Best 8 Books To Read When Starting Your Business
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What would happen if you continue to run your business without a clear direction? More time, money, and resources wasted on trial and error, while you see little progress made...
Most entrepreneurs are still “trying things out” without any strategy even several years into their business. While we’re all about taking action and learning from experience, it is crucial that business owners and entrepreneurs do their homework to prepare for starting and growing their businesses. When you have the right business fundamentals and the right mindset set from the start, you would have much more clarity and knowledge on how to effectively run and grow your business.
From years of running Olea & Fig and helping other women grow their businesses, here is a list (in no particular order) of our 8 favorite books that are incredibly helpful for new business owners and entrepreneurs and want to learn from the best and the brightest:
1. Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business by Gino Wickman
Systems are important to track the performance of your business and results, so you can keep setting goals, make progress, and move your business forward consistently. From this book, you get straightforward operational systems and templates that you can implement right away in your business. We especially like the approach that Gino Wickman proposes to run our annual, quarterly, and weekly meetings. Since we implemented his method, we have been able to see traction, meet our biggest company goals, and gain momentum quarter after quarter.
2. This Is Marketing by Seth Godin
This is not for every entrepreneur. But it is perfect for people who are dedicated to reaching their business and marketing success in the long term and bringing more intention into how you grow your business and customer base. You learn how to run connection- and trust-based marketing that attracts your target audience and community, which leads to long-term growth and customer loyalty. What Seth Godin shares in the book aligns with how he has been serving and gathering his community. His daily email newsletter and blog post (sometimes more than 1 per day) are one of our favorites.
3. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber
A must-read for all small-business owners. The book highlights the most common entrepreneur struggles and challenges and how to overcome each of them through mindset shifts and actionable step-by-step plans. This is perfect for both online and offline businesses.
4. Amaze Every Customer Every Time by Shep Hyken
For anyone who wants to take their customer service and customer experience to the next level, and turn more customers into advocates who can’t stop spreading the words about their experiences with you and your business. The book provides 52 practical and actionable tactics to impress customers and is great for entrepreneurs who are constantly looking for ways to up-level customer loyalty and connection.
5. Stories That Stick by Kindra Hall
A guidebook for non-copywriters who want to power up their marketing and transform their businesses using storytelling. You’ll learn a clear framework with clear actionable steps to tell your stories that captivate your audience and turn them into customers who’re happy to say “Yes!” to you.
6. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
If accounting and finances make your head hurt, this is a great book for you. You learn an extremely simple and effective accounting system that anyone who is starting out can plugin and apply right away to help gain back control of your money in your business.
7. Deep Work by Cal Newport
Struggling with time management? Cal Newport provides tips and actions you can take to make the most progress with the hours you have. This book will help you master the art of remaining focused in this distraction-filled world, especially given everything that demands our attention in your business.
8. Atomic Habits by James Clear
A must-read if you want to get more productively, build better habits, and get rid of bad ones, so you can have a more well-rounded life while juggling work, life, family, and everything else that you want to do in life! James Clear offers practical, organized steps and tactics that help you start creating the everyday life you want starting today!
Got a favorite book for entrepreneurs that isn’t on this list? Email us now. We’re always looking to add new recommendations to our reading list.
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