There is so much small business owners need to know to operate at peak performance. Luckily we live in the Information Age with plentiful resources. To help you sift through some of the data, every week we're going to look at three business books small business owners should read and the lessons you can learn from reading them.

Stand Out: How to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following Around It ($26.95)

This book addresses many an entrepreneur's biggest problem today-how can you get you idea to stand out in a very noisy marketplace? Author and branding expert Dorie Clark tackles the question by interviewing more then 50 thought leaders, including such luminaries as Seth Godin and Daniel Pink.

But Clark points out you don't need to be a genius to make an impact. Instead, she shares the ways you can develop and share your killer ideas, tells you how to be a renegade thinker and explains what's wrong with thought leadership today.

It may sound overwhelming, but Clark leads you through it, increasing the chances of creating a breakthrough idea.

Communicate to Influence: How to Inspire Your Audience to Action ($27)

By Ben Decker & Kelly Decker

If you want to succeed, you need to master the art of communicating. In this book the authors, business communications experts and owners of Decker Communications, share the tools that will help you improve your communications skills.

Communicating well, the Deckers point out, is not enough. You need to be able to move people to action-to get your audience (whether that's employees, clients, venture capitalists or potential partners) to do what you want them to do.

The Deckers share their four-step Decker Grid System that will help you easily prepare the right message for the right audience.

Insight: Business Advice in an Age of Complexity ($14.95)

By David Wimer with Robert F. Everett PhD

You know those times when things go wrong and you feel there's nothing you can do to salvage the situation? Unfortunately, we all experience a few such moments over the course of our entrepreneurial endeavors. And at those times, we all wish we had someone to talk to who could make it better.

David Wilmer is that person. His mission is to "provide insight to business owners before and during transitions" to help them minimize risk.

No matter what your "crisis" is, this book offers plenty of sound and actionable advice to help you get to the other side.

Want more assistance growing your business online? Join theWeb.com Small Business Forum for free access to our library of ebooks, the latest industry news and support from other business owners, entrepreneurs and working professionals. Join a Group to ask questions, share your opinions and grow your network! VisitWeb.com to learn about our full range of affordable website design and online marketing services.

Rieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a media and custom content company focusing on small business and entrepreneurship. Email Rieva at rieva@smallbizdaily.com, follow her on Google+ and Twitter.com/Rieva, and visit her website, SmallBizDaily.com, to get the scoop on business trends and sign up for Rieva's free TrendCast reports.

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