My favorite books on business systems and processes for small business owners

Why am I passionate about this?

After I successfully systemised myself out of my digital agency and brought in a CEO to run it, I became a systems devotee… I founded systemHUB and launched a movement called SYSTEMology to help business owners worldwide achieve freedom from daily operations and scale their business—like I did. My mission now involves supporting certified SYSTEMologists who assist business owners with SYSTEMology implementation, conducting workshops, delivering keynote addresses, hosting the Business Processes Simplified podcast, and nurturing the growing community of SYSTEMologists.


I wrote...

SYSTEMology: Create time, reduce errors and scale your profits with proven business systems

By David Jenyns,

Book cover of SYSTEMology: Create time, reduce errors and scale your profits with proven business systems

What is my book about?

Get your business to run itself with SYSTEMology—a proven, step-by-step framework for systemising your business. No more repeating yourself, fixing errors, or holding things together. David Jenyns draws on his 20+ years of business experience to offer practical guidance and actionable steps to help even the busiest business owners to streamline their operations and transform their business into a reliable and consistent machine.

This book, based on years of thinking, application, and case studies, condenses a proven path to create a functional, organised, and consistent business that is not dependent on any one person. Say goodbye to unorganised chaos and hello to a functional business with SYSTEMology!

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand out From The Crowd

David Jenyns Why did I love this book?

If you're a small business owner or new entrepreneur seeking to make the most of your resources with a concise marketing plan… I highly recommend Allan Dib’s The 1-Page Marketing Plan.

The book's structure is easy to follow and packed with actionable insights for even the most inexperienced of entrepreneurs and marketers. But what really stood out to me, as a systems thinker whose mission is to simplify processes and make things easier for business owners, was the simplicity and practicality of Allan’s 1-Page marketing plan.

I encourage others to give this book a read and you’ll approach marketing in a whole new way.

By Allan Dib,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The 1-Page Marketing Plan as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

WARNING: Do Not Read This Book If You Hate Money

To build a successful business, you need to stop doing random acts of marketing and start following a reliable plan for rapid business growth. Traditionally, creating a marketing plan has been a difficult and time-consuming process, which is why it often doesn't get done.

In The 1-Page Marketing Plan, serial entrepreneur and rebellious marketer Allan Dib reveals a marketing implementation breakthrough that makes creating a marketing plan simple and fast. It's literally a single page, divided up into nine squares. With it, you'll be able to map out your own…


Book cover of The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies

David Jenyns Why did I love this book?

I highly recommend The Ultimate Sales Machine for business owners or entrepreneurs looking to simplify their business processes and get their sales game on point.

This book offers practical and universally applicable advice on organisational alignment, time management, and standardisation to increase efficiency and improve sales. What stuck with me was the importance of focusing on the fundamentals that drive thriving sales rather than trying to do too many things at once.

Chet Holmes' material is out-of-the-park great, offering sound and simple business advice to grow your business stronger than ever. Reading this book changed the way I approach sales and marketing, and I reckon anyone who’s keen on business greatness should give it a read.

By Chet Holmes,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Ultimate Sales Machine as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEWLY REVISED AND UPDATED

The bestselling business playbook for turbocharging any organization, updated for modern audiences with new and never-before-seen material

Every single day 3,076 businesses shut their doors. But what if you could create the finest, most profitable and best-run version of your business without wasting precious dollars on a thousand different strategies? When The Ultimate Sales Machine first published in 2007, legendary sales expert Chet Holmes gave us the key to do just that. All you need is to focus on twelve key areas of improvement—and practice them over and over with pigheaded discipline.

Now, a decade later,…


Book cover of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

David Jenyns Why did I love this book?

Easily one of my favourite self-help books… In Atomic Habits, James Clear provides a practical, easy-to-follow system for building good habits and breaking bad ones.

Unlike other books in its genre, this one gets straight to the point and doesn't overwhelm the reader with the usual impractical tips or filler chapters.

This book helped me create better habits and stick to them… and it has the potential to change the way you live your life. Highly recommended for anyone looking to improve their habits and systems.

