Reading good management books enables small business owners think and act wisely. It helps them improve their ability to carry out business in the right way, by successfully resolving issues that a business is likely to face.
There are thousands of books available in the market. It can be very confusing for a small business owner on what to pick and read. We have listed 10 books that every small business owner should read to succeed in business.
1. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey:
This is a book useful to everyone in general and small business owners in particular. It explains seven habits that are essential to be able to influence others. The seven habits discussed in this book are ‘be proactive’, ‘begin with the end in mind’, ‘put first things first’, ‘think win-win’, ‘seek first to understand, then to be understood’, ‘synergize’ and ‘sharpen the saw’.
These principles will help you in shaping and strengthening your personality to tackle the issues at stake. They would help you develop a positive and pragmatic attitude without making you go over board under a given situation.
2. Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath:
Using case studies, the authors claim that for any business, certain ideas are universal. The ideas may look simple, but are critical to make your business survive in the face of distress to business.
3. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie:
No business can run without the cooperation of customers. To survive competition, you have to win people. For this, you should have the skills to influence people. These people can be your customers, clientele, vendors, retailers or creditors.
You can nurture skills to influence them all by reading this book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Lucid, and self explanatory, the book expounds the points with empirical examples and sound practical common sense.
4. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill:
This book is an inspiration and is the result of more than two decades of research by the author Napoleon Hill. Hill gives thirteen principles, which can help you to reach your goal. This book is an excellent source of information for beginners.
5. Getting Things Done by David Alien:
This book helps you to improve the productivity of your business. It points to various hindrances and dangers to your business. Further, it enables you to delegate responsibilities efficiently.
6. Good to Great by Jim Collins:
Jim Collins and team have examined the proposition whether a good company can become great. Collins says that the transition is possible if certain conditions are fulfilled, for instance, by removing redundant labor and fostering an ideal corporate culture. He also says that the personnel at the top management should be honest.
The book would help you to realize and discover new knowledge, techniques of managing people and business, dealing with different groups such as clientele, vendors and the like.
7. The E-Myth Revisited by Micheal Gerber:
This book explains reasons for failure of a business within a few years of inception. The author provides supportive examples with empirical data. He finds that most small businesses become defunct because of lack of certain attributes on part of the owners. He says the business owner needs to be a technician, a manager as well as an entrepreneur; only then the business will survive.
8. The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau:
Chris Guillebeau focuses on the affairs of a tiny enterprise with one, two persons in the operation. Beginners and those who are planning a new start-up should read this book.
9. Rework by Jason Fried:
This book contains common sense ideas. If applied practically, they help you build qualities that are indispensable for a business owner.
10. Built to Sell by John Warrillow and Bo Burlingham:
This book will help those who want to sell their business. Others will also, find it useful. The authors have explained in detail the points to observe initially, and how to get profits from the business, sustain growth momentum of the business and finally sell the business.
As a small business owner, reading these books will benefit you largely. You will improve knowledge on how to do things in business, and thus will be able to do your business better.