The Ultimate List of The Top 20 Business Books for Small Business Owners

For small business owners, continuous learning and personal development are crucial for staying ahead in today's competitive market. Reading insightful business books provides valuable knowledge and guidance and offers inspiration and fresh perspectives. In this blog post, my team and I present the top 20 business books that we feel are essential for small business owners. From leadership and management to marketing and growth strategies, these books cover a wide range of topics to help you succeed. As a bonus, we will also highlight "Do Not: Start or Run a Business My Way," a book I wrote as your small business specialist, Michael Morrison, which provides unique insights and unconventional advice for entrepreneurs. 

Let's dive in!

1. "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries: This groundbreaking book introduces the lean startup methodology, emphasizing the importance of continuous innovation, customer feedback, and iteration. It provides valuable insights on how to build a successful business while minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency.

2. "Good to Great" by Jim Collins: Jim Collins explores the key differentiators between good companies and truly great ones. The book presents valuable lessons on leadership, sustainable growth, and the importance of building a strong organizational culture.

3. "The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael E. Gerber: In this classic, Gerber explains the entrepreneurial myth and offers guidance on how small business owners can avoid common pitfalls. It emphasizes the importance of working on the business for long-term success rather than in the business. This book is one of our all-time favorites that my team and I often read from cover to cover.

4. "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill: An all-time classic. This book explores the mindset and principles necessary for achieving financial success. It offers timeless wisdom on goal setting, perseverance, and the power of positive thinking. This is a book that continues to stand the test of time.

5. "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey: Covey's book presents a holistic approach to personal and professional effectiveness. It outlines seven habits that can transform individuals into highly successful and fulfilled business owners.

6. "Crushing It!" by Gary Vaynerchuk: In this book, Vaynerchuk provides valuable advice on leveraging social media platforms to build a personal brand and grow a business. It's a must-read for small business owners looking to harness the power of social media marketing.

7. "The Innovator's Dilemma" by Clayton M. Christensen: Christensen examines disruptive innovation and explains how established companies can navigate the challenges of disruptive technologies. The book provides insights into staying competitive and fostering business growth in a rapidly changing market. Innovation is critical for success!

8. "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek: Sinek's book explores the power of purpose and why it is crucial for business success. By identifying and communicating the "why" behind your business, you can inspire loyalty and differentiate yourself from the competition.

9. "Purple Cow" by Seth Godin: In this book, Godin emphasizes the importance of standing out in a crowded marketplace. It encourages small business owners to create remarkable products or services that are truly unique, attracting customers and driving growth. The title itself is fun and easy to read!

10. "The Four-Hour Workweek" by Timothy Ferriss: Ferriss challenges the traditional notion of work and introduces strategies for achieving more with less. The book provides practical tips on outsourcing, automation, and time management, enabling small business owners to achieve greater efficiency. This book will challenge you to think differently and not how you think.

11. "Scaling Up" by Verne Harnish: A practical guide to scaling businesses, Harnish's book covers essential strategies and frameworks for sustainable growth. It focuses on the four critical areas of business: people, strategy, execution, and cash. An abundance of nuggets is in this book.

12. "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle: While not specifically a business book, Tolle's masterpiece teaches the importance of living in the present moment. By adopting a mindful approach, small business owners can enhance their decision-making, reduce stress, and improve their overall well-being.

13. "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell explores the tipping point concept and how small changes can lead to significant impacts. The book provides insights into marketing, social trends, and the art of creating viral growth for businesses.

14. "The One Thing" by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan emphasizes the power of focus and prioritization. It guides small business owners in identifying and focusing on the most critical tasks that drive business success.

15. "Delivering Happiness" by Tony Hsieh: Hsieh, the former CEO of Zappos, shares his entrepreneurial journey and the importance of delivering exceptional customer service. The book highlights the impact of company culture and how it contributes to business growth.

16. "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu: Though a military strategy book, "The Art of War" offers valuable lessons on leadership, strategic planning, and competitive advantage. Small business owners can apply these principles to outmaneuver competitors and achieve business success.

17. "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert Cialdini: Cialdini delves into the principles of persuasion and how they can be applied to influence others. Understanding these psychological triggers can help small business owners improve their marketing, sales, and customer relations.

18. "Profit First" by Mike Michalowicz: Michalowicz introduces a unique approach to managing finances in small businesses. The book advocates for allocating profit first, transforming how entrepreneurs handle their cash flow, and ensuring long-term profitability.

19. "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck: Dweck explores the power of mindset and how it impacts our achievements. By adopting a growth mindset, small business owners can overcome challenges, embrace learning opportunities, and achieve personal and professional growth. One of our podcast guests highly recommended this book.

20. "Do Not: Start or Run a Business My Way" by yours truly, me: This book is a memoir of things I did wrong and things I learned to do right. It offers a fresh perspective on small business ownership, challenging traditional norms and encouraging innovation, business coaching, and exponential growth.

Learn To Earn!

Reading is an invaluable tool for small business owners seeking growth, inspiration, and fresh perspectives. The top 20 business books listed above cover a wide range of topics, from leadership and marketing to personal development and strategy. Additionally, "Do Not: Start or Run a Business My Way" offers unique insights for entrepreneurs, complementing the other books in this list. Small business owners can enhance their skills, make informed decisions, and unlock new opportunities for business success and growth by investing time in reading and continuous learning.

BONUS: Every entrepreneur who has hit the million dollar mark or more in annual revenue on our podcast Small Business Pivots has mentioned they contribute much of their success to learning and investing in a small business coach or mentor.