By James Clear,

Why should I read it?

22 authors picked Atomic Habits as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 4 million copies sold!

Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the…


Book cover of The E-Myth Revisited

David Jenyns Why did I love this book?

I say this as a business owner myself… this book by Michael E. Gerber is an absolute must-read for any small business owner.

My book actually builds on The E-Myth, and I applied the principles myself — and achieved results!

If you're a new entrepreneur or small business owner, this book will teach you the ins and outs of using systems and processes to your advantage, and help you identify which areas of your business require them the most.

Plus, you'll gain valuable insights into why businesses often struggle to take off (or even fail after they do!) with practical examples and implementable ideas for your own business. I highly recommend The E-Myth for anyone looking to scale up in a systematic and sustainable way.

By Michael E. Gerber,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The E-Myth Revisited as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

E-Myth \ 'e-,'mith\ n 1: the entrepreneurial myth: the myth that most people who start small businesses are entrepreneurs 2: the fatal assumption that an individual who understands the technical work of a business can successfully run a business that does that technical work Voted #1 business book by Inc. 500 CEOs. An instant classic, this revised and updated edition of the phenomenal bestseller dispels the myths about starting your own business. Small business consultant and author Michael E. Gerber, with sharp insight gained from years of experience, points out how common assumptions, expectations, and even technical expertise can get…


Book cover of Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business

David Jenyns Why did I love this book?

Traction is a must-read for any business owner.

If you want a clear and concise roadmap for improving business, and a concrete plan with actionable steps for effective implementation… This book gives you all that and more.

With six core components covering the primary functions for any business, Traction provides a solid framework for team building and problem-solving. As a systems devotee and business owner myself, I highly recommend this book for its focus on repeatable systems and processes to drive long-term success.

By Gino Wickman,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Traction as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Do you have a grip on your business, or does your business have a grip on you? All entrepreneurs and business leaders face similar frustrations--personnel conflict, profit woes, and inadequate growth. Decisions never seem to get made, or, once made, fail to be properly implemented. But there is a solution. It's not complicated or theoretical.The Entrepreneurial Operating System(R) is a practical method for achieving the business success you have always envisioned. More than 2,000 companies have discovered what EOS can do. In Traction, you'll learn the secrets of strengthening the six key components of your business. You'll discover simple yet…


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Me and The Times: My wild ride from elevator operator to New York Times editor, columnist, and change agent (1967-97)

By Robert W. Stock,

Book cover of Me and The Times: My wild ride from elevator operator to New York Times editor, columnist, and change agent (1967-97)

Robert W. Stock Author Of Me and The Times: My wild ride from elevator operator to New York Times editor, columnist, and change agent (1967-97)

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Journalist Punster Family-phile Ex-jock Friend

Robert's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Me and The Times offers a fresh perspective on those pre-internet days when the Sunday sections of The New York Times shaped the country’s political and cultural conversation. Starting in 1967, Robert Stock edited seven of those sections over 30 years, innovating and troublemaking all the way.

His memoir is rich in anecdotes and admissions. At The Times, Jan Morris threw a manuscript at him, he shared an embarrassing moment with Jacqueline Kennedy, and he got the paper sued for $1 million. Along the way, Rod Laver challenged Stock to a tennis match, he played a clarinet duet with superstar Richard Stoltzman, and he shared a Mafia-spiced brunch with Jerry Orbach.

Me and The Times: My wild ride from elevator operator to New York Times editor, columnist, and change agent (1967-97)

By Robert W. Stock,

What is this book about?

An intimate, unvarnished look at the making of the Sunday sections of The New York Times in their pre-internet heyday, back when they shaped the country’s political and cultural conversation.

Over 30 years, Robert Stock edited seven of those sections, innovating, and troublemaking all the way – getting the paper sued for $1 million, locking horns with legendary editors Abe Rosenthal and Max Frankel, and publishing articles that sent the publisher Punch Sulzberger up the wall.

On one level, his memoir tracks Stock’s amazing career from his elevator job at Bonwit Teller to his accidental entry into journalism to his…


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