As a new business owner, you might be struggling to find your way. You are full of excitement but are also realizing how much you don’t know.
Or, maybe you have an idea for a business but don’t know how to get started. Either way, this collection of entrepreneurship books will give you the tools, knowledge, and personal lessons you’ll need to guide you on your way.
1. In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs
By Grace Bonney
With lessons and fantastic insight from successful entrepreneurs, this book of interviews is like having a business mentor or advisor right in your pocket. The women in this book answer questions like, “What is the best business advice you were given starting out?” and “What does success mean to you?” It also makes for a beautiful coffee table book!
2. Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 Into a Billion-Dollar Business
By Barbara Corcoran
If you’ve ever watched the show Shark Tank, you’ll probably recognize Barbara for her signature short blond hair and spot-on advice. Find out behind the scenes how she was able to take a mere $1,000 and build a billion-dollar real estate empire.
3. Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers
By Alexander Osterwalder
Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “Without a business model, all you have is an idea, not a business.” As you start as an entrepreneur, you might not know how you will make money. If that’s the case, you’ll find this book to be extremely practical with the case studies and examples.
4. The $100 Startup
By Chris Guillebeau
Chris Guillebeau has been one of my favorite authors for years, so anything he writes is a must-read, in my opinion. This book will help you match your skills and interests with the needs of the world. You’ll learn from real people who have started businesses earning at least $50,000 and who often had little to start with and no extraordinary talents or skills.
5. Entrepreneurial You
By Dorie Clark
If you’re looking to build a business as a blogger, consultant, vlogger, or coach, Dorie will give you the advice and guidance you need to monetize these businesses. She also shares examples of others already doing it, which will keep you motivated and show you how it’s possible to make a living in our modern digital world.
6. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
By Ben Horowitz
If you don’t know Ben Horowitz, he is one of the founders of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and a longtime Silicon Valley entrepreneur. In his book, he shares valuable insights on navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship that others often gloss over or are afraid to discuss. One of the most well-known quotes from the book is, “Note to self: It’s a good idea to ask, “What am I not doing?”
7. The Startup Owner’s Manual: The Step-by-Step Guide For Building a Great Company
By Steve Blank
This book shares a process taught in prestigious universities like Stanford, Columbia, Berkeley, and others. More of a reference manual than a book, it is something you can refer back to again and again during your entrepreneurial journey. If you are looking for step-by-step instructions for getting your business off the ground, this one is for you.
8. Make Your Mark: The Creative’s Guide to Building a Business With Impact
By Jocelyn K. Glei
I read this book almost a decade ago and remember feeling excited and inspired by the real-world examples. One of my favorite quotes in the book is, “Being able to see the world in a fresh way is the essence of being an entrepreneur. You have an idea about the way the world ought to be. You have a theory about why and how you are going to connect the dots.” It’s a great book, especially if you consider yourself a creative business owner.
9. The Conquer Kit: A Creative Business Planner for Women Entrepreneurs
By Natalie MacNeil
The Conquer Kit is different from other business or entrepreneurship books in that it’s more of a workbook or planner than a book. If you’re a visual person looking to get your business plans on paper, this is an excellent tool for planning. Natalie will guide you to set up the four pillars you need to create a successful business.
10. Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable
By Seth Godin
If you need help with marketing, Seth Godin is the best of the best. With his bold and honest writing style, Seth will set you up to create the best product you can create. Then, he’ll show you how to market and stand out even in a crowded space. In total, he’s written over a dozen books on business, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
11. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
By Eric Ries
A big focus of the Lean Startup is using a scientific approach to iterate and pivot from the start, rather than overdoing the planning until you know you have a product or service that works and that the market is interested in. One of my favorite quotes from the book is, “Failure is a prerequisite to learning.”
12. Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Best Thing for Business
By Paul Jarvis
If you are one of the many small business owners looking to stay a one-person business, you’ll love this book. It’s a fresh take that shows that bigger isn’t always better. I like when Paul says, “In saying no to anything that doesn’t fit, you leave room to say yes to those rare opportunities that do fit—opportunities that align with the values and ideas of your business.”
13. Finding My Virginity
By Richard Branson
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably familiar with serial entrepreneur Richard Branson. This book is an autobiography or memoir-style book with stories from his many ups and downs in business and life. You’ll also discover more, not just about his businesses but also his recent work as a philanthropist.
14. Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not
By Robert Kiyosaki
Rich Dad Poor Dad is known for its status as the #1 personal finance book of all time. As a new business owner, finances can be one of the biggest sources of stress in both your business and personal life. Kiyosaki will teach you the basics of assets and liabilities, how to become rich even on a smaller income, and the basics of a solid financial education.
15. Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
By Simon Sinek
This book has been a favorite of mine for years. Simon also has a TED talk on the same topic, which is worth checking out. In the book, you’ll discover that when people buy your service or whatever it is you’re selling, it’s crucial that your customer understands “why” you are doing it.
16. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What To Do About It
By Michael E. Gerber
Voted the #1 business book by Inc. 500 CEOs, The E-myth Revisited will take you through each stage of a business and provide guidance for solving inevitable problems. You’ll also learn what it means to work “on” your business rather than “in” your business.
17. Remote: Office Not Required
By Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Written by the founders of the remote company Basecamp, Remote will be one of those resources you can continually refer back to. Written as more of a manifesto than a typical book, you’ll find tools and personal experience for creating your remote workspace. This can help you whether you work remotely while building a business on the side or are already working on a business full-time.
18. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
By Stephen R. Covey
Becoming an entrepreneur is certainly not easy, so developing the right habits is essential. A few of the habits in this book include “be proactive, begin with the end in mind, and seek first to understand, then to be understood.” It’s not just a business book; you’ll find that these principles can be easily applied to your personal life as well.
19. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
By Timothy Ferriss
Tim Ferriss is one of my favorite teachers on the topics of lifestyle design and entrepreneurship, so in addition to his books, I recommend checking out his blog and podcast as well. One of my favorite quotes from the book is, “‘Someday’ is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. Pro and con lists are just as bad. If it’s important to you and you want to do it ‘eventually,’ just do it and correct course along the way.” In this book, you’ll learn how to work smarter, not harder, when building your business.
20. Steve Jobs
By Walter Isaacson
If you’ve watched Steve Jobs’s famous Stanford commencement speech and want to learn more about one of the geniuses behind Apple, you’ll find this book to be a page-turner, as I did. Even if you’re not building a tech product, there are so many lessons to be learned from Jobs in both his personal and professional life. As Steve Jobs said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
21. Think and Grow Rich
By Napoleon Hill
In addition to tactics and tools, mindset and psychology are essential to growing a business. As the bestselling success book of all time, Think and Grow Rich will give you the foundation you need to train your mind and learn from those who have gone before you to achieve success in the business world. I’ve always loved the quote from this book that says, “Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.”
22. Crushing It: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too
By Gary Vaynerchuk
If you want to build a personal brand, Gary V is the one to teach you. In Crushing It, he builds on his previous book, Crush It, and shares how to grow on all of the big social media and podcast platforms. Gary says, “And what really matters is a pretty short list: intent, authenticity, passion, patience, speed, work, and attention.”
23. How to Win Friends and Influence People
By Dale Carnegie
Whether you are a blogger, consultant, or offering physical products, a key component is being likable and showing people why they should like and trust you with their time and money. You’ll learn all about how to convince people to see your way of thinking and how to become a more likable person.
24. Shoe Dog
By Phil Knight
In an inspiring memoir, Nike founder Phil Knight shares how he built Nike straight out of business school after borrowing $50 from his father. You’ll discover the many ups, downs, and risks that Knight experienced to get to where he is today. I particularly like his quote, “The cowards never started, and the weak died along the way. That leaves us, ladies and gentlemen. Us.”
25. Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
By Peter Thiel
If you want to read a book on innovation and entrepreneurship that will help you think outside the box, you’ll love this one. I like when Thiel says, “What important truth do very few people agree with you on?” This book will help you ask important questions you may not know you should be asking.
Best Entrepreneurship Books Wrap-Up
Entrepreneurship isn’t an easy path, but it’s always worth it once you find something you enjoy that makes a difference and allows you to live your ideal lifestyle.
Now that you have 25 fantastic entrepreneurship books to choose from, it’s time to start reading.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by so many choices, just start with one. Which book stands out to you the most or looks the most interesting to you?
After that, perhaps you can set a reading goal to read a book a month or whatever number seems doable for you.
