As an aspirant entrepreneur, you should possess certain traits that will help you achieve success in your venture. Apart from the known attributes of hard work, intelligence, and so forth, you should also be willing to acquire new skills.
Reading about various aspects of entrepreneurship can provide you with invaluable information that can guide you toward achieving success. These insights act as a driving force in helping you grow your enterprise in the right direction.
Most of the books about running a successful company are authored by people who have been there before you. They tell you about their successes and failures so that you don’t repeat them.
There are lots of business books out there. Some of them are really good.
Here is the List of 26 Best Business Books of All Time
1. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Written during the Great Recession, this book is one of the best resources as a self-improvement guide and remains relevant even now.
The author Napoleon Hill conducted interviews with many eminent businessmen including Thomas Edison and Henry Ford and found the common traits that made them successful. In addition, he formulated six-steps guides for you to apply in order to succeed in your own businesses. Buy from Here.
2. Business Adventures by John Brooks
A fascinating look at Wall Street from an insider’s perspective told through the eyes of one of America’s most famous journalists.
His insightful reports are so full of personality and detailed analysis that whether he is reporting on the amazing market crash of 1962, or the fall of a well-known financial institution, or the bold attempt of American bankers to rescue the British pound, one feels that nothing ever changes.
One thing to mention here is that Buffett himself has recommended this to Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Even though he has been reading this for so long, Gates still finds it one of his favorites. You can buy it here.
3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
This bestselling book is a significant guide for improving the productivity of the business and developing sustainable results. The 7 Habitudes include prioritizing, initiating, and highlighting the mission, objectives, visions, and goals of an organization, improved creativity, interpersonal communication, and balanced personal and professional life. Purchase from Here.
4. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
This is a great book about how to interact with others. It gives tips on how to get along with anyone. It covers topics such as dealing with difficult customers, handling criticism and getting along with your boss. You can buy this book from Amazon.com.
5. The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen
This is an important work by Professor of Harvard Business School, Clayton M. Christensen who discusses how businesses can fail despite doing everything right. He emphasizes the importance of listening and understanding customer needs.
He also talks about the concept of sustainable and disruptive technology that improves and degrades product performance respectively. Steve Jobs also mentioned this during his keynote speech at Macworld Expo 2005. Buy from Amazon.com.
6. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
This award-winning book about Elizabeth Holmes and her company Theranos was authored by John Carreyrou. It was published in 2015 and was an account of how she raised nine billion dollars, only to lose it all after failing to deliver on her promises. You can buy it from Amazon.
7. Tribes by Seth Godin
This book by the author Seth Godin explains how to create a community around a company, service, or brand through various means. Read it here.
8. Traction: How any Start-up Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth
This book written by Justin Mares and Gabriel Weinberg highlights the reasons for the failures of startups, the main one being the lack of customers.
Along with that the guide also helps the startups with the ways to follow to gain more customers. There is a list of both online and offline methods for startups with the help of the right method for each kind of business. Get from Here.
9. The Answer: Grow Any Business, Achieve Financial Freedom, And Live an Extraordinary Life by John Assaraf & Murray Smith
This book deals with how entrepreneurs might undermine themselves by focusing too much on the conscious part of their minds rather than the subconscious. It shares its experience and wisdom and suggests ways for overcoming these undermining factors. Get it here.
10. Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout
This ebook written by Al Ries & Jack Trout is an excellent read. It covers the importance of creating a memorable impression on your audience. The authors provide ample real-life examples along with analyses. The ebook is highly recommended by renowned marketer Philip Kotler. Get yours from Amazon.com today!
11. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz
The book “How to Start a Startup” by Ben Horowitz provides detailed guidelines for building a startup and running it successfully. It includes detailed advice on how to deal with competition, fire employees, and grow up to become a successful CEO. Buy here.
12. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
A research study was conducted to find out how many companies were successful and sustained in the industry for a long time. The results showed that only 18 companies could be considered visionary.
