Entrepreneurs know hard work, long hours, and difficult times. Every year, the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City salutes the Top 10 Small Businesses for their contributions to the well-being of our community.

Selection of the companies is based on growth or sustainability, excellence in employee relations, and outstanding service to the community.

This year’s nominees represent many industries and include an advertising agency, a pizzeria, a pet service business, and a company operating in the railroad industry. 

Entrepreneurs are not only vital to the economy, many of them are interesting people as well. Pick up one of these books from the Kansas City Public Library’s H&R Block Business & Career Center to read about what makes them tick and their secrets to success.

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose - Tony Hsieh

Tony Hsieh, the CEO of online shoe retailer Zappos, explains how he created a unique culture and commitment to service that aims to improve the lives of its employees, customers, vendors and backers. Even better, he shows how creating happiness and record results go hand-in-hand.

How Did I Get Here: The Ascent of an Unlikely CEO - Tony Hawk

A skateboarder by trade, Tony Hawk built his brand and image with authenticity. Authenticity is an important key to learn as Tony tells in his own words his story of building his brand. Readers learn fundamental lessons such as: be a pioneer, stay alive and on the scene, live and breathe the lifestyle, be as popular with parents as with their offspring, and insist on realism.

Upstarts: How GenY Entrepreneurs are Rocking the World of Business and 8 Ways You Can Profit From Their Success - Donna Fenn

Generation Y is creating startups at an unprecedented rate, and this group’s approach to business is unlike anything you’ve seen. Also known as the “Millenial Generation,” GenY is rewriting the entrepreneurial playbook one cool startup at a time. Upstarts examines and analyzes this entrepreneurial revolution to reveal eight critical lessons every entrepreneur and marketer must learn.

The Intelligent Entrepreneur: How Three Harvard Business School Graduates Learned the 10 Rules of Successful Entrepreneurship - Bill Murphy Jr.

Three Harvard Business School graduates turned down six-figure salaries at big corporations, bet on themselves, and launched their own new companies. By their ten-year reunion, their audacity had paid huge dividends. They made many millions of dollars, created hundreds of jobs, and left their mark on the world.

The H&R Block Business and Career Center, located on the 3rd floor of the Central Library, has many resources to help you start your business. Whether you are in the very beginning exploratory stages, writing your business plan or looking to develop a list of potential customers or suppliers, the librarians in the Block Center will be glad to help you locate the information you need. Call us at 816.701.3717 or send us an email at bcc@kclibrary.

-- Pam Jenkins H&R Block Business & Career Center manager