Where to buy: www.nightingale.com

What is it that all good leaders have in common? Yes, it is credibility and trust. Only when you possess credibility will you be the kind of leader others will look up to. The audio series “Achieving Credibility” by James Kouzes talks about credibility and how to gain it. He also covers topics such as reaching your maximum potential by motivating others to reach theirs, how to build a trusted business with strong morals and values, how to solve conflict sensibly. All throughout the series, you’ll hear about the importance of trust, honesty, hope, sensitivity and diversity. When taken seriously, these words can lead your business to great success.

Overall, if you are interested in achieving credibility either as a boss, a manager, or business partner, this series by James Kouzes will provide you with lots of answers and tips on how to be a credible and successful leader. The series runs on 6 CDs.

Order: Achieving Credibility

Universal Desktop Laminator
Where to buy: www.buyonlinenow.com

Laminators are a low cost way to preserve your important business documents from wet, damp or damage, especially if they are being handled often. The Universal Desktop Laminator is a handy device, which easily and quickly laminates and protects your documents and reports. It is black in color and looks modern and stylish in any office. I also like the idea that it is portable, which makes it easier to take along on business travel or when meeting with clients etc.

It is easy to operate: just insert your document into the lamination pouch and feed into the laminator slot. 3 or 5 mm pouches can be used.

Overall, I think that laminators are a must-have device in any office. Laminated documents or reports due for clients just look more professional. I like the Universal desktop Laminator for its price tag, but also its portability.

Order: Universal® Desktop 9″ Laminator

Where to buy: www.amazon.com

If you run a home office and are in need of a labeler, have a look at the Brother PT1290 Home and Office Labeler. This handheld device creates professional looking labels in no time at all. The printed labels can be used for things such as office equipment, binders, presentation material, cell phones, DVDs/CDs. The device has two professional looking fonts and 15 different mode patterns to create decorative labels of your choice. The device comes with a 15 character LCD display, which allows users to easily preview the text before printing it off.

Another key feature is the memory ability of the labeler. It can store up to 9 of your favorite labels you use over and over again. .

Overall, if you are looking for a good and not too expensive labeling machine, the Brother PT1290 is perfect for your small business needs. It is easy to use to create labels – type the text, print, peel and stick. The labels are up to ½” wide and made from waterproof and durable laminated material.

Order: Brother PT1290 Home and Office Labeler

Where to buy: www.amazon.com

The book The One Minute Entrepreneurs follows a fictional character through many challenges: from his early dreams of having his own business to later on finding a job and starting his own business. When reading this book, there are many lessons you can learn about starting up, no matter what type of business. I like the fact that this book is both, fictional and non-fictional. It provides basic business principles through a fictional story character and his trials and tribulations as an entrepreneur.

Lessons you learn along the way are: Dream big, take care of your employees and your loyal customers, how to bring in money to secure cash flow, how to provide superb customer service, praise and positive criticism and how to have a good work-life balance to keep yourself, your company, your friends and family intact.

The book also benefits from advice given by well-known entrepreneurs, such as Sheldon Bowles and Michael Gerber.

All in all, this book offers a fun fictional read intertwined with valuable business principle lessons. If you like this style of book, you will certainly enjoy reading it.

Order: The One Minute Entrepreneur

Where to buy: www.amazon.com

Computers are wonderful things, if they work properly that is. If you find that your computer all of a sudden runs very slowly and freezes up, then a proper clean up of electronic junk and clutter on your machine should be undertaken.

The WinCleaner One-Click is a software product that cleans and optimizes your Windows Registry and gives you extra disk space. It removes broken shortcuts, junk files and thereby protecting your privacy by disenabling third party tracking of your internet and web browsing habits. Start-up problems should also be fixed once you clean your computer with this product.

Overall, the WinCleaner One-Click is a thumbs-up product as it makes your computer reliable and safe to use. Especially if you work with your machine day-in day-out, the last thing you want is a frustratingly slow and unsafe computer to work on.

Order: WinCleaner One Click Professional Clean Version 12

Where to buy: www.amazon.com

Unmarketing: Stop Marketing, Start Engaging is a common sense book by viral marketer and twitter specialist, Scott Stratten. In his book, he debunks old traditional marketing techniques, such as cold calling, and instead turns his attention to relationship building with customers online and offline.

