This is my list of killer business books. You won’t like them all, but you will find at least one diamond here.
This short list has transformed the lives of countless thousands of business owners.
So if you want to regain the motivation for your business, sell more, truly understand your cashflow or finally start working on your business rather just in it, you’ll love this list 🙂
Let’s get started.
Personally, I do love a physical book. But sometimes you just want to get stuck in right now. And you can.
IMPORTANT: All of these books can be bought, downloaded and read on the same device you are reading this!
You do NOT need a Kindle reader to read Kindle books. You can get a free Kindle app for pretty much any device from Amazon here.
So if it’s Apple, Android or Windows you can still be reading any of these books within the next few minutes. Or just order the paper copies if you prefer.
This is my list of best business books to read right now. It’s a ‘best of the best’ list. It was really tough to narrow these down. I could have made this list 100 books long 🙂
Pick any of these, read them today and you and/or your business will benefit and grow.
Note: I hope you love the books recommended here as much as me. But just to be clear, this website may receive a small percentage of the purchase price if you buy as a result of following a link from this page. This does not, of course, affect my opinion or the price you pay.
by Jeff Haden
This is not your typical self-help book. This is about unleashing deeper motivation that actually lasts. It’s actually a really enjoyable read. A lot of us have taken a major motivational hit recently – this book is a solid way to get yourself back on track. Read it with an intent to apply it.
Get The Motivation Myth from Amazon here
by Rob Fitzpatrick
Have you ever asked people if your new product idea is a good one? Then you’ve been lied to. This book is all about how so much market research asks really bad questions. Which does nothing more than feed us the very answers we wanted to hear! This is a short book but it’s seriously practical and actionable. And it doesn’t just feed in to product/service development – this is about all those conversations where people have no incentive to be completely honest with you. Which is everyone from your family (they don’t want to hurt your feelings!) to your employees and customers.
Get The Mom Test from Amazon here
by Marcus Sheridan
Have you ever wondered what to write about for your website or blog? This will answer all of your questions. And then some. This is online content marketing on steroids. The philosophy is pretty straightforward – answer every single one of your customer’s questions. Do it thoroughly, do it honestly, and do it like no one else in your space is doing it. Do this well and turn your website into a magnet for qualified buyers. Plenty of real world examples and ideas you will be able to apply.
Get They Ask You Answer from Amazon here
by Mike Michalowicz
This is definitely NOT for everyone. If you’re a well organised disciplined entrepreneur in full control of your finances then you’ll hate this book :-). But it’s gold for anyone struggling with cashflow and understanding just where their business is at and when they can take profits. It’s a simple system but for a lot of entrepreneurs it’s proven a paradigm shift, simply because most business owners just don’t think like accountants (and never will!).
Get Profit First from Amazon here
by Dan Kennedy
If you’ve been writing your own sales copy (and yes, that means emails, web content and anything else that ‘speaks’ to your customers) and getting lacklustre results, it’s probably your copy that sucks! Dan is simply one of the best sales copy writers in the world. And this super easy to read book gets to the point and can quickly turn dismal efforts into something with a chance of working. Whatever you sell, if you personally ever write words that your prospects or customers read, get this and devour it.
Get The Ultimate Sales Letter from Amazon here
by Jordan Belfort
Yes, this IS the guy played by Leonardo DiCaprio in hit movie The Wolf of Wall Street. But that aside, this is a raw in your face hardcore book on sales and selling. It’s essentially the meat of the ‘Straight Line Sales System’ ($2,000+ course). If you’re in sales you probably already know about this book. But if you have a sales team you think are under performing, why haven’t you bought this yet?
Get Way of the Wolf from Amazon here
by Seth Godin
Do not get this one as a ‘how to’ marketing guide. It isn’t that at all. This is higher level, more a set of ideas of how marketing has changed and how it really works now. As a result it’s actually pretty darn important. The old ‘interruption’ style marketing is dying fast. Now we need to be building relationships with clients and having conversations with them. This is how you establish your business in a modern online world.
Get This is Marketing from Amazon here
by Paul Jarvis
Do you enjoy being a small business? Did you start a small business because being small is what makes it enjoyable for you? Growth is not the be all and end all of business. This book is a two in one. It’s the antithesis of growth for growths sake. It’ll reassure you that you’re not ‘doing it wrong’ by staying the size you want to be. But it will also help you create or shape your business with systems and processes that give you more of the lifestyle that you want from it.
Get Company of One from Amazon here
by Michael E. Gerber
This book is divisive. But many small business owners directly credit this book as the thing that stopped their business controlling their life. And turned it into something they control on their own terms. So if you’re one of those business owners who are lost working in your business, this will be (dare I say it!) transformational. The writing is a bit wordy, so set aside some time to get through this one – because the lessons are there.
Get The E-Myth Revisited from Amazon here
by Chris Guillebeau
If you’ve been thinking about ditching the 9 to 5 and turning a passion project into a viable business that runs on your terms – you’ll love this. In fact, careful, if you do read this there’s a very good chance you’ll lose all your procrastination excuses. And find yourself motivated to the point of actually starting on that dream. Don’t say I didn’t warn you 😉
P.S. This is also one to gift to your kids, because you have no idea just what this might spark off.
Get The $100 Startup from Amazon here
by Stephen R. Covey
This book is NOT about being efficient – the title does mislead some people! Whilst it’s a bit dated and new-agey for some, many have found this to be highly transformational in their whole approach to their business and life in general. If you’re not sure, skim it first, then dive in for a deep read if it’s hitting the right notes for you. Because those who like it end up loving it.
Get The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People from Amazon here
Is there a business book that changed your life in some way? Old or new, please do share in the comments below.