These companies had a clear vision of what they wanted to achieve and took steps toward achieving their goals. They also used some innovative ideas and strategies to stay ahead of the competition. You can buy from here.
13. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Just keep calm and get things finished easily. This is the key word of this book by David Alen. It was first released in 2001 and then reissued in 2015. It has changed the rules of productive living with ease. Get it from Amazon.
14. The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling
The book is written primarily by Chris McChesney (author), Sean Covey (co-author), and Jim Huling (co-author). It deals with four key concepts that every company must focus on to succeed.
These concepts are focusing on the most important objectives, developing effective processes, maintaining records of performance, and holding people accountable for achieving results. You can buy the book here.
15. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
This is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to improve their emotional intelligence and overall health. It offers practical advice on how to develop self-awareness, manage emotions effectively, and achieve personal and professional success.
16. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
A compelling autobiography by Phil Knight, the co-founder of Nike. The story begins with Phil’s childhood days in Portland where he was born into poverty.
He grew up without shoes until he met his mentor who taught him about the importance of hard work. Phil then went on to create Nike. The book also includes interviews with his friends and family members. Buy from Here.
17. Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel
If you’re looking to start a new company, this is a good read. It provides useful advice from one of Silicon Valley’s most successful investors and entrepreneurs.
This guide provides advice on disruptive innovation and helps you formulate your strategies in different areas of your company, including sales, marketing, operations, etc.
It includes lots of practical examples and gives you insights into whether you’re making any mistakes in your strategy. Read it here.
18. The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
The Intelligent Investor, written by renowned economist Benjamin Graham, is considered one of the best books on financial investing. It offers insightful advice and teaches readers valuable lessons for successful investing.
Even though these writings are not current, they’re still highly relevant. You can buy them from Amazon.com.
19. Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography by Walter Isaacson
The biography written by Walter Isaacson sheds light on the life of Steve Jobs, highlighting his strengths and weaknesses. It’s available here.
20. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Eric Ries’ “The Lean Startup” is an excellent book for entrepreneurs who want to learn how to start their own companies. It teaches them how to avoid common mistakes made by entrepreneurs before them.
21. How to Get Rich: One of the World’s Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets
In this book, author Felix Dennis describes the difference between running a profitable company and accumulating riches.
He has mentioned the experiences of his own life, citing the successes as well as failures. According to him, acquiring riches or making money is something anyone can do at any age, regardless of the situation. Get your copy of this book here.
22. The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded, and Updated by Timothy Ferris
This ebook by Tim Ferris aims to help people get out of the rat race and live a better life. He suggests ways to make money online without having to work hard.
He also gives tips about how to manage your finances effectively so that you can achieve financial freedom. You can buy this e-guide from Amazon.com.
23. Rework by Jason Fried
Rework stresses the importance of being realistic and pragmatic. The new guide by Jason Fried explains how businesses should analyze themselves objectively and remain grounded in the execution of the company’s policies.
There is no universal law or judgment for any particular organization; everything is relative. Buy From Here.
24. The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy
The author of the best-selling books on how to sell better is Brian Tracy. He presents his ideas in a simple manner so that anyone can understand them. His main focus is on the importance of customer satisfaction and the importance of developing good relationships with customers.
He explains the various techniques used by successful companies to increase their market share. You may buy from here.
25. Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space
To create a successful business, you must understand your customers’ needs and desires. You should also know how they behave online. In order to do so, you’ll need to conduct extensive market research.
Once you’ve done that, you can begin developing an effective marketing strategy. For example, if you sell clothes, then you might start out by posting ads on fashion blogs. That’s because people who read those kinds of sites are likely to buy what you’re selling.
26. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
This book explains how entrepreneurs can achieve success by focusing on their goals rather than multitasking.
Books that give you advice on how to run a successful company, help you get ahead, and tell you how others did it. They also motivate you by showing you the successes of people who’ve done similar things before.
You may like to read: How to Start a Food Business on A Shoestring Budget?
