We’ve put together a short list of some of the best books for business owners. These books provide an opportunity to learn new strategies and best practices that you can apply to your business. Every business is different, so you can pick and choose the tips and tricks from each to help you with a specific strategy, including how to build your brand or make more sales, and how to have better interactions with customers or manage your team.
Have a favorite business book? Let us know in the comments below.
Management
The One Minute Manager, Kenneth H. Blanchard, Spencer Johnson
Check out this practical and short guide to managing others. The premise of this book is that with a series of minute-long tasks, you can set up your team for success. This book was first published in 1982 so it is widely available.
Customer service
Hug your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers, Jay Baer
If you interact with customers, this is a great resource. There are practical steps outlined for how to handle customer complaints received online — such as on your social media pages or on review sites — as well as how to handle customer complaints received over the phone or by email.
Sales
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert B. Cialdini
While not strictly a business book, Cialdini’s research will give you a greater understanding into why people act the way they do and how you can motivate them to ‘say yes.’ Well worth the read.
To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others, Daniel Pink
This book uses social science research to understand how to ‘move others’ — from customers to your own kids. Accessible and informative.
Branding
Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen, Donald Miller
This book details how to use story points to build a brand for your business. Miller shows that building a narrative for your brand, and sharing a specific message with your customer, can have a big impact.
Marketing
This is Marketing: You Can't Be Seen Until You Learn To See, Seth Godin
Many books have been written about marketing, but Seth Godin’s are entertaining while informative. With short anecdotes and case studies throughout, this book will help you understand how to bring what you're selling to your customers.
Setting yourself up for success
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It, Michael E. Gerber
Learn how to avoid common assumptions when starting and running a business. This book has been in print for over 20 years, so it should be available in your local library, or you can pick up a second-hand copy.
Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business, Paul Jarvis
Company of One shows the value of being your own boss and how not focusing solely on scale and growth can lead to a rewarding and productive lifestyle.
Your business books
We recently asked members of the Seller Community to suggest business books that have inspired their business journey. Here are just a few.
- Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
- Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine, Mike Michalowicz
- The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence: Creating a Values-Driven Service Culture, Robert Spector, breAnne O’Reeves
- Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence — and How You Can, Too, Gary Vaynerchuk
- Traction: A Startup Guide to Getting Customers, Mario Weinberg and Justin Mares
- Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Malone Scott
- The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success, Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Klemp
If you have a go-to business book, sign in or join the Community to share your recommendation.
Helen is a Seller Community Manager at Square and is the editor of the Seller Community Blog. She writes about small business, and the owners & entrepreneurs that are a part of the Seller Community.
Photo by Hope House Press - Leather Diary Studio on Unsplash.
This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. For guidance or advice specific to your business, you should consult with a qualified legal professional.