Being an entrepreneur is a lot of fun until you realize you really don’t have as much experience as everyone else. your knowledge may not be on the same level as those who have been in the business for twenty years and that scares you.
don’t worry though, if you have a high rate of learnability, you’ll be fine!
You are reading: Best books for entrepreneurs
The following books will help you grow both in life and in business to become a successful entrepreneur. These best books for entrepreneurs will give you the basics of being an entrepreneur and share tips on what happens on the road to business success.
1. how to win friends and influence people by dale carnegie
how to win friends and influence people will change your life forever. Not only will it teach you all the do’s and don’ts of social life, but it will also teach you how to be a better entrepreneur.
We all know that the digital age has made it harder to be an offline influencer, which is just as important as an online influencer, but Dale Carnegie breaks down all the steps you need to take to become friends with everyone. you comply. teaches you the etiquette of how to beat the competition or win over people who are closed-minded or just not interested in your presentation.
every entrepreneur needs to read this book at least once a year, it’s a business classic!
2. the psychology of selling by brian tracy
every entrepreneur knows that the key to a good business is a good sales technique. You not only have to sell your product, but you also have to sell yourself and your idea. Having a great product is useless if you don’t know how to approach the person and make them fall in love with you and the product.
brian tracy’s
psychology of selling gives you valuable information and strategies on how to sell more by focusing on one thing: the person. Sometimes entrepreneurs forget the basics of selling and jump right into getting results, but to get results, you need to know the basics. brian tracy goes over those important points thoroughly.
3. who moved my cheese? an amazing way to deal with change in your work and life by spencer johnson
With just 96 pages of wisdom, Who Moved My Cheese is an easy weekend read. Featuring four mice (sniff, scurry, hem, and haw), the story reviews the four different personalities and how they can affect one’s business.
This book will enlighten all entrepreneurs about themselves and the decisions they make in life. It will teach you how to become flexible with your decisions to confidently move towards your dreams and goals.
at the end of the book, it is recommended to draw a map and place yourself among the four mice, with the personality type that best suits yours. if you belong to a type that is very likely to prevent you from being successful in business, do something.
4. rich dad poor dad by robert kiyosaki and sharon lechter
Rich Dad Poor Dad is another great read for every entrepreneur.
When you’re younger, your financial education may not be as high as your previous competition, putting you in a place of vulnerability. Robert Kiyosaki’s book breaks down everything you need to know about financial literacy without giving you any headaches.
The book will shine a light on the 9 to 5 job and the rat race that keeps you in that job you hate to pay off debt. he teaches you how to make your entrepreneurial dreams come true by giving you the cold, hard truth about wealth: he doesn’t find it by going to school, getting good grades, graduating with a diploma, and working for a secure company.
5. rich woman by kim kiyosaki
reading books on financial education is key to success.
kim kiyosaki takes on the challenge of educating women around the world about the power of money and how they can get a piece of that too at rich woman. she empowers women to learn about their finances to ensure they are not dependent on men for the rest of their lives.
teaches women of all ages how to create a budget, invest in real estate, stocks or businesses, and how to use the financial knowledge you have, the one you’re not taught in school, to become wealthy and independent.
6. thinking, fast and slow by daniel kahneman
Daniel Kahneman reviews the two systems in our minds that can make or break our ability to move forward and succeed in life in his book thinking, fast and slow.
It talks about the fast and emotional system, and the slow and more logical system that makes up our entire mind. breaks down the various effects of each system on our success rate, mindset, confidence, and teaching ability.
This book is a must read for everyone who wants to reach the top of the tower without killing the dragon.
7. Starting You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career by Reid Hoffman
It’s time to get inside the mind of LinkedIn’s co-founder and president, Reid Hoffman, and learn more about the keys to managing your career as if you were already an entrepreneur.
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You may still have a part-time job while you’re growing your business, and it can be hard to focus on your business life while you’re still answering to a boss, but Reid Hoffman is here to help.
In his book the startup of you, he teaches you how to put yourself in the entrepreneurial mindset even if you’re still working for someone else. This will help you think like an entrepreneur at all times, which will motivate you to continue with your business no matter what happens.
At the same time, you’ll know what to look for in employees when your company is big enough to employ people. win-win.
8. the 4 hour workweek by timothy ferriss
Who hasn’t heard of Timothy Ferriss? His name has been everywhere since he released his book, The 4-Hour Workweek.
Today, everyone is looking for that easy solution, and becoming an entrepreneur is about enjoying the wonders of life without having to work 40 hours a week. Timothy knows this and therefore puts you in the right mindset to start building a business that will allow you to work not 20, not 10, but 4 hours a week and still build a fortune.
9. the $100 start up by chris gilbeleau
The $100 Startup is a very interesting book for anyone feeling discouraged by lack of funds. chris turns the tables and gives you the advantage.
In his book, he talks about 50 of the most amazing success stories of entrepreneurs earning over $50,000 who started with just a few dollars in their bank accounts.
This is the perfect book to motivate you to keep going without focusing on the money or the how. get the idea, have the passion and the rest will follow.
