When I was starting out in business, I spent a lot of time reading. Reading everything basically. I spent a lot of time on forums, business sites and all that kind of thing. But to me, nothing beats having a book in your hands. All of my business books are tattered, with highlighter and notes all over every page but I love the ease of going back and reading over chapters that are specific to what I’m looking for.
There are a few books that I found invaluable when learning the ins and outs of business and I’d like to share my top 5 with you.
1. Guerrilla Social Media Marketing “Jay Conrad Levison + Shane Gibson”
This is a great book full of tips and tactics to leave an impact in the social media sphere. It focuses on the importance of building relationships and getting the most out of your marketing for the least amount of cash.
2. Think and Grow Rich Napolean Hill
This is one of the best selling books of all time. And for good reason. It’s incredibly inspiring and will change the way you think about making money and how to go about it. I did find this book incredibly annoying to read because of the ridiculously written sentences and over punctuation and capitals but hey, it’s still a must read. And I’m a picky reader.
3. Instant Cashflow “Bradley J. Sugars”
Another book based on marketing for small business. I think this is an awesome book you’ll find all kinds of action plans and ideas for really different ways of marketing your business. When you step back, it all seems pretty obvious but it’s really easy to over look the easy ways to get your brand out there.
4. Get Anyone to do Anything David J. Lieberman
A little obscure you may think, but bear with me. Running your own business ultimately means having to step up to represent your brand. Whether it be with clients, buyers or the press. Knowing how to handle yourself in stressful situations and hold onto an element of control is imperative. A lot of people struggle with confidence when dealing with people and you just can’t be like that when you’re the face of your brand. A good read full of good tips and pointers for gaining confidence and being able to approach anyone.
5. Do You! Russell Simmons
Whether you’re a fan of Phat Farm or hip hop in general is really irrelevant. Russell Simmons is the ultimate entrepreneur. He’s been behind a bunch of successful brands and this book is a great look at the mental attitude it takes to get that point of success. I go back and read this book a lot, and always come out of it feeling inspired and that all my goals are achievable.
There you have it’s that my top 5 books you should read if you’re running your own business. If you have any others you think are worthy of being on the list, please feel free to share them with the rest of us!
