There’s a lot of debate, deliberation, and delirium when it comes to a group of individuals picking the best business books.
However, as a budding entrepreneur, what is best for you is not only a dose of inspiration, but ample hacks, tricks, and techniques to hone your craft while managing the growth and sustenance of the business.
If you were picked up and dropped off in a rainforest, what’s the first thing you would look for? A trail, right? It’s always safer and wiser to tread in the footsteps of those who have walked the path. It’s the same with books.
The best business books are those that are written with insight and experience. The ones that do not state the obvious and open doors to something novel through studied research and practical action points.
Choose the section that doles out practical advice in the most nonfictional way possible. As an up-and-coming business person, you need to absorb the early-stage journeys of successful brands. They will expose you to learning and mistakes that you should be wary of as you begin.
These are some important topics to read up on if you want to make it as an entrepreneur in the cut-throat business world.
Why are you embarking on the journey of creating a brand? You must understand what function your brand serves for you and its ultimate beneficiaries.
Take inspiration from the stories of entrepreneurs who have stuck to their purpose, thereby proving their integrity and loyalty to their customers.
If you have ready capital to begin, you can skip to the next point. If you don’t, then you’re going to have to wade through shark-infested pools.
There’s never enough advice you can get when it comes to raising funds for your new business. And several of the best business books address just this.
You’ve got things together on paper, but then again, something unexpected comes up. How well prepared are you, financially, to sail through the situation?
With a new business comes the responsibility of your employees, infrastructure, product, and customer satisfaction (all of which require sufficient, dedicated funding). Poor money management is something that can break even the most high-demand businesses.
Kirsty Nathoo breaks down early-stage and later-stage finances well:
Understand what your customer needs and how your product serves the purpose. If there is no need, you should create one.
The best business books that focus on consumer insight and psychology provide a deep understanding of the subconscious aspect of customer acquisition.
There’s a big difference between being a leader and a boss. You want to be the former because that’s what ensures you are in the right headspace. You may not be a postgraduate in management skills, and that’s perfectly fine.
A good read can define the guidelines and the guardrails you need to keep in check to be a great leader and to create more leaders under your company’s banner. It can help you keep your focus and concentrate on what matters.
We’ve put together a list of business books from which you can derive real value as a fledgling business.
Here’s a book that outlines the importance of being skillful and honing the skill to develop it into an opportunity. With great tips on picking your USP, managing distractions, and being extremely focused, Deep Work is a splendid read for a new business person who needs to know what’s coming for them.
If you are planning to start a side-hustle or bring a unique business idea to life, then here’s a book that will give you the right dose of positivity and inspiration to get started.
“It’s so rare that we take time to acknowledge all that we’ve done and all that we’re capable of,” says Moore.
Vaynerchuk stirs mixed opinions from his readers and listeners, but the four-time New York Times bestseller has belted out some hard facts about entrepreneurship in Crushing It.
His opinion matters because of the immense experience he has accrued as a thought leader and leading business advisor.
The Power of Habit soared to popularity as soon as it was released because it deals with a basic human challenge, maintaining good habits. Habits that are productive and formed to keep your well-being and success in check.
Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize winner, and his collection of life hacks to stay disciplined can take a young leader miles ahead.
Once you have started your business, it is important to balance the expenses you incur. Michalowicz is a seasoned entrepreneur who dishes out practical advice on how you can make your business sustainably profitable.
He breaks everything down into easy-to-follow steps, which are simple enough to implement.
Daymond John is one of the Shark Tank stars who has blossomed into a thought leader and shares his formula for breaking through financial challenges.
What sets The Power of Broke apart from many other business books is the way John uses unconventional (sometimes scrappy) means of giving your business the lease of life it needs when challenges arise.
Malcolm Gladwell addresses a critical life stage of a business: when your business tips over the edge and finds its relevance among the masses.
This period can be overwhelming. His hand-holding guide, The Tipping Point, inspires entrepreneurs to reach their business goals and nurture its growth.
Highly contentious and full of energy, this fantastic read by Josh Kaufman defies the norms of academic learning that MBAs are privy to. He demonstrates how practical learning and lessons can work better together.
So, if you do not have a post-graduation management degree to hang on your wall, this could be the best business book for you.
A captivating orator and thinker, Sinek shot to fame with his TED Talk on the very subject that led to the success of this book. You could look at his ‘Golden Circle’ principle as not only an inspiration for business but an antidote for challenging decisions in life.
Among the highest-rated books on this list, Havard’s Virtuous Leadership focuses on virtue and its powerful role in shaping all that you do and all that you are.
Virtue helps create leaders who seek to inspire those under them with their value systems, thereby creating harmony within any organized structure.
Ray Kroc’s eccentric personality inspired the movie The Founder, which, like his book, demonstrates the idea of seeing things for what they can be rather than what they are.
He is responsible for McDonald’s becoming one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
Haden uncomfortably dismantles the hype behind motivation. He positions it as the fruit of success rather than a success formula like, say, an adrenaline shot for the will. The exciting perspective makes for an insightful and engaging read.
A little bit of psychology, practicality, and proof is all that Covey uses to showcase what truly drives people who are effective in what they do. The examples are relatable and aplenty, which is why the book has sold millions of copies.
If you are not inclined toward marketing and its many jargons, then here’s a book that sets it straight for you.
The laws described here shed light on some aspects you may encounter before you even begin as well as later-stage phases. They come from experienced minds and bear their unique weight in every business leader’s mind.
A couple of decades ago, Seth Godin realized that one of the most important currencies for a business is its customer’s attention. His tricks from the pre-Internet dominant era are useful and valued even today.
They help you transform your communication into something more meaningful and arresting for the ever-distracted reader of today.
Full disclosure: none of these books are the key to success. They do not guarantee a way out of your problems or promise to navigate you to your business goals easily.
Which one of them is the best business book for you? That is up to you.
Look at them as rungs of a ladder that help you ascend the mysterious stairway that your new venture is going to set you off on. Reading refreshes your mind and gives you time to teleport to where you began. It’s great for introspection.
Here’s a pro tip: Never stop reading the books of those who have made it, because believe it or not, they’ve walked through the weeds already.
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