June, please visit: – http://www.packtpub.com/article/wordpress-month

By the way my site wasn’t really that far behind in WordPress releases, so be careful it doesn’t happen to you.

And finally if you want to be looked after like I was sign up with my lovely hosting company and you can get 25% off if you sign-up with this coupon: Dealjune2011

Usually people look to buy the latest business book that sounds interesting.

I’ve just emailed a client a list of books that any business would benefit from reading.

So with that in mind I’d like to share the list with you, and add just a couple more that I didn’t send. I didn’t send them all so as not to give him business book indigestion.

There’s no doubt that reading these books changes your perspective, even if you’ve been in business for decades.

Several people I know re-read Napoleon Hill’s classic many times.

There are several obvious people missing from this list. People like Jay Abraham, Brian Tracy and Tony Robbins.

Missing also are business biographies, where you can learn a lot and business “novels” like “Soul of A New Machine.”

Yet despite these omissions the listed books moved me to take notes, always a good sign. And I’ve implemented ideas from many of them to the betterment of myself and my clients.

And realistically how many entrepreneurs feel they have enough time to read any books anyway?

Luckily when I got Jonathan Yates’ “All-Time Essentials For Entrepreneurs” I quickly discovered that it was a very quick read (about 2 hours max) and that I could dip into it at any time I was at a loose end. And I was pleased I’d had the opportunity to grab it.

It’s easy to carry with you too as it’s half A5 size and simply fits straight into your jacket pocket.

So entrepreneurs get reading!

The Books Format

As Jonathan writes in his introduction this is an ideas book. It’s format is very straight forward and really lends itself to dipping into it for ideas. On the left hand page there’s a really relevant quote on the other side a suggestion, tip, advice or some encouragement.

Some of the quotes you’ll have heard before. However, seeing them again in the context of the suggestion is most helpful.

These 100 ideas are split into the following sections:

1. Start
2. Ideas
3. Motivation
4. Opportunity
5. Challenges
6. Money
7. Strategy
8. Marketing
9. Sales
10. Success

These are ideas and thoughts that you can use each week. And unlike some books like this because it’s so short it’s easy to keep at hand.

One of the quotes I loved was from WS Gilbert (the other half of my favourite light opera creators Gilbert & Sullivan). He said,

“Losers visualize the penalties of failure. Winners visualize the rewards of success.”

Although this book is aimed squarely at entrepreneurs it’s a good read for anyone who has an interest in business.  People like sales staff, company directors or consultants of all breeds.

Henry Ford said, “You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars.”

And that’s what we all have when we start our new job, or business.

And yet what starts with piles of enthusiasm can grind down into a living hell.

Too often I’ve talked with business owners who feel as though their company just can’t run without them. Either working in the business till all hours of the night, or even in touch every day they’re on holiday.

Business for them becomes a daily tussle and a fight for survival. Often there’s pressure from relatives to sell up and move on, or even to get a proper job where they’ve got some security. Even though we all know such security is illusory.

One business had a massive overdraft with their bank and much of the senior management time wasn’t devoted to the business, it was devoted to finding ways to scrape through so the overdraft didn’t grow larger and risk the bank calling it in.

And many businesses face clients who make excuse, after excuse for not paying their bills.

Of course as businesses get bigger staff issues arise that need to be handled too. And handling poor sales performers, where bad performance immediately impacts business is just one aspect.

It all makes the business owner feel at the edge of a tornado about to be sucked in, to land they know not where!

Then there’s the sorry state where so many businesses feel that if they don’t price match their competitors they’ll lose customers. They make themselves into a commodity where only those with a very low cost base win. And you can bet that the lowest cost base is unlikely to feature in a business in much of the developed world.

And through all this activity a business grows, adapts and improves itself, or it dies.

Eventually business owners can feel as though they’re in their own private prison, one where they get to break the same rocks in their business day after day. Even when they’re on holiday or at weekends the business intrudes into their lives the whole time.

