Taegan Lion
Books can be, and are, an affordable way to get professional assistance with starting a business. Authors can highlight common mistakes and give valuable insight into what you should and should not be doing. Here are 24 must-read books on starting a business.
Each of the books on this list is suggested by Fupping contributors.Β
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#1 The Business Idea Factory by Andrii Sedniev
A lot of examples in this book are inspirational. It helps entrepreneurs inΒ learning about thinking creatively and coming up with ideas which can beΒ implemented.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Elyssa Respaut from AmDee LLCΒ
#2 Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers by Anthony Mersino
Every CEO is a PM at the end of the day. Dealing with people - be itΒ employees or clients, is a big part of a CEO's life. This book helps inΒ understanding emotions and using it to one's advantage.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Elyssa Respaut from AmDee LLCΒ
#3 The Art of the Start 2.0 by Guy Kawasaki
Beyond just being the guy known for the original successful MacintoshΒ marketing initiative, Guy Kawasaki is an excellent writer and educator.Β This book is not only packed with valuable information, it's written in aΒ light and charming manner that keeps you engaged, even through some of theΒ less glamorous-sounding aspects of starting a business.
It's a good read toΒ help you assess if you are truly ready to undergo the venture in mind, andΒ provides a map of the knowledge gaps you should look to fill in order toΒ increase your chances of success.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Alison HaseldenΒ fromΒ CanIRank
#4 The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
My inspiration to start a location independentΒ business with the 80/20 principle and automate as much as possible cameΒ from this book.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Kean Graham from MonetizeMore
#5 David & Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell illuminates the counter-intuitiveΒ advantage of being the underdog. Via many impressive stories, it shows howΒ it is very possible to exploit a weakness and turn it into a one-of-a-kindΒ strength in the long term.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Kean Graham from MonetizeMore
#6 Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne
The premise of Blue Ocean Strategy.remove yourself from the blood bath ofΒ competition by offering overwhelming value to the consumer. DeliverΒ overwhelming value and you will render the competition irrelevant. The bookΒ is loaded with case studies that any entrepreneur can relate to because theyΒ show case companies we have all used or are aware of. My business is 100%Β conducted over the phone and internet. Overcoming the inherent challengesΒ of our business model and the service we offer is mitigated by the value ourΒ customers receive for the money they spend with us. The foundation of ourΒ business model was tailored from what I learned in Blue Ocean Strategy.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Bill Westrom from TruthinEquity
#7 The Startupβs Owners Manual by Steve Blanks
The book that changed my perspective on starting a business and how to growΒ one is The Startup's Owners Manual, by Steve Blanks. For me, Steve laidΒ out all of the pre-work that was needed to be done before a company shouldΒ even be started. From getting out of the building and getting feedbackΒ from random strangers, to being on top of your company and not in it, SteveΒ takes real-world examples and explains everything in detail. He gave meΒ the confidence and the reasoning to get the ball rolling on becoming anΒ entrepreneur.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Gene Caballero from GreenPalΒ
#8 Impossible to Inevitable by Jason Lemkin
The book is focused on SaaS technology companies, but frankly a lotΒ of the lessons contained within are also completely relevant for otherΒ types of small businesses. They focus on customer retention and strategiesΒ on how to deepen and improve relationships with your customers. This isΒ important regardless of whether you are a software company or a restaurant.Β I see Jason Lemkin as one of the great business thought leaders of ourΒ decade, particularly with respect to small businesses and start-ups. IΒ found this book to be absolutely jam-packed with great strategies to handleΒ the thousands of business situations that will come up for founders.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Steve Benson from Badger Maps
#9 The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
You donβt have to join the cult or anything, but itβs worthΒ understanding why there is a cult in the startup community surrounding theΒ philosophies outlined in this book.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Steve Benson from Badger Maps
#10 The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman
I highly recommend every entrepreneur read the "The Personal MBA" because itΒ not only teaches you what you'd learn during an expensive MBA program, butΒ also because it speaks about the intricacies of owning a business.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Sarah MoeΒ fromΒ Flauk
#11 Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
This book is a game-changer. It'll teach youΒ how to be profitable from Day 1 (and that you can be profitable from theΒ start), and how to learn when an idea isn't profitable or feasible.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Sarah Moe from Flauk
#12 Orgasmic Leadership by Rachel Braun Scherl
The book is called Orgasmic Leadership which deals with the ever-growingΒ female sexuality and sexual health business which is predicted to reach $50Β billion annually in the next 5-10 years.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Nicole AlbertΒ fromΒ JAG Entertainment
