Some Suggested Reads for Entrepreneurs

From management and leadership to marketing and sales, there are a wide variety of books — spanning decades — that focus on different aspects of developing your business.

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Updated June 23, 2022

From management and leadership to marketing and sales, there are a wide variety of books — spanning decades — that focus on different aspects of developing your business. If you find yourself in need of some guidance or inspiration, here are a few that you might enjoy. 

  • Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown
    Researcher Brené Brown’s TED talk, “The Power of Vulnerability” is one of the most popular talks of all time. She has written five #1 New York Times bestsellers. Dare to Lead, published in 2018, is her latest and focuses on the question: “How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture?” For more on Brené Brown, visit brenebrown.com.
  • Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins
    Jim Collin’s management book, Good to Great, has sold more than five million copies since it was published in 2001. Following his first book (though Collins has said it is a prequel, not a sequel), Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, which he co-wrote with Jerry Porras, Good to Great is based on a research study that was conducted in order to find out if a good company could be a great company, and if so, how. See more of Collins’ work at jimcollins.com.
  • The Art of Start 2.0: The Time-tested, Battle-hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything by Guy Kawasaki
    Canva’s “Chief Evangelist,” and the former Chief Evangelist for Apple, Guy Kawasaki has written 15 books. The Art of Start 2.0 is the revised and expanded version of his classic bestseller, The Art of Start. Designed to be a guide to “launching and making your new product, service, or idea a success,” The Art of Start is divided into four sections: conception, activation, proliferation, and obligation. It features practical advice and insights on topics like social media, crowdfunding, cloud computing and others.
    Learn more about Guy Kawasaki on guykawasaki.com.
  • The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage by Daymond John
    A familiar face for Shark Tank fans, Daymond John is the founder of the fashion brand FUBU, which he started with just $40. The Power of Broke, John’s third book was an instant New York Times bestseller. Featuring personal experiences, sneak peeks behind the scenes of Shark Tank and stories from other entrepreneurs, John shows why “starting a business on a limited budget can be an entrepreneur’s greatest competitive advantage” and how we can all tap into The Power of Broke.
    Find out more about Daymond John at daymondjohn.com.
  • This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Unless You Learn to See by Seth Godin
    Writer of 19 international bestsellers and one of the most popular blogs in the world, Seth Godin is a marketing expert. His latest book, This is Marketing, was published in 2018 and was an instant New York Times bestseller and #1 on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. In it, Godin offers the core of his marketing wisdom in one package and concentrates on how to do work that you’re proud of.
    Read more on Seth Godin at sethgodin.com.
  • The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. by Michael E. Gerber
    Small business consultant and author Michael E. Gerber, with sharp insight gained from years of experience, points out how common assumptions, expectations, and even technical expertise can get in the way of running a successful business. Gerber walks you through the steps in the life of a business—from entrepreneurial infancy through adolescent growing pains to the mature entrepreneurial perspective: the guiding light of all businesses that succeed—and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether or not it is a franchise. Most importantly, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business. Get it on Amazon.
 

If you’re looking for more good reads, check out these recommendations:

https://www.businessinsider.com/influential-business-books

https://fortune.com/2017/11/17/best-business-books/

https://hacktheentrepreneur.com/best-business-books/

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