The Joy of Giving Away Books
While organising my personal library while creating a new simplified business canvas, I realised that I had many duplicate books. These were often either gifts of books I had already or I simply purchased them again enthusiastically when I was triggered at some point.
These books were the basis of the '30 books in 30 days' giveaway which I did on the new ebullient.com website. This was the perfect way for me to do a soft introduction of ebullient.com, as the whole spirit of that initiative is to help people by sharing and giving knowledge and tips. As the ebullient.com concept is still being formed, I was also able to ask the 'audience' their opinion about what I should do in the future on ebullient.com. The feedback was great!
Obviously, not everyone who completed the survey was able to receive a book. After the 30 days, I made a randomised selection tool in Excel, and did the selection of who would get the book they requested. Then came the chasing people for their postal addresses, and today I completed the packing. Off to the post office next week! (The picture on this article is the stack of envelopes waiting to go!)
The replies came from around the world. Many came from my home country of the Netherlands, or my native United States, and also a bunch from other European countries, Australia, India, Peru, Columbia and others.
78% of the people identified themselves as Entrepreneurs, and the rest being 'Not Sure' and only one who answered all three: Yes, Not Sure and No. I guess this person has a lot going on in their life!
The people get their information and inspiration from a wide variety of sources. Highest mentioned were books, magazines (eg Economist), podcasts (eg Tim Ferriss), and webinars. Some went to conferences and meetups. Linkedin was mentioned quite a few times, and interestingly Twitter only once...
I asked a number of questions about what they would find valuable on a website for 'everyday entrepreneurs everywhere', and the feedback confirmed that I am going the right direction. None of the people found any of the topics 'Not Valuable', so it was a mix of High and Not Sure. The following are the percentages of the people who found these topics 'Highly Valuable':
- 84% - Interviews with experts and entrepreneurs (podcasts and videos)
- 80% - Free tips and walk-throughs how to get things done and use the productivity tools
- 72% - Free list of pre-tested tools that can be used to help businesses be more productive
- 63% - Free list of verified experts to help you get things done
- 62% - Free curated lists of books with reviews and links where to buy
- 53% - Reasonably priced online courses to get practical and clear education and tips on improving your business
All of the above are concepts which could happen on ebullient.com over time, and the interviews with experts seems like an outstanding place to start.
Are you an expert? Want to share your expertise with the world? Let me know and we'll do a podcast on the topic!
Need some advice? Are you struggling with starting or growing your business? Get in touch for some personalised coaching on the things you must do to succeed: Focus, Growth & Delivery!