31 Invaluable Business Books Every Business Owner Needs To Read

Do you have one empty part of your day, such as a train home from work? Reading just one of these books on the way back will bring massive rewards.

Business isn’t easy to crack, but with the right information, it is very much possible to propel your vision forwards to success. With proven methods and success stories, the authors of these books are wizards in their field. They turn around failing companies with nothing but their experience in how the world or business works.

And they’re giving their secrets away! These books are such valuable ways to improve on the go, so check them out.

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#1 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

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While this book may be the cliche book for business owners and self-starters to read, it harbors a wealth of knowledge and presents it in a palatable manner. I strongly recommend it because it lays a solid foundation for a business owner to build upon as they grow both their knowledge and experience in their field.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#2 Subscribed: Why the Subscription Model Will Be Your Company’s Future – and What to Do About It

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Subscription companies are growing nine times faster than the S&P 500. Why? Because unlike product companies, subscription companies know their customers. A happy subscriber base is the ultimate economic moat. Today’s consumers prefer the advantages of access over the hassles of maintenance.

But how do you turn customers into subscribers? As the CEO of the world’s largest subscription management platform (Zuora), Tien Tzuo has helped hundreds of companies transition from relying on individual sales to building customer-centric, recurring-revenue businesses. His core message in Subscribed is simple: Ready or not, excited or terrified, you need to adapt to the Subscription Economy — or risk being left behind.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#3 Applied Humanism: How to Create More Effective and Ethical Businesses by Jennifer Hancock

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You can’t understand humanistic business management unless you understand what humanism is. This book provides a short introduction to the philosophy of humanism and discusses how and why it is being applied to business and why it is so effective when you do so. Humanism helps us prioritize human value as important. It supports positive interpersonal relationships and collaborative and respectful decision-making.

Since all businesses are in the business of solving problems, good problem solving is essential to good business. Humanism has already transformed many other disciplines including psychology, medicine, nursing, and more. Additionally, humanism is foundational to the practice of human resources, without which businesses cannot operate. It is important for business managers to understand the philosophy fully so they can understand how to not only manage people more effectively, but how to operate their businesses in a way that helps the communities in which they operate. This book will provide the primer they need to create more effective and ethical businesses.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#4 Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

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The author, Chris Voss, is a former international hostage negotiator for the FBI. Never Split The Difference is a masterclass on how to negotiation in life and business from a position of value without compromising. Business owners can use these skills when hiring, negotiating contracts, and even downsizing.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#5 Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller

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Communicating the message of your brand is one of the hardest things to do. There are so many questions and in today’s world you have a millisecond to explain it clearly and well enough to close a sale.

Building a Story Brand lays out a super simple guideline to follow to tell your story. And best of all it works, we redesigned everything following the book and it helped us so much.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#6 McDonald’s: Behind the Arches by John F Love

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The fascinating reality behind the movie The Founder, written for business people long before the movie, so an easy read, but with detailed insight and lessons that can be applied to all businesses.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#7 The New ROI: Return on Individuals by Dave Bookbinder

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Every CEO says that people are their company’s most valuable asset but they don’t always treat them as such – or they just don’t truly believe that statement.

This book provides business owners with a road map for maximizing the value of their people while also maximizing the value of their business. It also provides employees with advice on how to be their best-self at work.

This book contains the factual data to validate that people really ARE your most valuable asset. A MUST for business owners.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#8 The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

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This book walks through the various stages of a business … from startup to maturity. Gerber provides valuable insight on how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, even if the business is not a franchise. He helps you to understand the importance of and how to actually work on your business and not in your business. After reading this book, I took several steps to change the way I think and work on my business. This enabled me to have more time for myself and while helping my business run more efficiently.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#9 How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

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Easily one of the best books for any budding entrepreneur or established business owner is Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. Although I first read this book as a teenager, it was what spawned my interest in becoming a business owner – in fact, it’s what gave me the interest in pursuing business to begin with.

Simply put, this book emphasizes that meaningful relationships and providing value are more than just great qualities to help you live a successful life, but also help you make a lasting, positive impact on the world. In the end, any successful business owner must agree that even if you’re only in it for the money, you’ll never be as successful by trying to reap the rewards and being money-focused than by trying to provide as much value as possible.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#10 Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux

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Former associate partner at McKinsey & Co. and having sold more than 350,000 copies, Frederic Laloux has brought meaning & fulfillment to the forefront of organizational management. Every business owner should read this illustrated copy, that flows quickly and intuitively, to get in touch with their inner drivers and understand how to start adapting for this next stage of business that is the future of work!

