10 must-read books for entrepreneurs
by Deanna deBara
When you’re just starting out with your business, you
need the right mentors. And some of the best in the market come on pages in
between two covers.
Here are 10 must-read books for entrepreneurs:
by Hal Elrod
8:30am: Alarm goes off.
8:31am: Hit snooze.
8:40am: Hit snooze again.
8:49am: Hit snooze one more time.
8:58am: Slap alarm and jump out of bed.
8:59am: Turn on computer.
9am: Start working.
Does this look familiar?
If so, we’ve got news for you. The business you’re
starting? It’s not going to be as successful as it could be because one of the
keys to setting your business up for success is setting your day up for
success. In The Miracle Morning, entrepreneur Hal Elrod shows you why starting
your day with purpose can transform not only your day, but your business, too.
Elrod used his morning blueprint S.A.V.E.R.S.
(silence, affirmations, visualizations, exercise, reading, and scribing) to
completely transform his life. He pulled his business out of near bankruptcy,
paid off almost a half a million dollars of debt and became one of the most
sought after business consultants in the world.
This book is great if…You want to create more structure in your life and in
your business—and reap the rewards as a result.
There’s an idea floating around that vulnerability is
a weakness. But Daring Greatly challenges that idea and argues that actually,
being vulnerable and allowing your whole self to be seen—flaws and all—is the
key to happiness, fulfillment and (you guessed it) career success.
In this exploration of vulnerability, author,
researcher and public speaker Brene Brown (who has been studying shame and
vulnerability for nearly two decades) walks readers through vulnerability.
Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like
courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never
weakness. – Brene Brown
She explores what it is, why it makes us so
uncomfortable and how to use it to propel all areas of our lives—including our
careers. This book is a must-read for all new entrepreneurs. When you’re
starting a business, you might be tempted to put on an “I got this” face and
keep your fear inside, but it’s when you let down your guard and let people in
that the real magic happens.
This book is great if…You want to become infuse more
authenticity into your business.
This might seem like a bad thing, but if you’re an
entrepreneur looking to start a business? It’s actually a good thing. In Choose
Yourself, angel investor and entrepreneur James Altucher has one message: in a
business world where nothing is stable, you’ve got nothing to lose by choosing
yourself.
In this quick but powerful read, Altucher offers a new
model for success: one that focuses on both internal (like happiness and
personal fulfillment) and external (wealth and satisfying work) success. Choose
Yourself is essentially a blueprint for building a successful business your way
without compromising who you are, what you want, and what’s important to you.
This book is great if…You want to build a business
that’s just as personally fulfilling as it is financially lucrative.
No matter what business you’re in, a big part of that
business is going to be dealing with people. And if you want your business to
succeed, you need people to like you. Which is why you need to read How To Win
Friends and Influence People. This book is a classic for a reason. In this read,
Dale Carnegie, one of the most respected business writers of all time, shows you
how to make people—your team, your colleagues, and your customers—feel
important and valued and how to get people on your side (and agreeing with your
opinions) without offending them or inspiring resentment. These communication
nuances are key to connection and the key to getting people to want to do
business with you.
You can make more friends in two months by becoming
interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other
people interested in you. – Dale Carnegie
This book is definitely not the newest on the list,
but it’s a classic for a reason. Carnegie’s insight into human nature and
communication styles is just as true today as it was when he wrote it over 80
years ago.
This book is great if…You want to transform yourself
into a people-influencing ninja that everyone and their mom can’t help but
like.
Have you ever had a great idea for a business, a
product or a project, but didn’t move forward because you were afraid it
wouldn’t work out? And then kicked yourself when you saw someone else pull off
that same idea?
In Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, author
Elizabeth Gilbert talks about the nature of creativity and how fear kills the
creative process. Gilbert, who knows a thing or two about creativity (she
penned the international bestseller Eat, Pray, Love), talks about her own
struggles with creativity and moving past fear and gives you tips on how to
harness inspiration, fight fear and move forward with your ideas.
Keep in mind, this book might be a little too “new
age-y” for some entrepreneurs taste, but if you can look past the woo-woo
language, you’ll find some incredible insights into harnessing your creativity.
