Starting out as an entrepreneur can be pretty difficult. Sometimes it feels like you are getting at nothing and your strategies don’t seem to be working, this feeling is normal. But, one of the ways to scale through and become successful is by reading the best books written for entrepreneurs.
You may have reached a point where you want to give up and go back to the 9 – 5 life, that you may or may not have just quit so you could start your business. If you’ve ever felt like this or if you need a new perspective to help your business grow, this article is for you.
The best books for entrepreneurs are the ones that channel and open your mind to a wide range of possibilities and opportunities. They are also a great source of inspiration that help you become the best in your business. We have curated 10 best books for entrepreneurs to read, to help sharpen their minds and inspire them to keep going.
Here are the best books for entrepreneurs:
1. The Entrepreneur Mind: 100 Essential Beliefs, Characteristics, and Habits of Elite Entrepreneurs By Kevin D. Johnson
This captivating book written by Kevin D. Johnson for both new and existing entrepreneurs highlights 100 vital lessons every entrepreneur must learn to be successful. These lessons contain beliefs, characteristics and habits of elite entrepreneurs.
The book is said to have the ability to teach people how to think business-wise and also entails of the author’s journey that can be applied to any real-life business situation.
If you do not have a standard business background but you’re looking to turn your startup into a household name, then this book is just what you need to get started.
2. Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers By Tim Ferriss.
In this book, Tim Ferriss, a host of The Tim Ferriss show podcast, elaborates on tips and life lessons that he has learnt from acknowledged guests in their distinguished fields such as business, sports, military, academia and every other distinguished industry.
His book talks about tactics, routines and habits of renowned professionals that have been interviewed on his show, which now has 100 million+ downloads. Another interesting thing about this book is that it also focuses on the little things such as ‘what an effective morning routine is’ or ‘common wastes of time’.
This is one of the best books for entrepreneurs because they learn secrets of how billionaires attain their success.
The book is written in an episodic nature rather than in narratives. Some people do enjoy it because they get to “pick and choose” who inspires them but some others don’t find it compelling.
3. The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage By Daymond John.
Starting as an entrepreneur can be difficult especially if you are experiencing a lot of financial difficulties. Some successful and well-established entrepreneurs start broke and work their up to have the success and wealth they have now. In this book, Daymond John explains how to use your ‘broke’ status as a means to drive your success.
He shares his stories, lessons and advice on achieving success as an entrepreneur. He also shares how he was able to create his six-billion-dollar empire with just $40! And no, this is not one of those unrealistic testimonies, Raymond takes you on his journey, step by step on how he was able to succeed and harness the power of being broke.
For new entrepreneurs who think being broke is the only hindrance to becoming wealthy and successful, this book is sure to change your mind and inspire you to be on that path to greatness.
4. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life By Mark Manson.
The title itself makes you curious enough to want to read it and know what’s it about. The book talks about learning some realistic expectations and focusing on the little things that matter such as family and friends.
The author’s writing style is blunt and intentional, a representation of the title of the book. The book creates as an intriguing way of keeping you engaged with its ratio 2 to 1 mix of life advice and comedy respectively.
This book isn’t just for entrepreneurs but for anyone willing to gain more knowledge of life and its various lessons.
5. Crushing It: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too By Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk is popularly known for his social media marketing and brand building techniques. He educates and inspires his audience via motivational speeches and highly inspiring videos and podcasts on how to build a successful household brand. The four-times New York Times bestseller, released another book, crushing It, talks about how various entrepreneurs deviated from the corporate sector to build their business and pursue their dreams and the lessons they learnt along the way.
His book talks about the effects of social media marketing to grow your business. He explains how to use various social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest and more to boost sales using different tools and techniques and how to use them effectively.
Gary Vaynerchuk, who is the CEO of VaynerX, is regarded as one of the world’s leading marketing experts. Getting his book is going to be a plus for you and your business.
[Also read: Get Paid to Read Books: 12 Sites that Actually Pay!]
6. This is Marketing By Seth Godin
It’s one thing to a great product/service to deliver and another thing to get people to see it, purchase it and love it. This book talks about marketing extensively and how best to reach your audience. In this book, Seth makes you understand what you stand for, why people should care about your business and what value you bring to your audience.
If you have no clue on how to plan a perfect marketing strategy for your business, Seth’s book makes you go from not knowing how to start a marketing plan to have a well mapped out marketing plan that works for your business. It is also one of the best books for entrepreneurs wanting to know how to create a good marketing strategy.
7.What You Can Do, I Can Too By Helen Vallaeys
This book is an amazing read for aspiring female entrepreneurs who may have felt discouraged to pursue their dreams. It also introduces role models who have been through similar challenges and have broken the barrier and chose to succeed
This book inspires women, stops them from feeling discouraged and pursue their career to the highest limits they possibly can. If you need to give any female entrepreneur a gift, this is the best book to get.
8. Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! By Robert T. Kiyosaki
This book is considered to be the centre of everything finance when it comes to business. It teaches you how to make your money work for you instead of you working for it. The author, Robert T. Kiyosaki, claims it to be the #1 personal finance book of all time.
This book presents a different perspective on how one should think about money in terms of assets and liabilities, knowing what to place your money on, to give you more income in the long run and what can run down your finances.
9. Million Dollar Women By Julia Pimsleur
If you’re a female entrepreneur trying to break the barriers against women and build your business to a multi-dollar level, then this book is the book for you. It is a known fact that only a few women make it big time in the entrepreneur world and to increase that number, Julia Pimsleur lends a hand to women who are willing to expand their business and take it to the next level. She also happens to be a scaling coach for women.
This book teaches you how to raise capital from investors, build strong networks and also build a multi- dollar company from the bottom level. You can learn from experienced and remarkable women from different works of life, as this book talks about the knowledge and wisdom shared by these women via various interviews.
10. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It By Michael E. Gerber
Michael E. Gerber simplifies starting a business and debunks the myth around it in this book. Gerber is a small business consultant with many years of experience in the field. However, he uses his experience gained to guide readers on the right path to having a successful business.
E-myth Revisited explains the cycle of a business. He also explains how you can apply vital lessons of franchising to any business. Readers have found the book to be straight to the point in an impactful way. If you need to learn how to grow your business more productively and confidently, this book shows you how.
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