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#11 The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes

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This is one of those timeless books that every business owner should read. Chet was a master of sales and marketing and he makes you think differently about the way you can/should stand out as a business. It’s not enough to be different, it’s not enough to be better. You need to be both and this book works on how you can approach things in a different way.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#12 The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness

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From the writer of “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” came this excellent addition to that book, detailing the exclusive 8th habit. This is perhaps one of the best books to read if you’re looking to be a better mentor, a good boss or a productive CEO. Not only does The 8th Habit outline how you can find your own voice and confidence, it also offers significant insight into how you can instill confidence in others. It reveals tons of harsh facts about life, and what it takes to be genuinely successful and positively influential in your work/social circle and beyond. The tips that it offers are by no means easy to practice and understand, but they are definitely worth a read—and a re-read.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#13 How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling by Frank Bettger

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Sales is the lifeblood of business, no matter what business you’re in. Though the book was published in 1992 and takes place in the 1920s, the book is full of timeless lessons in the art of selling. It’s an inspiring read on overcoming rejection and on creating the right mindset to set yourself up for success.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#14 The UnAmerican Dream by Carlos Hidalgo

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Business owners and entrepreneurs are all in search of The American Dream, but in this pursuit something terrible has happened. We have replaced the idea of hard work, with the hustle and in the wake of this destructive approach for so many are unhealthy lives and damaged relationships. The UnAmerican Dream is a call to business owners to take stock of their lives and define entrepreneurial success through a different lens.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#15 Is This It? The Smart Woman’s Guide To Finding Work You Love by Ruth Kidzi

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This book will help you get clarity on what is important to you and how you want your future to look so you can identify your driving values and the goals that you want to achieve. It will enable you to develop your confidence and consider different ways of thinking that will move you forward, as well as understanding what your options are.

You will learn from case studies of real women how you can change the way that you work and create a life that you love. Ruth will help you identify what you want to do and the steps to take you there. When you’ve read this book, you will be able to: Identify where you currently are: Clarify what has been stopping you make your move: Understand what your options are: Create your goals and vision: Develop a clear plan of action to move forward.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#16 Bookkeeping All-In-One For Dummies by Consumer Dummies

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The For Dummies guides are well known and well-respected learning platforms for a variety of fields. One of the biggest mistakes many business owners make is not keeping proper books. Not only does it set you up for improper business practices but can also get you into trouble legally if the IRS comes knocking.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#17 The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington

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This book will help leaders change their mindset from focusing on annual goals to focusing on quarterly goals. If they can get their organizations on board, they will have a year end push 4 times per year instead of once at the end of the year, when it’s too late to make changes that will impact the annual revenue.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#18 Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

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Every business owner needs to read this book because it changed business culture. If you want to run a successful business for the next 30 years this book is a must read. The main theme of this book is literally delivering happiness to your customers and employees. Tony Hsieh the author of the book and the CEO of Zappos, who completely changed the business culture.

He provides a blueprint to his success though an innovate and alternative business strategies that centered around happiness. Tony Hsieh goes into detail why the success of your company is closely tied to your company culture. He reminds all of, that our employees are the brand ambassadors of our company. A strong united group of employees with a sense of purpose makes everyone happy and it creates a sense of fulfillment, like being in a tribe.

This is one of the biggest motivators for all of our employees to work smarter and harder to achieve greater business success as a company. It’s an infectious energy that spread through the entire company and find it’s way into the hearts of our customers. The book was so influential it was one of the catalyst to amazon prime and it inspired the amazing customer service Amazon is now famous for. Delivery Happiness is one of the most insightful and relevant books every business owner must read.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#19 The Titanic Effect by Todd Saxton

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Leveraging decades of startup experience, The Titanic Effect uses stories of success and failure to reveal the often-overlooked human, marketing, and technical “icebergs” that sink startups, while drawing entertaining parallels to little known parts of the original Titanic story.

Instead of sharing what founders “must-do” for their startups, we share what they should NOT do. This book is intended for startup founders, small business owners and even people thinking about becoming entrepreneurs.” Most readers develop a list of issues to explore and fix within their business while reading this book. The Titanic Effect has been called the field guide for young and small businesses.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#20 Radical Candor by Kim Scott

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Radical Candor is a book about how and why honesty is the most valuable quality for leaders to have. Throughout its 232 pages, Kim Scott unpacks how executives, managers, and those who aspire to these positions can effectively use honesty to establish themselves as strong leaders.

In my experience, very few people can walk the tightrope between being a challenging boss and an authentically caring one. But if you want your team to thrive, they have to know that you care about their success just as much as you care about the company’s success. Scott offers direct, actionable advice on how to achieve this.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#21 The Essential Drucker by Peter Drucker

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Peter F. Drucker is considered to be the ‘father of modern management’ by thousands of experts on organization and administration throughout the world, and for over 60 years this business philosopher and widely-published author analyzed the principles and practices related to the successful operation of a wide variety of organizations.

