7 Books That Every Business Owner Should Read

It’s no secret that if you want to learn more, you have to read more. As a business founder, you don’t have the time to start looking for books, reading reviews, and figuring out which will help you succeed in the business world.

These books are often written or recommended by entrepreneurs and by following their insights it can help you lead your business to success.

1) Who

This New York Times Bestseller and the award-winning book was written by Geoff Smart and Randy Street. They provided an easy and practical solution to what the Economist calls “the single biggest problem in business today”. The main error small business owners focus on is the “what”, they tend to ignore the “who”, this book goes into detail about why the “who” is so important.

2) Creativity Inc. 

By Ed Catmull with Amy Wallace is a fascinating in-depth look into the world of Pixar. Named one of the best books of 2014 by The Huffington Post, Financial Times, Success, Inc. and the Library Journal, Creativity Inc. will give you insight into what it takes to continuously break the mold to persistently create amazing things.

3) Zero to One

Written by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters stems based on a course about startups that Thiel taught at Stanford in 2012. Zero to One is the meticulous notes of one student (Blake Masters), revised for a wider audience. Recommended by such entrepreneurs as Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, Zero to One will challenge the way you think and force you to answer questions that will help push your startup forward.

4) The Lean Startup

This book is by Eric Ries begins with the experience of Ries himself has with “sitting in a dorm” and “inventing the future”. His premise is that startups can organize the development of their product in a much better way than they currently are. They should do this by treating their startup like an experiment. This book comes highly recommended by WiseStamp’s co-founder Josh Avnery and many other startup entrepreneurs.

5) Built To Sell

John Warrillow shares the top tips for small business owners at each stage of their business. The book dedicates each chapter to create a unique product, setting up processes and building teams, and automating your business. Learn how to create value and agile business that adapts accordingly.

6) The Hard Thing About Hard Things

This book by Ben Horowitz is about Ben’s journey to success. While he doesn’t impart any secret formula, he does share details of his struggle. Understanding the need to separate facts from perception and the understanding that “there are no short-cuts to knowledge” are two important lessons that can be found in this important book. Horowitz shares profound insights into what it takes to build a successful startup and he does it with tremendous flair, making this book such a reading delight.

7) The $100 StartUp

Written by Chris Guillebeau is an easy-to-read book filled with inspiring stories of entrepreneurs who have found ways to turn their life’s passions into income. Perhaps aimed at small businesses, it motivates big ones to think creatively, encouraging them to push beyond their limits.

The most important lesson when reading business books is to forget what you think you know and be open to gaining further insight. Try and relate your business to the context of the book. Find the connection between what is said and what you have been applying to your own business.