If you are ready to talk to one of the top-rated small business coaches centrally located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in the United States, CLICK HERE to chat or CLICK HERE to call us at 405-919-9990 today!

Learn Before You Earn And 3 Reasons Why

It is nearly impossible to build an automobile engine if you do not know how to make an automobile engine. It is almost impossible to perform open-heart surgery if you do not know how to perform open-heart surgery. It is nearly impossible to be a multi-millionaire if you do not know how to be a multi-millionaire.

It is nearly impossible to be successful at anything unless you first learn what it is you want to be successful in doing. You must learn before you earn. Learning always comes before Earning, and the only scenario this does not apply is in the dictionary alphabetically. You must also understand three reasons why learning before earning is the key to your success.

 Others Will Define You If You Don’t

The Merriam-Webster definition of define is: to determine or identify the essential qualities or meaning of. What defines you? Better yet, who defines you?

It is human nature that we categorize, label, or define those around us by classifying people as rich, poor, smart, challenged, weak, strong, successful, struggling, big, little, blue-collar, white-collar and so on. We are all guilty of it from time to time because we are human. We define others, and the flip side to that is, others define us. Refusing to believe that your peers have defined you would be doing yourself a great disservice, trust me, you have been defined.

Unfortunately, many of us begin to believe our capabilities are limited to what others have defined or decided about us. If those around us do not think we are creative, then our internal creative process becomes limited because we do not believe we have it within ourselves. We believe what others have led us to think because we have no other affirmation, nothing telling us any differently.

Growing up, I experienced this type of definement first hand. Early on in my childhood, several teachers shared concerns with my parents because they noticed a timid, quiet behavior from me. They suggested to my parents that maybe some therapy would be good. The therapist I went to asked me to draw my family. I am the literal type, so I drew my family, which consisted of a father, mother, and two brothers. In front of my parents, the therapist asked if I had finished drawing, and I confidently said yes. He wondered why I was not in the picture, and I told him because you asked me to draw my family. I drew all of them. He did not say your family and you. 

The therapist defined my behavior as a lack of self-esteem. And from that point forward, guess what, I had a lack of self-confidence. It was not until I decided that only I could define myself, that things started to change for me. I researched and learned the things I wanted to be, and that made me more confident. I had to teach myself the things that I wanted to know in order to be successful. And you have to do the same. 

Truth be told, my quiet and timid behavior had nothing to do with self-esteem in the beginning. To this day, I absorb everything around me quietly. I study people and read people. This behavior, and asset, has served me well in all of my many ventures.  

It is vital that you learn and genuinely know how you want to be defined. If you do not, others will do it for you. And I can assure you they will limit your full potential. You have to define yourself. No one believes more in you than you do! Once you know and understand this, it can be one of your most excellent tools.

 Emotions Do Not Make Good Decisions

This past year I had a significant, life-changing career decision to make. I struggled daily, leaning from one choice to the other. It drove me insane for months because, within twenty-four hours of making a decision, my emotions would change so drastically. Hours of research on the internet could not even help me make a firm decision on this one.

A book by Andy Stanley, “Ask It,” put it all in perspective. His book claims there is one question that will revolutionize how you make decisions. His claim is accurate. As I finished reading the last page of his book, immediately, my life-changing career decision was made. 

The question you ask? Don’t read the next sentence if you don’t want a spoiler. The question he proposes is, “In light of your past experiences, current circumstances, and future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for you to do in order to avoid regret in this area of life?”

It quickly dawned on me why I had been on both sides of the fence for so long. Before reading this book, my decision-making process was based purely on my current emotions. The emotions I was presented and processing with each day. This life-changing question solely based on facts and not feelings. I am not saying you should make unwise decisions based on the opposite of regret, but don’t hesitate to do something out of fear of failure. Moving forward, when you solely base your learning and decisions on facts and not emotions, you will be successful.

What does this have anything to do with first learning to earn, you ask? So many people have no clarity in what they need to do to reach their full potential. They wake up every day and let the day’s emotions decide their actions and tasks. They don’t know what they don’t know. Successful people know what they are going to do before their eyes open every morning. They do this by learning facts that provide clarity in their decision-making process, leaving the emotions out of it. Emotions can build a business as quickly as they can tear it down. Knowing when feelings should be followed is the key to success. Be emotional about what you are passionate about. The actual business decisions shouldn’t have emotion involved.

 You Will Earn Only As Much As You Want To Learn

Ever heard someone say I wish I could sing? Or, I wish I could draw? Or, I wish I could get a better paying job? Or, I wish… Yeah, me too. Well, let me tell you something. They are full of that dark stuff that comes out the back end of most mammals.

If someone truly wants to sing, they will invest their money and time by finding a vocalist to teach them to sing. Or if they want to be an artist for a career, they will spend their time and resources at their local college. If they genuinely wanted to get a better paying job, they would invest their time and resources in changing their career path.

Yes, you must indeed learn before you earn. But, you will only earn what you are willing to invest in yourself and nothing more. If you are questioning whether you really want to be a millionaire, you will know the answer quickly by how much time and resources you invest in learning to be a millionaire.

If you want to be a millionaire, learn how to be a millionaire before you earn it, or you will fail. Lottery winners prove this point time and time again. They win a vast multi-million-dollar fortune and lose it all within a short period because they never took the time to learn how to be wealthy.

Closing

Define yourself based on facts and not emotions. Only learn what you are willing to invest, and your return will be rewarded in abundance. Life is short; don’t wait to learn! Start today. Do today what others won’t. So tomorrow, you can do what others can’t!

And if you have a skill set others could learn from, write a book so they can learn before they earn. Learn why by clicking here to watch my video.