It’s common for business owners to rely solely on trial and error as a way to learn. Although this way of learning does have benefits, it can be very time-consuming, costly, and lonely.
As a former business owner, I found so much value in reading business books and sharing my learnings with other entrepreneurs. That’s why we created the Square Readers Book Club to help sellers discover business strategies to run their businesses better, and to connect with other owners along the way.
This book club is an amazing support system for me and my business. — @Smellthis1919
You might be telling yourself, “But reading takes time, and I’m a busy business owner!” In this article current Square Readers share how the book club has helped them and how they make time for reading in their busy lives.
How the Square Readers Book Club Works
The Square Readers Book Club highlights books that have helped other business owners. All books are recommended by sellers like you. We vote on which book to read next. Then we read the book together for an extra boost of encouragement and accountability.
We discuss the book in the online forum, and every two months we meet for a live virtual discussion. By bringing together business owners to share what they learned and implemented, we can inspire more sellers to learn new strategies and grow their businesses.
Book Club Benefits: Why You Should Join the Square Readers Book Club
The books we have read so far have helped members clarify the purpose of their business, create a complete marketing plan, manage their customer relationships better, prioritize their work on their business, and develop strategies to increase profit and manage their finances. Members have found peer-to-peer support systems and friendships, sharing and learning more business strategies along the way.
But don’t take my word for it! Here’s what some sellers have said about their Square Readers Book Club experience:
“I love being introduced to new books and authors that were not on my radar. There are so many aspects of business, and the book club tackles different learning objectives through different authors’ viewpoints.” — @JUYBoutique20
“Participating in this group has been thought-provoking and paradigm-challenging. Most of these books I never would have thought about reading or have found them on my own. They have given me a lot to think about, and along the way I have identified some of the weak spots in my business, and I’m now working on fixing them. These books have been a welcome new perspective. And I can already say that following the advice has made a difference.” — @bonny
“I participate in the book club because it’s a great place for support from other businesses. The books give us advice that we then discuss with each other, and [we] learn how to put this knowledge into running our business better. Incorporating the advice from everyone in the book club has been so very helpful, as we are all from different businesses, different countries, and different ages, making the information we share really good and helpful. We support each other. This book club is an amazing support system for me and my business.” — @Smellthis1919
@Harva shares an image of their copy of Start with Why by Simon Sinek with the group Start with Why: Post a pic of you and your book!
Making (Just a Little) Time To Read
I know from firsthand experience that it can be challenging to make time to read while also managing your business. It’s not always easy to schedule time to read. Sometimes you catch yourself with a few spare minutes when you least expect it. To maximize these moments, I read the books through an ebook app on my phone. This way I always have the book with me, and I can read anytime and anywhere. Whether it’s when I unwind in bed before falling asleep, show up early for an appointment, or wait for a delivery, it’s a great way to be productive and squeeze in some extra learning.
In the Square Readers Book Club, we read one book every two months to give members enough time to finish. Each book we pick is around 200 pages long, so if you can read three pages a day (about five minutes), or 25 pages a week (40 minutes), you’ll finish in time.
Here’s how some of our current book club members make time to read these books:
“At first I thought I’d just read when I had time. I found unless I made the time, as in setting aside the time to read, it was easy to never really get around to it. There are endless fires to put out every day, so I put it on my calendar as if it’s an appointment. Each afternoon I leave my work and sit down to read for a half hour. Having that dedicated time has made all the difference. And I’ll probably continue the practice even when I’ve finished reading these books.” — @bonny
“Reading the book club books is a priority for me so that I can be ready to discuss it with my book club friends. I try and set aside an hour a day, and since we only meet every two months, I find this works well for me.“ — @Smellthis1919
“This year I’m going to try to have a ‘closed for business’ time of day, meaning a cut-off time to respond to emails, create newsletters, work on social media, etc. I’ll then use this downtime to do some enjoyable reading.” — @Stacelyn24
Join the Square Readers Book Club
We can’t wait for you to join the journey of learning and working on your business. Join the Square Readers Book Club group to get started.
Pesso
Aylon Pesso is the Square Small Business Evangelist, helping sellers run their businesses better. Based in the U.S., he is a former small business owner, consultant, and Square Seller.
Cover photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash.