Whether you’re a business owner right now or you’re waiting to take the plunge, you know that there’s tons of information and new skills to learn.

Books are an amazing resource to help you cultivate knowledge. Reading a good book is like sitting down with the smartest people in the world and listening to them pass on their teachings.

Most entrepreneurs these days are people who took their passion and turned it into something profitable. There are so many successful business owners that don’t have a business degree or a solid foundation in skills like marketing, sales, or finance.

But some of the most vital skills you need to survive as a business owner aren’t just found in the classroom. They can be found in books written by entrepreneurs who have found major success in what they do!

You need a lot of motivation, but you need even more discipline to keep your business running and your passion alive. 

So to help you be a better business owner, here’s a list of 8 books that will take your business—and your life—to new heights.

Ready? Let’s hop right in!

7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

Most people are familiar with the popular self-help book, but business owners have found it to be one of the best learning resources out there.

A few of the goalposts are visualising your way to success, mastering the work-life balance, and keeping an open mind.

One of the most important takeaways from Covey’s book has to be the idea of “beginning with the end in mind.” If we want to find success outside of just achieving goals and keeping ourselves busy, we need to determine what values move us forward.

And with those values in mind, we can visualise an end goal and a path that will guide us to success.

That’s why this book is high on my list!

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

Michael E. Gerber’s book puts a hard, scary reality in front of you. In their first year, 1 in 5 small businesses will fail, but only half will make it to their fifth year.

That’s a lot of failures, and it’s not something business owners always want to hear. Nobody wants to save a sinking ship—you want to know how to keep it afloat in the first place!

And that’s exactly why you need to read this book.

Most business owners take their craft and turn it into a business. But being great at what you’re passionate about isn’t the same thing as running a business.

This book teaches you about getting into the entrepreneur mindset and learning to run a business first, and do what you love second. Gerber gives you all the skills, the mindset, and the formula to do this.

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

Do you have a “why” behind your business? Simon Sinek would argue that every successful business needs a “why.” 

More than a product, a service, or even a business. You need a “why” behind your own success.

Get inspired to determine your “why” and how to best market it to your customers with Sinek’s book.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini

Robert Cialdini’s book has been a staple for entrepreneurs, business owners, and marketers for over 30 years now. That’s a long time in an ever-changing industry!

When you’re running a business, your number one goal is to get potential customers interested in your product or service. But how can you persuade them to buy?

Dr Cialdini’s book teaches you the six universal principles that he’s discovered when it comes to persuasion. To be able to persuade people, you need to know what makes them tick, and how to use that knowledge best.

And in a similar fashion, how to protect yourself from being persuaded by others in the same way.

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

Who wants to work the same 9 to 5, 40-hour workweek for the rest of their lives? Not me!

But with some strategic planning and productivity tips, found in Timothy Ferriss’ book, you won’t have to.

In this book, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to breaking out of the tired, stressed, and overworked cycle that most business owners find themselves in. Instead of getting burnt out trying to run your business, read this book instead.

With Ferriss’ personal experiences and a whole lot of wisdom, you’ll learn how to make better use of your time to take more breaks, while still being productive.

Guerilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson

With today’s fast-paced digital world, you might think a marketing book from the 80s would be out of style. But Jay Conrad Levinson’s wisdom surpasses time and will give you marketing knowledge that sticks.

In this book, you’ll learn about ways to market your business that don’t cost the big bucks. In fact, some of it will even be free!

Guerilla marketing can only be described as a way to promote brand awareness by doing creative, unconventional stunts to bring free publicity to your business.

This is a tactic we still see being used today, so don’t walk—run to pick up a copy of Levinson’s book!

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

Between all the distractions in life, burnout, and a lack of time, your productivity levels will wax and wane. Sometimes, at the worst possible time.

But when you’re running a small business, it’s vital for you to keep productivity high. After all, who else is going to do it?

David Allen has a pretty good solution for you. In this book, you’ll learn about how to streamline your workflow and put systems in place to maximize your output.

It’s a pretty easy and stress-free way to stay productive!

The War of Art by Steve Pressfield

Have you been hitting a creative block lately? Sometimes it feels like you’ve run out of ideas and you’ll never get them back.

But Steven Pressfield’s book is here to help you over the hurdle. His belief is that the idea of resistance, or various creative blocks, is our greatest enemy. 

We find it harder to sit down and write—or paint, design, and cultivate creativity—than we do actually just write. No one wants to stare at a blank page, so we steer ourselves away from looking at it.

When you read this book, you’ll learn how to overcome this problem of resistance through Pressfield’s unique strategies and teachings.

Conclusion

Starting a business is hard, and running it successfully can be even harder. Taking a chance on your passions can be terrifying, even if you know it’s what you want to do.

Despite what they say, everyone struggles when it comes to owning a business. But you don’t need to know everything to get started!

There are so many ways to develop your skills, both as a person and as a business owner. If you take a chance and embrace the challenge, you’ll find that your business will grow and you will flourish alongside it.

If you’re a new entrepreneur and you’re looking for a way to break through the noise of the digital world, check out our free guide, Flourish! Made for new businesses coming to life, Flourish can help light your path to getting seen and heard online.

No matter if you’re just starting out or if you’re searching for new skills, these 8 books will help you cultivate a better work-life balance and find more success in your industry.