Inspirational Books For Starting Your Own Business

I have started my own business last November, but only really started working on it since May this year. I know I have not posted many updates since I quit my day job. The last few months have been really busy with starting everything up and getting clients.

When you start out, you quickly find out that not everything goes exactly according to plan. Some things that look easy to implement when you read about it on websites or in books, can be a bit more difficult in real life. When you start your own business, especially when you have quit your day job, you will have to step out of your comfort zone quite a bit. That is not always a fun experience, but I have definitely learned and grown a lot the last few months. I still feel that I have made the right choice and I’m still having a lot of fun doing this. It would of course be a bit more satisfying if I had more paying clients and would not have to worry that much about the upcoming monthly bills.

So what do I do to stay inspired and motivated? Well, one thing is to review my goals – why did I want to start this business and does this still give me energy. That always helps. Another way is to read a chapter from an inspiring book. In this blog post I share some books with you that have helped me in the last few months.

Autobiographies of British Entrepreneurs

The first books I read were all books from successful British entrepreneurs. I bought the books a while ago, but had not read them yet.

The first book I read was Screw It, Let’s Do It by Richard Branson. This is a very quick read and gives some insight into why Branson does what he does. Having fun, challenging yourself, family and giving back or some of the things he talks about with great passion.  I’m also going to read.

The next two books are from entrepreneurs known from the British version of the TV series Dragons’ Den. I had never heard of James Caan or Duncan Bannatyne before coming across their books on Amazon, but they were great finds. The Real Deal by James Caan was the first one I read. Some of the lessons from this book are “always look for opportunities where both parties benefit” and “observe the masses and do the exact opposite”. He is not only a very successful entrepreneur, but also comes across as a real likable guy. My favorite autobiography so far.

In Anyone Can Do It Duncan Bannatyne shows us how he became a successful entrepreneur. Compared to others he started rather late at age 30. This book is really fun and inspiring.

The following books by entrepreneurs are on my “to-read” list:

• Losing My Virginity (How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way) and Business Stripped Bare (Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur) by Richard Branson
• How to Get Rich by Felix Dennis
• What You See Is What You Get by Alan Sugar

Working ON Your Business, Not IN It

The following books are absolutely must-reads for everyone who is starting or running a business.

The first one is The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber. In this book he explains how a lot of business owners spend more time working IN their business than ON their business. It is about balance between the entrepreneur, manager and technician in yourself.

And last but not least: The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. This is an absolute must-have, not only for business owners. This book is all about lifestyle design – not living to work, but working to live. He gives a lot of tips on how to increase your productivity so you can work fewer hours to get the same things done. And then he shows you some examples of what you can do with all the free time you got now.

Next one on my “to-read” list is Good to Great by Jim Collins.

Timeless Classics

And here I some books I’ve already read, but am going to read again and again. I have already mentioned these in my list of favorite personal development books, but will list them here again.

• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (you can download this book for free if you sign up for my newsletter)
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
• The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen R. Covey
• Getting Things Done by David Allen
• Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins

Share Your Favorite Books

What are books that have inspired or motivated you? Share them below.

Gerber