Top 7 books that will help your care business
Starting up your own care business can be a steep learning curve. You probably already have experience with working with service users. Running a business means getting to grips with things like marketing techniques to make potential customers aware of your services. You also need to understand business plans, budgets, customer service, policies and procedures, health and safety… the list goes on. There is also the fact that the care and support sector moves quickly, so you need to stay on top of the latest trends, techniques and guidance.Here we have put together a list of seven books we think are worth reading when setting up a new care business.
Service Delivery
Service User Involvement: Reaching the Hard to Reach in Supported Housing
Helen Brafield and Terry Eckersley2007[ADS]This book is an insight into how voluntary organisations work with disadvantaged and marginalised people in supported housing, and how to overcome barriers to better user participation. It’s a little old now, but it is still an insightful resource for social care professionals and can help with support planning and strategy. It’s also an inspiring read for those interested in the wider social care world.
A Practical Guide to Delivering Personalisation: Person-Centred Practice in Health and Social Care
Helen Sanderson2012Personalisation is a key word in the delivery of health and social care in the community. As a new care business, it’s important to work from a person-centred perspective, putting the needs of your service users at the heart of everything you do. This book uses real-life examples and stories to illustrate good practice, and it provides an accessible introduction to personalisation.
Much More to Life than Services: Unleashing the Potential of Personalisation in Social Care
Bob Rhodes2010If you want to be inspired and educated on the advantages of personalisation in your care business, this is the read for you. The author lays out a series of essays that focus on real-world success stories on how to apply a person- and community-centred approach to care and support work.
Marketing
The Highly Effective Marketing Plan: A Proven, Practical, Planning Process for Companies of All Sizes
Peter Knight2004This is the go-to guide for all types of small business who want to create a marketing strategy that really works. If you need to reach the right people for your services, this guide will help you target them and improve the chances of your business being profitable.
Guerrilla Marketing: Cutting-Edge Strategies for the 21st Century
Jay Conrad Levinson2007This is a classic book for small businesses who want to get ahead. It is said to ‘revolutionise’ marketing for small business with strategies, ideas and inspiration that works across all industries. It’s a book that you’ll refer to time and again as your business grows.
General Business
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R Covey1999This might be quite an old book now, but it is still one of the most popular go-to guides for new business owners. It is a series of lessons that can help you build the business you want, with integrity, honesty and respect. This is particularly good if you are going to be taking on staff as part of your business. It’s not just aimed at success in the workplace; the advice in this book can be applied to both personal and professional problems alike.
The E Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What To Do About It.
Michael E Gerber2001This is a great book for a newcomer to the business world. It dispels the myths that surround starting your own enterprise, and the common mistakes that people make. If you want to build a successful small business, this book can show you how to lay the groundwork and grow your company.These books are available on www.amazon.co.uk, in print and digital versions.