As a business owner you are required to have knowledge in many different areas, including: leadership, business strategy, marketing and mindset. You have to constantly grow and improve as an individual. This is a challenge, to say the least. But your knowledge, the mindset you have, and the way you lead, all have the potential to impact the success of your business, and we all want to be successful, right?
Business books are a great solution for acquiring the knowledge you need and helping you improve. They can provide you with new strategies, inspire new ideas, reveal different perspectives, help you to learn from people’s mistakes so that you avoid them, and can motivate you – what business owner would not gain an advantage from this? It is no wonder that Bill Gates, David Rubenstein, Richard Branson and many other successful entrepreneurs all claim to read a lot of books.
Here at Bizpedia, part of our ethos is personal development and we actively encourage our members to read business books. Whether you are starting out on your reading journey or looking for recommendations to add to your current list, we have compiled 10 of the best business books to read to help you improve yourself and your business.
1. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Business Don’t Work and What to Do About It – Michael Gerber
Our first of the best business books that we suggest is The E-Myth Revisited. In this book, Michael Gerber discusses some important concepts of why small businesses fail and how you can avoid the same outcome. He says that businesses can use the lessons of a franchise (even if they are not one) and create a systems-dependent business, so it is not dependent on people. He also emphasises the difference between working on your business and in it.
2. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t – Jim Collins
Ever wondered why some companies are only good and others are great? Jim Collins outlines the common factors seen in companies who make the transition, but the main theme is discipline. Read this book to see if there is any you can apply to your business.
3. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It – Chris Voss
Chris Voss, a former hostage negotiator for the FBI, shares the negotiation techniques that he used in his role which can also be applied to business negotiations.
4. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion – Robert Cialdini
If you want to learn how to be more persuasive in business, this is definitely one of the best business books to read! This book provides knowledge into the psychology of persuasion, and outlines the 6 persuasion principles that can influence customer behaviour.
5. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones – James Clear
This book will teach you practical strategies for breaking the bad habits that are holding you back and will help you form good, more beneficial habits. James Clear focuses on the system you need to put in place in order to change.
6. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Steven Covey
Steven Covey outlines the 7 habits that highly effective people have to become more successful in both their professional and personal life. They revolve around changing your perspective and the way you see the world, and they can be applied to you and your business.
7. The 80/20 Principle: The Secret for Achieving more with Less – Richard Koch
The next one of the best business books that we suggest you read is The 80/20 Principle. Richard Koch highlights how you can achieve more by using the 80/20 Principle to your advantage. The principle states that 80% of our business results are created from 20% of our efforts. This is a great book if you want to know how you can increase your productivity.
This book argues that businesses can have ongoing success by producing “blue oceans” of untapped new market spaces, rather than fighting against competitors. It offers a method to help you generate your “blue ocean” and make the competition insignificant.
9. Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable – Seth Godin
In this book, Seth Godin argues that, to stand out in the market place, organisations need a purple cow, a remarkable product or service. He also explains how to reach your target audience once your purple cow is produced.
10. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough conversations. Whole Hearts. – Brené Brown
The last, but not least of the best business books we suggest reading is Dare to Lead. This inspirational book and practical guide talks about how leaders can lead with courage. One includes being vulnerable which Brené Brown touches on in her Tedtalk, The Power of Vulnerability, which is worth a watch if you have not seen it.
Start reading more business books today to expand your knowledge and get on your a-game. If you are also interested in business podcasts and want some recommendations, we run our very own podcast, Access Granted, which you can listen to on Spotify. You can also check out our Top Business Podcasts blog post.