Being an entrepreneur is tough. Deciding whether to be one or not can be even tougher and not to mention a scary proposition.
Leaving behind the world of biweekly checks and regular healthcare can be a land of peaks and valleys, failures and triumphs.
We have compiled a list of books that will help you decide if entrepreneurship is for you. Here are our top 5 business books that every entrepreneur should read.
Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
Before you can worry about starting a small business and taking over the world, it is best to have control over your own personal finances. This can allow you to save up some seed money to start your new enterprise. Even the frugality skills you learn can help you survive during the lean times that all businesses go through at some point.
Your Money or Your Life helps ordinary people take control of their finances by teaching how to analyze spending and comparing it to what it is important in one’s life. In doing this, you are able to determine what spending adds value and what doesn’t, so that the extra can be eliminated. This is unlike any budgeting book you have ever read and will not bore you on its quest to reframe the spending of money in its unique way.
The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
Efficiency and time management is something that is useful to everyone but especially to the busy Entrepreneur. This book shows how much the small tasks add up and distracts us from the larger things in life or business, providing ideas to correct the distractions.
With the advent of the sharing economy, it is now economical to hire a virtual assistant to handle small tasks for a few hours, without having to commit to a full time employee. This can allow new entrepreneurs with limited capital to outsource some mundane tasks to focus on running their business.
The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
Set in a time long long ago, the Richest Man in Babylon could not be more applicable to modern life and everyday money management. Told through parables, short stories that usually have advice underpinning them, this is a classic of the personal finance space. The book is a great way to give subtle advice to new college grads or adults with poor money management skills without seeming to controlling or overbearing.
This book covers the basics such as saving early, investing, living below your means, and other timeless wisdom in a unique format. These lessons can be applied to both personal and business finances and thus makes it a great book for entrepreneurs of any age.
How to Win at the Sport of Business by Mark Cuban
Long before Mark Cuban was the fiery, hands on owner of the Dallas Mavericks he was a wildly successful entrepreneur. How to Win at the Sport of Business compiles all of his blog posts into an edited, easy to read, and coherent text that oozes wisdom and guidance for entrepreneurs and business people of all levels.
A few minutes spent with this book will give you a great sense of the brilliance and hard working attitude that pervades Mark Cuban. Despite the title, the book is not only about sports or the business of sport; rather it is how Mark Cuban handles his general business and life lessons. It is a thrilling read.
The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
World traveler and serial entrepreneur Chris Guillebeau has produced an amazing book that combines business, philosophy, social duty, and adventure into one swirling trip. It is a must read for every entrepreneur.
Chris is able to express what so many entrepreneurs can’t; that feeling of being different. The need to strike out on your own and find you own path, even if it means messing up a half dozen times before anything even remotely good happens.
Even more then his own personal experiences and advice, Chris Guillebeau revels us with his study of businesses that have become wildly successful despite a tiny investment of initial startup capital.
These case studies act as inspiration to entrepreneurs everywhere and give you reassurance that you do not need millions to start a company or that your idea might not be as crazy as you think it is.
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