Scott Stratten gives lots of case study examples, which help you to understand the context of each chapter (there are over 50 of them). His funny and entertaining style keeps your attention from the first page to the last. Learn about viral marketing, strategies to treat your customers well and turn them into long-term prospects. Social media, such as Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin are covered. The book is filled with lots of great advice and top tips on what works in today’s marketing world and what doesn’t.

Overall, if you are interested in reading up on Scott Stratten’s successful, modern marketing approach of engaging with your customers, Unmarketing would be a great asset to your business library.

Order: UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging.

Where to buy: www.amazon.com

Unmarketing: Stop Marketing, Start Engaging is a common sense book by viral marketer and twitter specialist, Scott Stratten. In his book, he debunks old traditional marketing techniques, such as cold calling, and instead turns his attention to relationship building with customers online and offline.

Scott Stratten gives lots of case study examples, which help you to understand the context of each chapter (there are over 50 of them). His funny and entertaining style keeps your attention from the first page to the last. Learn about viral marketing, strategies to treat your customers well and turn them into long-term prospects. Social media, such as Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin are covered. The book is filled with lots of great advice and top tips on what works in today’s marketing world and what doesn’t.

Overall, if you are interested in reading up on Scott Stratten’s successful, modern marketing approach of engaging with your customers, Unmarketing would be a great asset to your business library.

Order: UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging.

Where to buy: www.amazon.com

More and more people decide to start their own green small business. The book ‘Build a Green Small Business’ is a guide with lots of useful advice from a highly successful green business entrepreneur, Scott Cooney. It covers all the necessary marketing, advertising and networking tips that every small business needs with a green twist. Scott Cooney also gives you a whole range of green business ideas, including green franchises, from green retail & food services (i.e. vegan restaurants), ecotourism, manufacturing and wholesale to events planning and eco-friendly and toxin-free dry cleaning services..

There are lots of green business ideas out there, but it is important to find the right one that suits your interests. Starting and successfully running your own small green business is a big job – from finding funding, budgeting, hiring and managing employees etc. It is important for everybody wanting to start a business to find a business sector that they like and can relate to. Scott Cooney’s book should give you lots of green business ideas and I am sure you will find his expert advice on how to start, run and grow your own green business very helpful.

Overall, if you are thinking of starting a green business, this book comes with lots of invaluable tips and ideas to help you along on your way to become a successful Eco-Preneur.

Order: Build a Green Small Business

Where to buy: www.amazon.com

The Playbook for Small Businesses is a small business guide by entrepreneur Steve Henry. It is not, though, your typical business book. The Playbook intertwines his own personal success story with business principles and textbook style lessons. He shares his business secrets and gives insights into his 30 year small business career in an easy-to-read and entertaining language.

Your best indicator that your business is thriving isn’t only the profits you make, it’s what your customers and employees have to say about you. Steve Henry runs his business (used car dealership) with insight, generosity and faith, which creates a very positive environment for customers and employees, which is reflected in the company’s success.

In his book he discusses – with spiritual sensitivity and using football terminology – business principles such as teamwork and cooperation, restraint and avoiding penalties. Each of his principles comes with ideas and techniques on how to achieve the desired outcome. In addition, he passes on his own personal stories recounting what helped him to get to where he is now.

Overall, The Playbook for Small Businesses isn’t your everyday textbook. It is a book that offers not only fantastic information on how to achieve certain goals, but at the same time gives the reader valuable insight knowledge from an inspirational and true entrepreneur.

Order: The Playbook for Small Businesses

The Smart Pen is a high tech pen with a difference. If you haven’t heard about it yet, it is a pen-looking device that can capture and convert handwriting and at the same time record audio. Essentially, the Smart Pen records everything you write as well as hear and translates it into computer-editable text. This text can easily be forwarded to other people, colleagues or clients. The pulse feature on the pen allows you to replay the recorded audio by tapping the pen directly on your written notes. The 2GB Smart Pen can record over 200 hours of audio.

The Smart Pen only works with the dot paper by Livescribe, which is included with the purchase of the pen. The pen comes in a smart looking Titanium color. The soft case protects the pen when not in use. Also provided are two ink cartridges, a USB docking station and a 3-D recording headset.

The instruction guide gives ideas on how to use the pen

Overall, I think the smart pen is a great choice for anybody who needs to jot down lots of notes, either during client visits or business meetings. Instead of transcribing your written notes onto the computer, the Smart Pen does it for you.

Order: Livescribe 2 GB Pulse Smartpen