5 books you HAVE to read as an entrepreneur
If you are like me, you are always looking for the next good read. In this blog post, I'll share with you my top 5 self-development/business books that I think every entrepreneur should read in their life!
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#5: The Unfair Advantage - Ash Ali & Hasan Kubba
"The Unfair Advantage" is a book about the fact that we all have an unfair advantage in life that represents the key to our success.
The unfair advantage is simply an element that gives you an edge over your competition - whether that is in your business or in your private life.
Examples:
You have a talent for maths.
You have a great feel for people.
You're really tall and would make a good basketball player.
You have parents who can pay for your higher education at an elite university.
This book is about how to identify your own unfair advantage and how you can apply that to any of your projects.
What I really like about this book is that there are many real-life examples (i.e. background stories on big tech companies like Microsoft, Apple, Facebook,...) but at the same time, the authors also help you to identify YOUR unique unfair advantage.
With 250 pages, it's an easy read that I can recommend to anyone who wants to discover that they already have what it takes to succeed.
#4: Building A Story Brand - Donald Miller
"Building A Story Brand" is about the seven elements of powerful stories that you need to know to improve how you connect with your customers and grow your business.
For me, marketing is about storytelling.
Any large brand is not just selling you a product or a service but they are selling you a narrative or their story.
For example: Apple doesn't say "We sell computers, laptops, and phones!" but they tell you a story about being different, being innovative that you buy into.
Donald Miller explains in this book how you can build your own story and market yourself in that way. Just like Apple, your brand also needs to tell a story.
In "Building A Story Brand", you'll learn how to use your story in your website copy, your messaging, your social media, and all other parts of your business.
All in all, a really good classic marketing and branding book. If you're not really interested in branding itself, this might not be the right book for you.
#3: Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki
Back in March 2020, when we were all trying to use our newly gained free time in a useful way, my partner and I decided to learn more about personal finances & investing. One of the first books I read about this topic was "Rich Dad, Poor Dad".
The book is about Robert who says that he has two dads: he has a "rich dad" which is actually not his real dad but it's a friend's dad who he spends a lot of time with and then he has "poor dad" which is actually his real dad. Throughout the book, he compares the two and sees what kind of actions they take in their lives and what outcomes they generate.
The book provides a lot of practical advice on how to deal with your money in a really smart way. It also helps you to debunk some limiting beliefs around money and investing that you might have and helps you to make mindset shifts that are really, really important.
It's a great book to get started on your financial literacy journey. There's no fancy jargon in it or any terms that you have to google afterwards. Everything is explained in an understandable way, even for complete starters.
#2: Chillpreneur - Denise Duffield-Thomas
"Chillpreneur" is one of the best business books I have read in the past year. It's a really fun read and what I would call "down-to-earth book" about how to become the businesswoman you want to be without having to hustle yourself to death.
It offers great practical advice on how to find the right business model, how to charge the right prices, how to let go of other limiting money beliefs that you might have, how to stop procrastinating and just be more successful in your business without having to hustle the whole time.
I really like this book because it's written in a fun and lightweight way & it has a lot of actual advice rather than wishy-washy "manifest your dreams and they will become reality"- kind of advice.
#1: Atomic Habits - James Clear
"Atomic Habits" is a book about the tiny (or atomic) habits that make or break your success every day. It reveals practical strategies that we'll teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones and master the tiny behaviours that lead to great results.
It's such a good book because it not only shows you the benefits of having good habits but it also helps you to actually form them yourself.
A book that I personally think everyone - not just entrepreneurs - should read!
Do you have any favourite books that every entrepreneur should read? Or maybe you have already read some of the books I recommend here?
Talk soon,
Hanna