With the economy the way that it is, with cutbacks and layoffs, starting your own business is now the least risky thing to do. But not everyone is made to be the boss. Not only do you need to have a limitless drive to succeed, you also need to have the ability to pick yourself up when you’re down, dust yourself off and keep going, you need to be able to motivate yourself and you need a belief if yourself that is rock solid. Sometimes it’s just easier to let someone else handle all of that, and you just receive your monthly paychecks.
Yet somehow with all these challenges, there are more entrepreneurs now than ever before. For those of you who are trying to make it on your own, it’s always good to get as much help as you can. Sometimes you need to know the business how tos, sometimes you just need something to motivate you on the days that you feel like giving up. We’ve compiled some great books that can help you do just that:
The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything – Guy Kawasaki
As the title states, Guy Kawasaki uses his 20 years of experience to give you concise tips and tricks on how to start your own business. Everything from identifying your customer base and writing a business plan to establishing partnerships and building brand identity is covered in this book and all done with typical Kawasaki charm and wit! Not only a great read, it will make you want to start something now!
The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses – Eric Ries
Not only a book but now also a global movement, the Lean Startup has inspired hundreds of startups and companies to go lean and innovate. What is going Lean? It is when entrepreneurs continuously test their vision to adapt and adjust before it is too late. A great way to make sure you’re building a product/service that people want.
The Power of Starting Something Stupid – Richie Norton
A wonderful, motivational book that shows you a lot of great ideas started off as something stupid. Being more than just a motivational book, Norton also breaks it down and shows you how to overcome things like lack of time, education or money and teaches you the five actions of the New Smart to achieve authentic success.
The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future – Chris Guillebeau
I loved reading this book by famed blogger Chris Guillebeau. It was nice to read about others who made managed to turn their hobbies into business or those who lost their job but still managed to start something good and so many more stories and how tos. Great book to inspire and motivate.
Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, And Made A Fortune Doing Business My Way – Richard Branson
The best thing about this book is getting to see the inside of Mr. Branson’s head. It’s a wonderful lesson in thought patterns and how those who are truly successful think. “Oh Screw it! Let’s do it!” is his famous quote and it looks like it served him well.
With all this extra knowledge and insights, you’ll be well on your way to starting an amazing business. What other books do you think are great for starting a business?
