If you have reached this page, you most probably have made up your mind about starting a business on your own. But that was the easy part of making the decision and now the questions start popping up.
What kind of a business? Small, medium or multinational one? Can you build it by yourself or you need a mentor or partner?
These are just a few of the most common dilemmas that spring to mind when you start toying with the idea of being your own boss and having your own business.
Being in the publishing industry made it possible for me to follow up on changing trends and gain knowledge. So, here is a fresh and unique approach that might sound common at first but if you follow on it, it will help you clear up your mind and draw an action plan for success.
There are a few good books on starting business you need to read or listen to. Right now the 30-day trial is free of charge and you can cancel it without obligations, while if you opt for 3 months membership at Audible.com, you can get up to 66% discount.
Five is not a big number, but you may wonder why we recommend not just one but five books on starting business.
The answer is that these books reveal different aspects of the process and will provoke you to analyse your needs and desires from different angles, so you come up with decisions you will never regret.
All of these books on starting business are available for online purchase at Amazon and you may choose your prefered format. You may also listen to two of them for free with a 30-day trial of Audible, which is digital library for audiobooks.
First and very important, strat with “Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!” During the past 20 years this book by Robert T. Kiyosaki became somewhat of a classic read for people seeking financial education. It is easy to read and even more engaging to listen to it. The book reveals basic principles of the secret psychology of making money. Before all, running a business is not about being nice and make friends during meals, but about reaching financial goals.
Second on the list with good books for starting business and very helpful to clarify your steps is the book of Martha Stewart “The Martha Rules: 10 Essentials for Achieving Success as You Start, Build, or Manage a Business“. If you chose to get this book as an audiobook, you will listen to the voice of Martha Stewart herself. It is a very special experience – one of the first five business women on Forbes list will be mentoring you in private on how to position yourself for success with your own business. She also gives some quite interesting examples of other people’s businesses and although most of them are based in New York, their stories are fascinating from a business startup perspective.
Very relevant nowadays when Donald Trump is running for a president of the United States, the book “Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich-And Why Most Don’t” offers tips and tricks of the trade that makes billionaires. Pation and attention to detail is just a fraction from what you can learn from the both self-made and very successful authors – Donald J. Trump and Robert T. Kiyosaki.
This book is about entrepreneurial mindset or frame of mind, but not about how to run a business. It looks at the changing nature of the U.S. economy and how entrepreneurs must position themselves for success today and in the future. There is also a discussion surrounding the Business- Investor Triangle which illustrates the 8 Integrities of Business. While this concept might not be new to some readers, what makes this information valuable is the discussion regarding how the entrepreneur should approach the triangle.
The book is a quick, engaging read. Based on their experiences, Trump and Kiyosaki have identified five key factors of entrepreneurial success. Each of the key success factors is a chapter in the book.
Once you have started and deals start rolling in, you may turn workaholic and burn out easily, or you may overdo it and expand too fast facing a failure. Such outcome could be avoided if you read the fourth recommendation on my list of good books on starting business.
Out barely since October 2015 but already a Bestseller, “Serial Winner: 5 Actions to Create Your Cycle of Success” by Larry Weidel is book that will help you to stay focused and in control of your fortune. Moreover, it will condition you for success in the long run.
“The Little Red Book of Selling” – Every entrepreneur will need to know how to sell. Whether you’re selling prospective employees on your vision, investors on your company, or customers on your product, you need to be able to sell. Even if you have a partner who is responsible for sales or hire a salesperson, you need to understand a methodical sales process. This book takes you through an industry-generic process for the sales cycle. It’s a fast read, and a book to keep for reference.
These books on starting a business are not randomly selected. I have either listened to them or read them amongst many other reads on similar topics. But these five are especially informative and eye-opening when it comes to researching information on how to start, build and run a successful business from a scratch.