The ones I’ve talked to who felt like that didn’t like telling anyone else how they felt, how could they? They perceived it as a sign of weakness. The result was that those business owners just didn’t enjoy what they were doing. It was worse than a job because they couldn’t mentally disengage at the end of a tough week.

And yet, in each business there were great aspects that the business owners could have been proud of, or had fun with before I got there. Yet they were too “scared” to stop doing what they were doing. They were always thinking of the next thing they had to do, or someone else had to do that they were relying on. They’re trying to get everything done, the branding, the finances, the staff, the customer services, the marketing and the selling.

Is this scenario common? Having coached executives and business owners, been a consultant and networked with a whole range of business owners over the years I’d say it’s more common than you might think.

And yet there are just 12 skills that any business can focus on completely to drive their business through the next stage of development and growth. And allow the owners to relax, have some fun and really begin to properly take the driving seat without feeling the need to get out and tighten the wheel nuts every few minutes.

If you’re interested in learning about the 12 skills you need to relax and grow your business, or your career, leave me a comment and I’ll email you a report I’ve produced that explains each one and gives tips on easily improving those skills. It’s called “How To Avoid Being Ground Down By Your Own Business.”

Influencer: The Power to Change Anything

Many who think seriously about business and influence know about, or have read, “Influence, Science and Practise” by Professor Robert Cialdini. In it Cialdini explains the principles of social proof, liking authority and scarcity with real world examples that you can apply in business.

In the same way Influencer (Amazon (UK) Amazon USA) explains how you have the power to influence change in all areas of your life. The authors take you on an influencers journey around the world. They show practical examples of how people who understand the way change really works, get massive results where previously there had only been failure.

The authors describe some of the most successful change programmes running in the world. And they give you the fundamentals to allow you to approach change in the same manner.

The first programme the authors take you to is a business conglomerate that is also a residential therapy practise, run by Dr. Mimi Silbert. Silbert says all her employees are “thieves, prostitutes, robbers and murderers” and many have been homeless, are on drugs and have had 4 or more felony convictions.” And yet this set of businesses, with no therapists, has fundamentally changed the lives of 14,000 employees. Of those who join the business 90% never re-offend and many go on to earn degrees and to get professional jobs.

A TV producer in Mexico City, Miguel Sabido, used his highly popular TV soap opera to change people and got over 250,000 adults out into the streets to try and improve their literacy, a problem that had never been resolved before.

What about the most amazing change that has affected several countries in Africa?

The authors describe how Dr. Donald Hopkins changed the behaviours of African villagers to eradicate the most appalling parasite (the 3 foot long Guinea Worm) from their villages within a year. The parasite had resisted many other programmes over decades.

Other equally fascinating programmes include:

• Making Factory Six Sigma teams work, most failed previously
• The African entrepreneur bank, using “microcredit”
• Stopping Aids spreading in Thailand
• Reducing small crimes in South Carolina
• Ethiopian bride abduction
• Improving teachers ability to help children learn
• Hewlett Packard’s messy desk approach

Rather than just describe the results of all the programmes the authors explain step by step the principles for each of:

• Creating the right motivation
• Harnessing peer pressure
• Designing awards and demanding accountability
• Surpassing your limits
• Finding strength in numbers, with help from others
• Changing the environment

For anyone who wants to improve their business, their life the message comes down to identifying what you want to change, establishing the behaviours that get you there, practise those behaviours until perfect, use coaching to help you and make sure you reward success and take responsibility.

I recommend “Influencer: The Power To Change Anything” heartily if you want change in any area of your life(Amazon (UK) Amazon USA) .

And I was lucky enough to meet and talk to him twice at different seminars. On both occasions he was a gentleman and although by that time afflicted by his strokes, still obviously in full charge of his faculties.

He and the BBC obviously led the charge in business TV. I believe without The Troubleshooter series business TV would never have developed to the point it is now.

So my thanks go to Sir John for all he did to make business interesting to the man in the street and how he gave real business advice whilst still telling a story we could all follow.

