Midweek Reading: Meaning, Culture, and Selectivity

Midweek-Reading-Round-Up

With Labor Day just around the corner, the summer season is coming to a formal close. But the time for reading and learning marches on—here are some of the best stories for small business owners and entrepreneurs today.

Meaningful work is not just for people in certain industries or job positions; psychologist Barry Schwartz argues that it ought to be available to everyone—something more to work than just a paycheck.

It takes a long time to build a company culture, but it doesn’t take very long to tear it down. Greg Schott of Mulesoft talks about some of the biggest threats to culture, including lack of communication, selfishness, and factions.

When do you fire or turn away a customer? Some businesses have found that being selective about their customers in the early stage helps them in the long run. But at the same time, it’s important to stay on the right side of discrimination law.

Big data is fast becoming an integral part of many industries, including agriculture. Entrepreneurs and farmers are finding new ways to use data to track and measure their fields, and challenging metrics developed by big agribusinesses.

Being an entrepreneur isn’t just a job description; it’s a way of living. Joe Van Brussel looks at some of the common patterns of behavior for entrepreneurial people.

Summer is coming to an end, but there’s no reason not to bring your summer reading into the new season. The New York Times recommends some new reads that tell the stories of bold entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and more.

Much is made of different habits among different generations in the workplace (usually ways in which Millennials are or are not like previous generations). SmallBizTrends takes a look at the way different generations view employee benefits, particularly health care, and what that means for hiring and retention.

Studies indicate that entrepreneurial activity is on the rise for the first time since the 2008 recession. What are the essential steps to taking an idea to market in today’s business environment?

Edwin Bevens

Edwin Bevens is the Head Writer and Editor for Tarkenton Companies, and the Editor of SmallBizClub.com. With a background in journalism and publishing, Edwin received a 2008 South Carolina Press Association Award for reporting. Developing, producing, and maintaining content across multiple websites, Edwin focuses on helping small business owners find the right match of voice, audience, and medium for every message.