Simply Success. How to Start, Build and Grow a Multimillion Dollar Business the Old-Fashioned Way

As you might expect from a company responsible for renting so many thrillers, there’s rarely a dull moment at LOVEFiLM. From start-up, through mergers and fast paced growth, culminating in a takeover by an internet giant, few corporate adventures encapsulate the archetypal modern business story as neatly as that of LOVEFiLM. In the 6 years from inception to the defining deal with Amazon, the company underwent a near constant process of change and evolution. They simply didn’t sit still for a minute. As the chief executive who guided LOVEFiLM through these fast-paced times, Simon Calver tells the story of how they grew the company from a series of small start-ups into a multi-million pound enterprise and well-love household name. Calver offers his personal insights and key lessons on everything from how to manage spectacular growth, to the importance of taking big risks and how small entrepreneurial companies can benefit from big companies thinking. Success the LOVEFiLM Way is an essential read for anybody who wants to start and grow a successful business, and learn how to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing and growing industry. “The LOVEFiLM story offers interesting insights into the way modern businesses, and particularly those backed by venture capital, succeed. There are useful lessons for anyone looking to start or grow a business using this route. Simon Calver explains both the challenges and opportunities that VC funding raises. Calver is right to describe this as the classic modern business story.” Alex Mitchell, Head of Influencer Relations, IoD “The LOVEFiLM story was a great read. It’s honest, insightful and very entertaining. It shows most importantly the power of leadership to create an exceptional company. Frankly, everyone in the UK needs to read this book right now.” Julie Meyer, Managing Partner, ACE Fund “I met Simon at the annual Real Business awards in 2009, and was delighted when he asked King of Shaves to become a founding member of The Consumer Forum – an association of SME’s that put the customer first. The success of LOVEFiLM, and his leadership of this disrupting business, was entirely down to his ‘putting customers first’ – by giving them what they wanted, when they wanted it, always embracing the latest in cutting edge technology. Firstly by sending the latest film releases through the post, and now by it streaming on demand. I’ve been lucky enough to spend personal quality time with him, and now you can learn how he helped LOVEFiLM grow so astonishingly, in a constantly changing digital environment. If you Lovefilm, and LoveCustomers, then you’ll Love this book!” Will King, Founder, King of Shaves “The LOVEFiLM story shows the importance of organizational agility, trust and the relentless focus of taking customers, stakeholders and employees with you on your journey. Above all it demonstrates the importance of understanding what you do and why you do it, and why it’s important to have a business model that delivers for the customer and the business.” Jo Causon, CEO, Institute of Customer Service “It took Simon’s dedicated hard work bringing together a series of smaller businesses to make LOVEFiLM one of the true internet success stories. In Simon Calver’s book, he shares his business philosophies that led LOVEFiLM to the successful takeover by Amazon. The book is not just a compelling narrative, but lessons that all businesses and entrepreneurs can benefit from.” Mar

The ultimate guide to launching and growing an online business You’ve got a crazy idea, a hobby, a business or special expertise. You want to take it online, and you want to it be a money-making success. But what do you do next? Using a simple 5-step approach, best-selling author and digital marketing specialist Bernadette Schwerdt uncovers the inside tips and tricks that Australia’s most successful online entrepreneurs use to build their multi-million dollar businesses. For those just starting out, this book will help you identify the best business idea to pursue, guide you on how to set it up and give you the strategies to grow it quickly using low-cost tools. For those with existing businesses, you’ll learn how to maximise your online impact and access the little-known but powerful tools and technologies the top disruptors use to create a global presence. Featuring dozens of case studies of how Australia’s most successful disruptors have done it, Bernadette reveals the underlying patterns common to all successful online businesses – what they did right, what they did wrong, what they would do differently and the short cuts to building an online business that only the successful know. You’ll learn how to: Develop the entrepreneurial mindset needed to turn your passion, hobby or expertise into an online business Access free tools and technologies to help you build and test your online idea (before launching) to ensure a viable market exists Create a minimum viable product (MVP) that attracts attention and generates instant income Source web developers, designers and other important suppliers for a fraction of the usual cost Write, pitch, persuade and present like a professional to attract investors, customers and high-quality strategic partners Understand the basics of the Internet of Things, virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence and use these technologies to help your business create a point of difference Work from home and set up your online business in just a few hours a week Whether you are starting an online business or building on an existing one, How to Build an Online Business is your complete, how-to guide for making it a success.