Interestingly enough I modelled my original coaching approach on how he worked with companies.

Click here for the BBC’s obituary on Sir John Harvey Jones.

The BBC also has a Troubleshooter summary of what happened to some of the firms Sir John Harvey-Jones went into.

I’d urge you to get at least one of Sir John’s books if you’re serious about your career or business. The Troubleshooter’s books are interesting reads and there are plenty of pointers you can use in your own life. (You can order them through the Amazon advert to the right.)

Sir John Harvey Jones (1924-2008)

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Failing that there are other exciting gifts you can get.

For those business people who like to learn from others mistakes or successes the best gifts are knowledge oriented.

Maybe you could combine a stay at Sandy Lane with an advanced course in marketing strategy presented by yours truly?!

Moving on…

There are some very interesting books around at the moment. You can check out my business powerpack book review page which gives you access to reviews of books I think are worth buying.

I’ve also tagged on two further books which I’m hoping to get for Christmas.

The books on the book review page include:

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Now its moved to WordPress it immediately becomes easier. As you can see at the top of the Blog there are tab including Home, About and now “Reviews.”

The aim is to have references to the reviews I’ve done in the blog and to give a summary of what I thought and links to both further information and the appropriate sales and review pages.

So instead of asking yourself where the review is for that must have book on the blog simply check the “Reviews” tab and you should see it there.

If he can’t teach you anything about selling I’d be very, very surprised.

Normally I would have reviewed a book like this to see whether it’s any use, but …

I coach his clients in Europe and elsewhere in the world.

I’ve been in two minds whether to post this message because any review I do of his book would be biased. Just like I’d be hard pushed to give anything but glowing praise for his DVD business programmes.

Because I think they’re well done and anyone can learn from them.

The bonuses when you buy this book are amazing. Plus you get two coaching sessions with his trained coaches. If you’re outside the USA you’ll get me. So you’ll be able to hear what I sound like and get some free focused advice for your business.

You need to buy the book and request your coaching quickly as the book was at number 1 at Amazon and I’m getting a lot of coachees! So many that I’m almost out of diary space.

By the way there’s no requirement to sign-up to coaching for life! But I do expect the commitment to action I normally get from my more usual clients.

Click on my affiliate link to get the book from Amazon (USA), or Amazon (UK).

Or simply go to your own favourite bookshop.

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We shop for everything online.

We’re able to weigh up the opinions of the hundreds of people who review products. And remember it isn’t a job but just for fun or to warn people off!

I write reviews for Blogcritics. And I was so pleased with an Archos personal video recorder that I reviewed that I posted an Archos review article on this site too.

I’m sure you find Christmas difficult when you’re buying a business friend a present. I do too. I usually end up giving the gift of knowledge through books or CDs.

And as I love to let people know what I think are goodies I set-up an Amazon Astore.

The reason?

Because I wanted somewhere where I can recommend the books I think can make a big difference in any business persons life. And not have to keep thinking about which books are the best!

Plus although I may tell someone about one particular book – my favourite at the moment is Duncan Bannatyne’s autobiography.

Update: I like many before me keep mistakenly referring to Duncan as “Duncan Ballantyne” – which is plain wrong. It should be Duncan Bannatyne so my apologies for that. I’ve also just completed a Power Packed Business Growth review of Duncan’s book: Anyone Can Do It: The Autobiography

People can also check out the other 9 or 10 books I recommend too.

Obviously Astore’s can make you a little bit of money (and I stress the little because it’s pence) but they’re worth setting up so you can recommend books to your friends. And they can check whether they’d like one for Christmas too…

In reality Astores can sell anything on Amazon. But my purpose is to purely tell people about exciting, intriguing, strategic and useful business books. I may extend it to business related DVDs or CDs in the New Year, it depends on whether people are finding it useful.

You can check out my Astore by clicking on the button in any post. If you’ve a blog I recommend you get your own Astore – it’s not hard to set-up but it really is useful.

Right, I’m off to try and unblock my toilet! Urgh…