5 Books Every Aspiring Entrepreneur Should Read

Whether you’re sitting on a brilliant idea, or just opening your doors, every entrepreneur must start somewhere. Regardless of where you are in your journey, it’s always beneficial to have advice from those who came before you. Before you begin promoting your business with social media and branded merchandise, you should have a solid path chosen ahead of you.

Business books can provide some of the best insight to the path of entrepreneurship. There are hundreds of titles from knowledgeable authors, but there are a few books that stand out amongst the rest.

Here are some good reads for any business owner:

1. “Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!” by Greg Crabtree.

Before your business can really take off, you’ve got to know how to make a profit. Accountant and small business advisor Greg Crabtree will teach you just that in his book. He takes the numbers game and makes the information palatable to budding business owners.

The step-by-step guide is packed with real-life examples and will help you make the right financial moves for your business.

2. “Hatching Twitter” by Nick Bilton.

While your business may not be the next Twitter, this contains important lessons you can learn from how this social media giant came to be. Bilton uses real emails, interviews, and documents to give readers a dramatic account of the innerworkings of a technology startup. You can certainly learn from Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and his colleagues, who essentially created Twitter on accident.

Why You Should Read It: As an entrepreneur, it is an important skill to be able to learn from the mistakes of others. While reading this book, you’ll learn about power struggles, influence, and growing a company just the way the Twitter founders experienced it.

3. “The $100 Startup” by Chris Guillebeau.

Is part of the allure of being an entrepreneur having the ability to turn ideas into profit? That is exactly what author Chris Guillebeau felt while chasing his dreams. In his book, Guillebeau shows you don’t need thousands in savings to start a business. He profiles 50 cases of entrepreneurs who started their business with small investments, some even less than $100.

Why You Should Read It: If you’re sick of the nine-to-five routine desk job, this book could give you the inspiration and courage you need to break away from the corporate world. Guillebeau says you don’t have to quit tomorrow. Instead, he gives a clear path to show how you can start small and build up to taking the plunge.

4. “Lost and Founder” by Rand Fishkin.

Becoming an entrepreneur isn’t all glamour and success, and that certainly wasn’t the case for author Rand Fishkin. While he is widely known as an SEO guru today, it took him 15 years to build his reputation.

In his book, Fishkin provides an honest account of the ups and downs he experienced while starting Moz.

5. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey.

In order to successfully start and maintain a business, you have to have the ability to problem solve, lead a team, and make decisions. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is a step-by-step guide in dealing with change, being compassionate, and having the ability to thrive in the face of adversity.

Why You Should Read It: A successful business needs a strong leader. While “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” won’t give you financial advice, it will give you tips for personal growth. As an entrepreneur it is as important to focus on growing as an individual as it is growing your profits.

Each of these five books provides unique insight into entrepreneurship and personal growth that you simply can’t get anywhere else. Regardless of where you are on your professional journey, there is something to be learned from each title.