With 2018 well underway, now is the perfect time to take action on your new year’s business resolutions. If you run a small business and would like to make a few improvements to how things are done, or plan to start one and need inspiration to take the plunge, here are the first 5 best books for entrepreneurs to read – more to come!
For those who want to do more with less
1. "Get Scrappy", by Nick Westergaard
Are you afraid that as a small business owner you can’t compete with bigger brands? Nick Westergaard is here to take your worries away. This book provides a useful roadmap for scrappy marketing: what are the basics, how to stretch your budget, and what the long term plan should be.
Being creative and making the most out of what you have at your disposal will help you thrive. If you are willing to take matters into your own hands this is the book for you.
Goodreads rating: 4.4/5
2. “Getting Things Done: the art of stress-free productivity”, by David Allen
If you have thousands of things to do and need to create a bit more mental space, this book will be like music to your ears. David Allen offers a simple system to boost your productivity by organising and breaking down tasks into manageable pieces. By taking the overwhelming pressure out of the equation, it will be clear what to do next to move a project forward.
Say goodbye to procrastination and stress with this book and say hello to all the projects you will complete just by following this method.
Goodreads rating: 3.99/5
3. "Hug Your Haters" by Jay Baer
This book’s premise is that customer feedback is one of your best assets: you are told what you are doing well and what could be better by the people who are using your product, and you should act on it. When an unsatisfied customer gives you feedback, they are also giving you an opportunity improve things next time.
Turn your haters into brand advocates with the help of Jay Baer and watch your business bloom.
Goodreads rating: 4.4/5
For those looking to start a company from scratch
4. “The Lean Startup”, by Eric Ries
Since its publication in 2011, the ‘lean methodology’ has helped thousands of entrepreneurs scale up with limited money and time. It offers an alternative to complicated and rigid business plans, giving businesses ways to continuously adapt and adjust their vision and method.
This book will help entrepreneurs and startups alike take control of their future and adapt to change successfully.
Goodreads rating: 4.05/5
5. “The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you”, by Rob Fitzpatrick
‘The Mom Test’ is a practical book that will save you time and money. We were recommended this book by Rob O’Donovan, co-founder and CEO of CharlieHR when we interviewed him last year. This is a down to earth how-to book, full of case studies of what it means to ‘talk to your customers’ and get honest feedback before you commit to your business idea.
If you have an early-days business idea that needs testing, this book has a practical approach and is full of good examples.
Goodreads rating: 4.4/5
We are now halfway down our list of the 10 best book for entrepreneurs, you will find the remaining 5 titles in our next blog post. If you are a stay home parent thinking of starting your own business, if you want to make an impact in society, or if you want to learn a new skill, don’t miss the second part of this post!