While writing more than 25 books on the subject, Drucker discussed how the practices embodied in modern business management impacted individuals, organizations, and society at large. The Essential Drucker condenses a great many of his most important ideas into a single volume where Drucker lays out the principles of management and organization that today’s managers can utilize in dealing with the challenges and opportunities that they face in our modern global business environment.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#22 Managing the Millennial Market by Seth Barnett

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The younger generation (primarily focusing on the Millennial group) make up the largest workforce and buying market we have ever seen. They come with unique challenges and opportunities. This book discusses the nuances of this unique group in and out of the workforce. It has been highly sought after for growing and emerging businesses as well as those that struggle to meet the demands of the younger market.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#23 The 4 hour work week by Tim Ferris

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The reason this book is a MUST is because it make you think about automation and streamlining your business to be the most effective. It also helps you focus in on the time you spend in your business to make sure you optimize the amount of hours you spend.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#24 Emotional Detox for Anxiety by Sherianna Boyle

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Emotional Detox for Anxiety, offers approaches and insights for both releasing and handling the symptoms. The book discusses things like, how to support someone with anxiety without feeding it. In addition, it provides insight on how business owners may be suffering with anxiety themselves and the way this can negatively influence communication skills, creativity and connection.

Most of all, Emotional Detox, provides an entirely new perspective on anxiety, what is really happening behind the scenes as well as a seven step process, (in the acronym of C.L.E.A.N.S.E) for healing. If one of your employees or if you feel the culture itself in your workplace seems toxic this book is a tremendous resource for understanding and clearing it all. As a result, your employees will gain a sense of focus, productivity, calmness and self motivation.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#25 The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

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This book represents the truest, purest form of being heard, of encountering someone else who has experienced the same things you’ve experienced, struggled with the same things you’ve struggled with, had the same doubts, the same soaring feeling of creating something and “crushing it”, only to return to the same valleys that go along with being an entrepreneur/founder/CEO. Highly recommended reading for every business owner, and especially for startup founders.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#26 Competitive Intelligence Advantage by Seena Sharp

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Competitive Intelligence Advantage: How to Minimize Risk, Avoid Surprises, and Grow Your Business in a Changing World is a great first-time read, as well as a constant source for reference. Trying to mix innovation with risk can be difficult, but this book beautifully explains how you can achieve the best results with very minimal risk. This is so important for entrepreneurs, who may still be fundraising or are watching their seed fund begin to decrease. But really, at any stage of the game, it’s always important to learn how to create a good balance between risk and reward.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#27 The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

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When starting in business, you have to wear a lot of hats, change course frequently and adapt. The lean start-up is a masterful guide to the dynamic process of operating a business in the modern era and gives tangible advice on the things to pay attention to and the things to take with a grain of salt.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#28 Extreme Ownership: How US Navy Seals Lead and Win by Jocko Willink

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This book is foremost among many leadership books as it provides very practical advice for growing a business at any stage in the process. Filled with anecdotes from war with direct application to business, Jocko and his coauthor Leif Babbin make this a very engaging and useful read.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#29 The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell

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John Maxwell has been in the leadership development space for over 30 years and has equally as many books available. John is a skilled communicator and is incredibly gifted at making complex principles simple and easy to follow. Life and business both rise and fall on leadership.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#30 Manage Your Day-to-Day by 99U

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Manage Your Day-to-Day is an amazing resource for helping you develop better routines to make your workflow and your business day more efficient. It helps you identify bad and inefficient work routines while giving you a framework on how to improve them in a way that makes your business day feel more rewarding.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

#31 Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

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This is one of the best entrepreneurial stories out there. The founder of Nike shares a behind the scenes look at some of the craziest moments, decisions, and more from the founding of Nike. The story shares many lessons on persistence, strategy, partnerships, brand-building, and more.

Before buying a book make sure to compare price and outlet, we have included links below to several large book outlets for different regions in the world:

Contributors to this article

Josh Swisher from Northface Construction

Sierra M. Dowling from Zuora

Jennifer Hancock from Humanist Learning Systems

Tiffiney Cornish from TC Creatives

Corey Nelson from Catherine Jinn

Joel Poznansky from WickedUncle

Dave Bookbinder from NewROI

Chris Abrams from Marijuana Life Insurance

Alexandra Marin from CodeCrew LLC

Jacqueline Horani from LegallyUnconventional

Dan Rice from Talent Locker

Zarar Ameen from CanzMarketing

Michael Benghiat from The Music Kitchen

Carlos Hidalgo from The UnAmerican Dream

Natalie Trice from Natalie Trice Communicatins

Nate Masterson from NateMasterson

Anthony Kirlew from Infinion Marketing

Lisa Chu from Black n Bianco

Kim Saxton from TitanicEffect

Ellen Mullarkey from Messina Staffing

Timothy Wiedman from Doane College

Seth Barnett from SethBarnett

Phil Risher from Phlash Consulting

Sherianna Boyle from SheriannaBoyle

Joel Ohman from CarInsuranceComparison

Tom Buchok from Mailcharts

Casey Hill from Bonjoro

Josh Littauer from Financial Fitness Coach

Wendy Gonzalez from Modern Ornament LLC

Sydney Liu from Commaful

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