#13 Behind the Cloud by Marc Benioff & Carlye Adler
Behind theΒ Cloud is a really good read for a few reasons. It's a story behind theΒ success of salesforce.com and how Benioff and his team built the companyΒ prior to the existence of the term βIn the Cloudβ. This book details howΒ the company rose to success, and goes into details about how to find yourΒ company's unique qualities and make it stand out above the rest.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Chinh Nguyen from FinaleΒ Inventory
#14 Go It Alone by Bruce Judson
The premise behind Go It Alone, as to break the myth that youβve got toΒ spend money to make money. Of course, you have to spend money, but just howΒ much? Judson reasons itβs more than doable to create a profitable businessΒ without employees, loans or funding. Thanks to market trends andΒ breakthrough technology creating a powerhouse business has never beenΒ easier.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Nate MastersonΒ fromΒ Maple HolisticsΒ
#15 Getting Things Done by David Allen
The worst thing you can do when starting a business is neglect work.Β Getting out of the gate is hard, if you stop at any point youβll loseΒ momentum, but if you donβt stop youβll burn out. Getting things done is allΒ about organizing your thoughts and forming habits. The book teaches youΒ how to give yourself a productive space to work, helping you track yourΒ thoughts, and your progress.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Nate Masterson from Maple HolisticsΒ
#16 Business Model Generation by Alexander Osterwalder
This must-have 'entrepreneurshipΒ 101' book teaches you the building blocks of a business model in a handyΒ format they call the business model canvas. It's a great place to startΒ to map out your business idea.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Marianne McGinleyΒ from Lokalphoto
#17 Traction by Gabriel Weinberg & Justin Mares
Amazingly to-the-point, this book outlines the 19 different channelsΒ through which your business can grow, you'll feel empowered to start beforeΒ you get one-third through it. And you'll want to parallel path developmentΒ and these channels, so don't push this one off to post-launch timing.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Marianne McGinley from Lokalphoto
#18 Shortcut your Startup by Courtney Reum and Carter Reum
There's so much practical advice shared in this book, from raising capitalΒ to understanding your competitive position and what that means for yourΒ business, and utilizing your time and resources efficiently.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Marianne McGinley from Lokalphoto
#19 Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Because you're not just creating a company, you're developing ideas, aΒ brand, and initial communications, and need them to quickly resonate.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Marianne McGinley from Lokalphoto
#20 Donβt Make Me Think by Steve Krug
Itβs a book that helped me get started as it talks about how to build a software product. Itβs about user experience and how to design websites and applications that are easy to use.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Cedric Savarese from FormAssembly
#21 Drive by Daniel Pink
This book describes the keys to motivating people, therefore retainingΒ employees and creating a culture of sustainability.
This one really helped me in confirming our strategy for the nonprofit IΒ run called, Motley Zoo Animal Rescue. ThisΒ teaches you what are the 3 keys to motivating people- and keepingΒ them...which is essential for a volunteer-run organization especially!
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Jamie ThomasΒ fromΒ Motley Zoo Animal RescueΒ
#22 Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
Although this is geared towards those in for profits, it helped meΒ understand a bit more about why people make the strangest decisions -Β especially when it comes to changing their minds about animals,Β volunteering and so on... why they don't do what they say or say what theyΒ are doing. It helped me from being as frustrated about some things- andΒ helped us strategize in terms of donor management and increasingΒ fundraising efforts.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Jamie Thomas from Motley Zoo Animal RescueΒ
#23 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
How to succeed in life, not just business; how to be a leader not just aΒ manager. This one I read after a break up with a key individual in theΒ organization which created a bit of a shakeup. I wanted to make sure thatΒ I was on the right path, doing what I could (as a leader) to avoid suchΒ issues in the future.Β I believe as well this one can help in personal and family lives as theΒ principles and concepts are fundamental lifestyle choices not techniques.Β You can certainly learn a ton from this book.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Jamie Thomas from Motley Zoo Animal RescueΒ
#24 The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick M. Lencioni
This one is good for teams and organizations as well - I also believe it canΒ help in family and personal lives too. It helps set up scenarios aboutΒ group efforts, how and why communication may fail and break down and how toΒ turn that around.Β The skills are applicable to many aspects, not just business. I found that IΒ could identify obstacles in my teammates' attitudes and behavior, as well aΒ solution and way to redirect them to a more positive and successful outcome.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Jamie Thomas from Motley Zoo Animal RescueΒ
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