Discover what's possible when the art and science of marketing collide The Marketing Performance Blueprint is an actionable and innovative guide to unlocking your potential as a marketer and accelerating success for your business. With an eye toward the marketing industry's rapid evolution, this book focuses on the processes, technologies, and strategies that are redefining the marketing environment. Step by step, you will learn how to build performance-driven organizations that exceed ROI expectations and outpace the competition. Companies are demanding a more technical, scientific approach to marketing, and this guide provides the key information that helps marketing professionals choose the right tools and recruit the right talent to more effectively build brand, generate leads, convert sales, and increase customer loyalty. Marketers are facing increased pressure to connect every dollar spent to bottom-line results. As the industry advances, the tremendous gaps in talent, technology, and strategy leave many professionals underprepared and underperforming. The Marketing Performance Blueprint helps bridge those gaps: Align marketing talent, technology, and strategy to reach performance goals Drive digital marketing transformation within your organization Recruit, train, and retain a modern marketing team Propel growth through digital-savvy marketing agency partners Adapt more quickly to marketing technology advancements Create connected customer experiences Turn marketing data into intelligence, and intelligence into action Devise integrated marketing strategies that deliver real business results The marketers who will redefine the industry in the coming months and years will never stop challenging conventional knowledge and solutions. Whether in terms of evolved talent, advanced technology, or more intelligent and integrated strategies, these driven professionals will be in demand as the pioneers of the new marketing era. The Marketing Performance Blueprint helps marketers blaze a trail of their own by providing a roadmap to success.

Stop being a well-kept secret and start being the go-to choice Your reputation is what people say about you when you're not there. It's your most powerful asset for business growth, career enhancement and freedom of choice in many aspects of life. Yet too many people leave it to chance. They are a well-kept secret – it's not enough to be the best, you have to be seen to be the best. Build Your Reputation will show you how to master the skills of brand-building to develop a powerful profile and a formidable name. You'll learn how to identify your brand and where it fits into the big picture, and then you'll learn how to become the obvious choice for whatever it is you do. Becoming known isn't a matter of chance, nor is it a matter of luck – it's a practical set of highly coachable skills that anyone can learn. Learn how to build credibility, connect with the right people and make your achievements known. Identify and build your personal brand Position yourself strategically for maximum impact Attract the right relationships and the right attention Become the go-to guru for whatever you do The highest-paid people in any company, industry or profession are not necessarily the most qualified, gifted or best. They're the most popular. They are liked, trusted, recommended, chosen, hired and introduced. Build Your Reputation gives you the inside track to the top, with practical wisdom and strategic advice for building your own brand.

Master the online tools available to grow your business and conquer the competition Business Hack is your essential roadmap to business growth and online marketing success. Author and successful entrepreneur John Lee shares his proven methods to harness the power of online tools, including using social media—offering practical steps to create and implement highly effective cyber-marketing campaigns. Thanks to the digital revolution, you no longer need teams of marketing experts and other expensive overheads to build and promote your business. This unique and valuable resource covers everything you need to consider when building your marketing strategy, from established principles of sales to cutting-edge digital techniques. In today’s dynamic business environment, strong and ongoing engagement in social media marketing is no longer an option–it is a necessity. From local craft-based businesses to new tech start-ups and even global multinational corporations, effective cyber-marketing can be instrumental in determining success. A comprehensive digital strategy enables you to compete across all platforms and maintain viability and relevance in the face of intense competition. Following the proven techniques in this essential guide allows you to: Implement powerful social media marketing campaigns to increase revenue and rise above the competition Integrate traditional sales and advertising methods with modern technology to create a comprehensive business marketing strategy Identify future trends to stay ahead of the technology curve and capitalize on new opportunities. Learn the skills used by successful entrepreneurs and respected experts in online marketing The Internet and rise of digital media have changed the rules of business and marketing. It is now possible for small and new businesses to compete and thrive in the global marketplace through intelligent use of digital and social media marketing. Business Hack provides the tools and knowledge necessary to succeed in the 21st century.

Property Investing the Wealth Dragon Way Property Entrepreneur explains how anyone can make money from property, regardless of their financial situation. Author Vincent Wong is one of the UK's most dynamic and respected property entrepreneurs, and this book outlines his approach to creating wealth through property investing for both seasoned and aspiring investors. Emphasising the importance of treating property investing as a business, the author shares the wisdom of his first-hand experience and his investment techniques to help you navigate the ever-shifting property market and become a true property entrepreneur. There is more than one way to break into the property game, and it doesn't have to involve saving for one large deposit after another; this book covers tried and tested strategies beyond the traditional approaches to property investing. Whether you're contemplating your first, fifth or fifteenth property, Property Entrepreneur will help to light your entrepreneurial spark and show you how to turn property into profit. Property entrepreneurship is like any other business: if you want to succeed, you must take the time to learn from those who have mastered the best techniques. This book gives you access to the mind, motivations and methods of a top investor to help you start and build your own property business. This book will show you: How to start viewing property investing as a business Why you need to eliminate unproductive habits and attitudes The best ways to maximise profits and create a secure, passive income How to nurture your entrepreneurial spirit and watch your business grow Property investing can look daunting and complex to those without experience. The rules are constantly being rewritten, the goalposts are regularly shifted and the market looks like an unpredictable beast. Property Entrepreneur will challenge your preconceptions, and help you navigate the path to real, lasting wealth.

