CHANGEMASTERS

A manual offers a prescription for change for small-business owners.

Entrepreneur/investor Moltz has written numerous books for small-business owners, including How To Get Unstuck (2014) and Small Business Hacks (2019). While the author claims this work was “the easiest one to write so far,” it is arguably the most uncomfortable topic for business owners. The fact is, change is exceedingly hard, and Moltz doesn’t downplay that reality. Instead, he explores reasons why people resist change and the research behind it. He then devotes more than half of the guide to how to make modifications, which he terms becoming a “ChangeMaster.” The preamble provides six reasons why change is problematic—a valid setup for what is to come. The following chapter presents a soberingly frank look at the personal aspects, in which the author relates his own struggles making alterations in his private and business life. Next come two chapters delving into brain science—admittedly somewhat technical, as Moltz notes in his disclaimer. Still, the material is useful in that it connects the act of changing with some of the biological reasons why the process is difficult. The bulk of the book centers on mastering change, beginning with two general chapters on making personal alterations and helping others make adjustments. They include sections about modifying the company culture and facilitating change among employees.

The subsequent chapters follow a very different path, demonstrating how to create change in various areas of business. This portion of the manual should be extremely valuable to small-business owners because of the facets the author selected for discussion: sales and marketing, money management, customer relations, productivity, and personal change. The strength of these individual chapters is not just in the content, but also in the structure. Each chapter unfolds in a problem/solution format as Moltz offers salient suggestions for “Where To Start To Make the Change” and “How To Analyze.” Perhaps most important, the author turns the tables on readers by noting that they will likely not want to take the necessary first steps in each area, so he advises them to “Take These Next Steps Instead.” For example, in the chapter concerning money management, Moltz acknowledges a business owner’s angst: “Looking at the numbers will be hard since you may be afraid of what the actual numbers say, especially when they are not in sync with what you thought in your head.” He then recommends specific steps to take to ease the anxiety, counseling readers on how best to “Measure Successful Change.” These chapters in particular show the author’s keen understanding of small-business challenges. In the concluding chapter, Moltz again shares his experiences with a disarming degree of candor. By pointing to his own vulnerabilities and describing the alterations that he finished and plans to complete, the author very effectively models appropriate change behavior for others. Appended to the book is an exceedingly useful “Change Worksheet” Moltz created with “The 20 Steps To Execute a Successful Change.”

Richly detailed, engaging advice on making changes, delivered with honesty and sincerity.