Any really good books on business? Especially business models, earning logic, etc.

[Pekka]

So I've been talking to lot of people with start ups in here and they seem to be missing few points: 1) even though they have a cool idea, they don't know if it's a product or service. Usually they think they have a product, which they don't. 2) With the cool idea, my first question usually is, "so how do you make money from it?" and if it's not obvious I just ask what their business model is. Quite often it seems to be this:
- We have a cool idea
- We know it'll work because it's cool
- We'll manufacture, make it a product
- ???
- PROFIT!

This is a very generic start up problem. I'm asking for books on these topics because even though I know a little bit about it, I'm not an expert either. I find that the more we know, the more we can fine tune the little things, we can find our market better, we can shape our service more (we have a service), we can price it better, and at the end it'll add up to better leads, more quotes sent and more deals made and that's what happens before the PROFIT part.

So books on business models, how to sell basically (please, no self help books or BS cold call sales books or the likes), how to build start ups into serious SMEs that have cash flow and value. They can be even mere processes, good war stories, what ever you have. Books that inspired you, just good and valuable business books.

[DanS]

I don't have any answers, but would also find these kind of books helpful.

It seems that really what is lacking is knowledge about basic marketing. Characterization of the market, how to price, how to sell. It is no wonder that early-stage investors go directly to the basic marketing story in order to judge the business model -- e.g., how big is the market and how much of the market can you address with your product.

In my own case, I've come up with and manufactured what I believe to be outstanding products, but have been caught up with the ???? step because the addressable market was way too small.

[Pekka]

dans,

Yes, in my mind you are right on the button.

Good websites are also welcome, but I trust there are some gems out there that we should read.

So far the best advice to these issues I can give is to get a superstar who are great at these things, but that's not always possible, plus it's a good idea to know something yourself as well.

[Aeson]

Strangely, I'm not having any problem with marketing. I figured that would be the hardest part, but whatever I can grow has been selling at better than expected prices. I don't even haggle... can't even fill the orders we get. I just need to be a better farmer.