Whether you are starting your first business, or your fifth, it’s always good to review the basics. Operations, systems, marketing, customer experience – the foundations of a successful business in all sectors. Sure, there are loads of resources out there. But who has time for all of it? So here are the best books for a startup business to remind you of fundamentals as you develop your new idea.
This is a classic, and for good reason. Yes it dates back to 1985 – LONG before we ran businesses online.
So WHY is it still relevant today?
Technology may changed the mechanics of how we do business, but this book gets into the structure of how a business runs.
The E-Myth Revisted explains why so many businesses fail.
Basically, just because an entrepreneur has passion or expertise in something doesn’t mean they will be successful running a business doing it.
For example, someone is excellent at bookkeeper, so they start a bookkeeping business. However, they know nothing about running a profitable bookkeeping business.
There is very good reason why Simon’s original “Start with Why” Ted Talk has been viewed millions of times. He effectively he cuts through all the talk of tactics to get to the core purpose of why a business exists.
However, I highly recommend owning this book to get the most benefit.
Because knowing the WHY of running your business is transformational. Not just for you as an entrepreneur. But also for your staff and customers.
And also, being connected to the PURPOSE of your business creates opportunities for more PROFITS.
Get your copy of The Lean Startup to have a blueprint handy for the innovative Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop.
Yes, all business has risk. Especially start ups – studies show that 90% of startups fail.
So this book outlines a scientific approach to measuring and monitoring performance to guide business decisions.
For entrepreneurs stuck in analysis paralysis, this book will help you get going and get launched. It’s a useful framework to get your ideas out there so you can improve and develop using real data from the marketplace and your target customers.
This list of best books for a startup business wouldn’t be complete without one about consumer trust and customer experience (CX).
I must admit my bias here. Since I spent 20 years running a B2C service business, I have a deep appreciation for value of CX in building revenue and profits.
In fact my passion for CX led me to do my MBA dissertation on how Airbnb retains customer trust online.
The book Extreme Trust explains dull academic concepts in a highly engaging way. By using real-life examples, every entrepreneur can learn lessons to apply to their own business.
So if you are working on pricing policies, terms of service (TOS), and marketing copy, this book will help you see how that all connects to building strong CX – which translates to healthy profits.
This list of best books for a start up business wouldn’t be complete without one about consumer trust and customer experience (CX).
I must admit my bias here. Since I spent 20 years running a B2C service business, I have a deep appreciation for value of CX in building revenue and profits.
In fact my passion for CX led me to do my MBA dissertation on how Airbnb retains customer trust online.
The book Extreme Trust explains dull academic concepts in a highly engaging way. By using real-life examples, every entrepreneur can learn lessons to apply to their own business.
So if you are working on pricing policies, terms of service (TOS), and marketing copy, this book will help you see how that all connects to building strong CX – which translates to healthy profits.
This book is a love child of my passions – marketing and customer experience.
After all, marketing is more than content strategy and taglines.
This book simplifies the process of how to communicate your brand to customers.
The author is an award-winning storyteller and has many inside baseball stories to share about top brands. She includes interviews and case studies which will inspire you and deepen your understanding of how customer experience and storytelling connect.
Expect to see how marketing is really about creating an emotional connection with your target audience. So this book is a must-read for any start up business.
Yes this is another marketing book. But a list of the best books for a startup business wouldn’t be complete with out it. Because Building a Story Brand has quickly become a classic. And it worth having your own copy to guide you through the process of building the brand story for your start up business.
As author Donald Miller explains, “your customer should be the hero of the story, not your brand.”
And this is the real power of this book. It gives entrepreneurs a framework to communicate what your company does in a way that is meaningful and engaging for your target customers.
Yes this is another marketing book. But a list of the best books for a startup business wouldn’t be complete without it. Because Building a Story Brand this has quickly become a classic. And it worth having your own copy to guide you through the process of building the brand story for your start up business.
As author Donald Miller explains, “your customer should be the hero of the story, not your brand.”
And this is the real power of this book. It gives entrepreneurs a framework to communicate what your company does in a way that is meaningful and engaging for your target customers.
