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So you are starting out as an entrepreneur? Whether you are scaling up a side-gig or adding another venture to your empire, I recommend getting back to basics on business fundamentals. From my years as an entrepreneur and now working with people as they start and scale their companies, I recommend this list of the best books for your start up business.
So you are starting out as an entrepreneur? Whether you are scaling up a side-gig or adding another venture to your empire, I recommend getting back to basics on business fundamentals. From my years as an entrepreneur and now working with people as they start and scale their companies, I recommend this list of the best books for your start up business.
E Myth Revisited
by Michael Gerber
I recommend reading this book first, because it sets the foundation for your start up business. This classic book dates back to 1985 – long before we ran businesses online. So why is it still relevant today? Technology may have transformed how we do business, but the E-Myth is about why we do business. It explains the main reason why so many businesses fail.
This reason is a basic assumption that because one knows how to do a thing, they know how to run a business that sells or produces that thing. For example, someone is an excellent bookkeeper, so they start a bookkeeping business. However, they know nothing about running a profitable business. I’ve seen so many people call themselves business owners when all they really did was create a job for themselves. Sure, they didn’t have a boss to report to. But they also couldn’t take a day off without losing a day of earnings. Understanding the fundamental difference between working on and working in your business is critical as you prepare your start up business. It will guide early decisions and set up your business to be scalable and sustainable.
Simon’s original “Start with Why” Ted Talk has been viewed millions of times, and for good reason. It cuts through all the talk of tactics and gets to the core purpose of a company. Knowing the why of doing business creates opportunities to engage and inspire staff and customers. But that isn’t the book I’m recommending as you prepare your start up business. I suggest you grab a copy of Find Your Why, because being connected to why you are starting your business increases your chances of success, and happiness. This book explains that a business as un-sexy as a steel company can be a source of passion for its owner – because it’s connected with his why.
This book is a deep-dive into memories, habits, and mindset. It isn’t a light read. However, it’s a valuable exercise to get clarity about what you enjoy, what motivates you, and what is driving you to start up a business. I work with clients who want to start a business but not sure exactly what they want to do. This book is a must-read guide to choose a sector that will keep you fired up and motivated during the inevitable low tides of being an entrepreneur.
Find Your Why by Simon Sinek
Find Your Why by Simon Sinek
How to F*ck Up Your Start Up
by Kim Hvidjaer
This book is rich with real-life stories and facts to inspire your start up business. Expect a whole load of examples of what not to do. It’s a compilation of business failures and interviews with founders and CEOs. This gives valuable insight into the mistakes, omissions, assumptions, and oversights which have led to failure. If you learn from stories rather than lists, this is a great read for you. Take notes and be inspired.
This list of best books for your start up business wouldn’t be complete without one about trust and customer experience (CX). I must admit my bias here. After spending 20 years running a B2C service business, I have a solid appreciation for the importance of signaling trust and providing outstanding CX. My MBA dissertation analyzed how Airbnb earns and retains customer trust, which reveals a whole list of lessons.
What I love about this book is that it explains academic concepts and in a highly engaging way using rich, real-life terms. For a start up business, it is important to understand how decisions like pricing policies, terms of service, and the copy used in emails and marketing can build or destroy consumer trust. This book shares many examples of companies succeeding because it puts customer experience first. Yes, financial forecasts are important, and profit margins matter. However, focusing on the money instead of the customer stagnates growth or leads to failure.
Extreme Trust
by Don Peppers and Dr Martha Rogers
Brand Storytelling
by Miri Rodrigues
This book is a love child of my passions – marketing and customer experience. I recommend reading this as you prepare for your start up business because it explains effective marketing in a compelling way.
Marketing is more than content strategy and taglines. In this book, expect a full guide walking through the elements of storytelling and building your brand story. It breaks down and simplifies the process so you can use it yourself for your start up business. Reading this will help you think about marketing as creating an emotional connection with your target audience which is tied to the outcome of buying your product. 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. To build a strong, lasting brand that can grow organically, this book is a must-read for any start up business.