10. click millionaires by scott fox
The internet is taking over the world with the opening of more e-commerce businesses than ever before. Scott Fox focuses his words on how to combine outsourcing and automated online marketing to create monthly online cash flow at click millionaires.
He walks you through how to build an online business by going over all the tools that are available to you. is the perfect book to learn more about online business and how to use the software that has been available to you since you were a baby.
11. the electronic myth reviewed by michael e. gerb
There are many misconceptions about starting your business and being a successful entrepreneur, and it’s natural to get a little confused as conflicting information comes at you from all directions.
miguel e. Gerber’s E-Myth Revisited breaks down each myth and walks you through the real-life steps of owning a business and succeeding as an entrepreneur in today’s age. wants to make sure you know the difference between working on your business and working on your business.
12. smash it! by gary vaynerchuk
gary takes on a very motivating and persuasive voice in his book crush it! motivating you to follow your passions.
in crush it! goes beyond the many reasons why you should stop sitting on your couch dreaming of the day you’ll get paid to do what you love. he wants you to get out of your comfort zone and create a happy and passionate life for yourself.
If you need that little extra push to pursue your passion and build a business, this is the book for you!
13. founders at work by jessica livingston
We all heard the success stories after they happened: how millionaire xyz started his business with only $1,000 in his bank accounts.
But how did they grow their business from that starting point? how did they become millionaires? what was your trip? how did you feel while fighting the obstacles?
jessica livingston reviews all those questions in her book founders at work by interviewing some of the world’s greatest entrepreneurs and asking all the right questions.
How did Apple’s Steve Wozniak grow his business? where did saber bhatia get the strength to overcome obstacles? all these questions will be answered only if you read the book!
14. the art of nonconformity by chris gilbeleau
ah, conformity. most people tend to fail due to conformity; they want to follow what others are doing just so they don’t feel rejected.
the art of nonconformity is perfect for all entrepreneurs looking to break from the crowd and meet entrepreneurship head-on. It’s time to stop believing the assumptions we were told about life and start living life differently.
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In his book, Chris Gillebeau talks about living the life you want by following the rules you create and the goals you set for yourself. this is an excellent and inspiring book for entrepreneurs struggling with their ability to break out of their toxic environment and run towards what they want most in life: entrepreneurship.
15. the lean startup by eric ries
games have changed; building a business is no longer about updating the business plan every two weeks according to eric ries.
In the lean startup, he reviews the various techniques an entrepreneur can use to create a business that goes against all odds and succeeds. takes a more scientific and intuitive approach to how to be a successful entrepreneur with a lasting business under your belt.
16. The Entrepreneur’s Mind by Kevin D. johnson
everything starts in the mind. If you think negative thoughts all day, it’s pretty sure your day won’t end on a good note.
kevin d. Johnson knows this and wants to help entrepreneurs around the world change the way they think in order to succeed. In his book, The Entrepreneurial Mind, Kevin D. johnson talks about different ways to change your mindset to start a business, grow it, and make it last.
at the end of the book, he makes sure you know when to move on and when it’s time to let go and start over.
Being an entrepreneur means being able to get back on your feet, and this book will teach you how to get back on your feet without too many scars.
17. business model generation by alexander osterwalder
ideal for the visual entrepreneur. we are all more used to looking at pictures than reading books, so alexander osterwalder wants to teach you the correct way, according to him, to create a business plan and act accordingly.
With images, charts and timelines, business model generation is a must for every visionary entrepreneur. If you need calendars, post-its and picture reminders to get something done, this is for you.
build a successful business plan and you will build a successful business. back to basics.
18. reworking of jason fried & david hanson
compared to alexander osterwalder, david hanson and jason fried want to get closer to the other kind of entrepreneurs: those who want quick results and don’t really care or have time to go through all the basic steps.
The two authors team up to crack the basics and create an entirely new system that will have you acting on your dreams and goals faster in rework.
The book will motivate you to get up and move forward without first planning the steps on paper. this is for the ambitious who prefer to learn by doing!
19. the hard of hard things by ben horowitz
there’s a lot that school doesn’t teach us, and ben horowitz wants those things out in the open for entrepreneurs. His book, The Difficult of Difficult Things, provides advice on how to build and manage a startup in the real world.
He’ll give you advice on things that school just can’t seem to solve, like how to analyze problems and find solutions, or how hard running a business really is.
He puts you in the CEO mindset by sharing his business story of how he outperformed the competition and cultivated success.
is an excellent read for entrepreneurs looking for a mentor to guide them through their journey. this book is uncensored: it’s the real truth about being an entrepreneur!
20. my philosophy for a successful life by jim rohn
jim rohn has inspired many with his words over the years, and his book my philosophy for successful living is no exception. This book will teach you the principles and values behind being successful in life.
according to jim rohn, living a successful life is not about being selfish, it’s about adding value to people. it’s about being kind to others and letting good karma come back to you.
of course, it pushes you to work hard to achieve your goals, but it also explains what a successful attitude should look like.
No one wants to associate with someone who brings them down. At just 64 pages, it’s a great read to remind yourself to be good to the people around you and be thankful for everything in your life.
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