Proven methods for building an online income stream You don't have to quit your current job, or already have piles of money, or be 24 years old, or riding a booming economy, in order to start a successful online business. The Six-Figure Second Income explains how to start or grow a business even when you think you have plenty of strikes against you. In the course of building an eight-figure real estate information marketing business, David Lindahl and Jonathan Rozek tested dozens of tools and techniques. This book is centered around principles they derived from all the tests they ran, tools they used, and money they spent. If you're tired of the gimmicks and skepticism that anyone can really succeed online, this book will give you the no-hype, no-nonsense advice you need.

'Adrian has a unique gift for understanding drivers and racing cars. He is ultra competitive but never forgets to have fun. An immensely likeable man.' Damon HillThe world’s foremost designer in Formula One, Adrian Newey OBE is arguably one of Britain’s greatest engineers and this is his fascinating, powerful memoir.How to Build a Car explores the story of Adrian’s unrivalled 35-year career in Formula One through the prism of the cars he has designed, the drivers he has worked alongside and the races in which he’s been involved.A true engineering genius, even in adolescence Adrian’s thoughts naturally emerged in shape and form – he began sketching his own car designs at the age of 12 and took a welding course in his school summer holidays. From his early career in IndyCar racing and on to his unparalleled success in Formula One, we learn in comprehensive, engaging and highly entertaining detail how a car actually works. Adrian has designed for the likes of Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill, David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, always with a shark-like purity of purpose: to make the car go faster. And while his career has been marked by unbelievable triumphs, there have also been deep tragedies; most notably Ayrton Senna’s death during his time at Williams in 1994.Beautifully illustrated with never-before-seen drawings, How to Build a Car encapsulates, through Adrian’s remarkable life story, precisely what makes Formula One so thrilling – its potential for the total synchronicity of man and machine, the perfect combination of style, efficiency and speed.

A cutting-edge examination of what it means to be human and to have a 'self' in the face of new scientific developments in genetic editing, cloning and neural downloading.After seeing his own cells used to grow clumps of new neurons – essentially mini-brains – Philip Ball begins to examine the concepts of identity and consciousness. Delving into humanity's deep evolutionary past to look at how complex creatures like us emerged from single-celled life, he offers a new perspective on how humans think about ourselves.In an age when we are increasingly encouraged to regard the 'self' as an abstract sequence of genetic information, or as a pattern of neural activity that might be 'downloaded' to a computer, he return us to the body – to flesh and blood – and anchors a conception of personhood in this unique and ephemeral mortal coil. How to Build a Human brings us back to ourselves – but in doing so, it challenges old preconceptions and values. It asks us to rethink how we exist in the world.

You can achieve anything when you know how to put your mind to it We all know that a positive mental attitude can work wonders… but there's so much more to it than that. With the right coaching you can move from positive attitude to determined success magnet! Mark Rhodes trains people every day on just how to achieve that level of concentrated resolve. In this book he'll show you how to build the mindset you need to achieve your goals and dreams and start to notice more opportunities and have the confidence to act on them. Whilst NLP based, no prior knowledge of NLP is needed! Mark keeps the science in the background. And don't worry, he doesn't ask us to trust the powers of the Universe and have 'faith' that it will work. Mark's steps are practical and actionable, using real examples. Think Your Way to Success will supercharge your performance, helping you to: • Map out exactly what you want to achieve • Find the confidence to act on opportunities • Use visualization to get results • Conquer your fears and phobias • Beat the “I can’t” virus and shake off limiting beliefs Praise for the book: «I know that there are hundreds of people who are more focused and more successful today because of the help Mark has given them.» Bev James, CEO of The Coaching Academy “The perfect antidote to negativity and a powerful reminder that attitude changes everything.” Guy Rigby, Director – Head of Entrepreneurs, Smith & Williamson Limited, author of From Vision to Exit “This book shows the really important things about mind power so that you will be able to emulate Mark’s success. Keep it with you and read it over and over again!” Ron G Holland, author of Talk & Grow Rich “Mark Rhodes has given NLP a new look… I recommend it to NLPers everywhere…” Dr Richard Bandler, Co founder of the field of NLP, Author of The Secrets of Being Happy