This book is great if…You need a little creative
inspiration to get your business off the ground.
6. Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habitsof Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers
by Tim Ferriss
Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a board of advisors
that was made up of some of the richest, most successful people in the world to
offer you advice and guidance as you built your new business?
Of course it would. And while that’s probably not a
possibility (and if it is, you need to let us in on your secrets), Tools of
Titans is the next best thing.
In this book, Tim Ferriss (author of the
entrepreneur’s bible, The Four Hour Workweek) has assembled some of the best
wisdom he’s gathered in his two-plus years of hosting “The Tim Ferriss Show”
podcast, where he interviews billionaires, icons and world-class performers.
This book is great if…You want to know how the most
successful people in the world got that way and how you can get there, too.
by Jen Sincero
A lot of people have messed up ideas about money: it’s
bad, it’s too hard to make enough money, it causes problems, wanting money
makes you selfish. But these negative attitudes about money will hold you back
from building a successful business and building the kind of wealth you want
and deserve. If you want to be successful, you need to let go of those negative
attitudes and replace them with something more empowering.
Enter You Are A Badass At Making Money: Master The
Mindset of Wealth. “What comes out of your mouth comes into your life.” – Jen
Sincero
In this book, author Jen Sincero (who also wrote You
Are A Badass: How To Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Live An Awesome Life)
takes readers through her own money struggles and how her negative money beliefs
kept her in debt without much success. It wasn’t until she was able to shift
her money mindset that her business and finances took off.
Sincero takes you through multiple exercises to help
you identify your beliefs about money, let them go and replace them with the
kind of beliefs that are going to bring in the big bucks.
This book is great if…You’re ready to stop eating
Ramen Noodles every night and start making some serious cash with your
business.
by Daniel Pink
One of the many hats you wear as an entrepreneur—and
maybe the most important—is your salesperson hat.
When you’re starting a business, there are a
million-and-one things you need to sell: your idea, your branding, your
products, your mission. And if you don’t know how to sell, your business will
fail.
In To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving
Others, celebrated author and motivation expert Daniel Pink shares a modern-day
guidebook for successfully selling people on just about anything, without
becoming a “slimy salesperson.”
This book is great if…You know you have a great
idea/business/product, but you’re not sure how to sell people on it.
by Ryan Holiday
No matter who you are, what you do, or what kind of
business you start, there are going to be obstacles in the way. And when faced
with obstacles, you have one of two choices: you either give up and let it stop
you, or you face it head on and transform it into a triumph.
In The Obstacle Is The Way, bestselling author and
business expert Ryan Holiday explores how stoicism (the ancient Greek
philosophy of facing adversity and challenges with resilience) has helped some
of the most successful figures in history overcome obstacles and use adversity
and launch them to higher levels of success.
This book is great if…You’re going through a rough
time in starting your business and need a little inspiration (or stoicism) to
keep on going.
If you’ve been dragging your feet on starting your
business because you think you don’t have enough money, it’s time to start
moving. It turns out, you don’t need that much money to get a business off the
ground.
“Business succeeds only when it provides real value to
clients” – Chris Guillebeau
In The $100 Dollar Startup author and entrepreneur
Chris Guillebeau shares over 50 case studies of individuals who built
successful businesses with minimal capital many with $100 or less. He breaks
down how each business was able to make things work on such a small investment
and how you can do the same, no matter what the current balance of your bank
account.
This book is great if…You want to learn how to make
big things happen on a not-so-big budget.
With these 10 books for entrepreneurs, you’ll have all
the knowledge you need to get out there and build a successful business. So
what are you waiting for? Grab your library card, get out there, and start reading!
What did we miss? Let us know your favorite book for
entrepreneurs in the comments below!
The author Deanna
deBara
Deanna deBara is a freelance writer at 99designs. When
she's not furiously typing away at her laptop and geeking out on all things
design related, you'll likely find her geeking out on all things Harry Potter,
finding her Zen through meditation or training for her next ill-advised
athletic endeavor.
Source : https://99designs.com/blog/business/books-for-entrepreneurs/
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