Recommend a good books for starting a small business.

Enc

My cousin is planning on starting a small design business, branching off from the larger family interior design business, and I was hoping to encourage him along with some helpful books. Any recommendations?

He does mostly graphic design and web design, and my understanding is that he is trying for a web-only presence so he can watch his kids more often.

Iruka

This is the lastest version of a book that art students are often recommended:

Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines, 15th Edition (15) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1507206682/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_i-vxDb6V7P8P4


If he's the kinda guy that already keeps a library, or if he had formal training, some design books might be repeat information for him. The guild book is specifically a pricing guide and handy for freelance.

Other than that, since he's already working professionally as a designer, you might really want to narrow your question to what you think he might need resources for. I'm assuming that suggesting basic art theroy books might be a bit presumptuous, as he's not just starting out. Are you looking for business/working from home books?

Enc

I'm really just looking for a gift, he mentioned over drinks last week that he was most concerned with the business side of things (that's handled by a different family member who isn't happy about him leaving the design firm), so I was looking at books that were the sort of "how to make your own LLC, manage a business budget/etc." sort of things for him.

I'm in the public sector, and know next to nothing about that sort of thing. Unlike me, he's actually a damn good artist and is good there.

Problem is, there are ten billion of those books out there and nothing that really sets any of them apart from what I can tell. Was hoping someone on here had gone this route or had a specific recommendation I could do before I see him this weekend.

Iruka

I recommend the guild book then, Its handy reference for pricing, and covers a lot of different sorts of jobs he might pick up. I cant personally think of a book that was more useful, but I haven't picked up mine lately because mine is quite a few editions old.

dispatch.o

Excel for dummies is a good idea.

If he doesn't already know it - which he might.