February 19, 2026
If you’re not a big reader, you could be losing out on opportunities to make your business great. Start picking up books again and watch how your ideas for your business start to improve. There are many books out there offering tips and advice for business owners while some of them will provide insight on mistakes to avoid, ways to retain your clients, or how to really make it big.
With so many advice books out there for business owners, it’s a good idea to know where to start and which ones are really worth the read. With limited time to catch up on a good book, choose some of these that can directly improve your company’s success.
Being an entrepreneur or business owner, it’s important that you learn as much as you can to become an expert in your niche and the business world in general so that you can better meet your goals, manage your finances, or figure out how to run your start-up. Get started with these books.
The Power of Habit
Start with working on your work habits by reading the Power of Habit. It was a best-seller with USA Today and The New York Times and talks about how our habits can affect consumers’ behaviors. Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Duhigg, the book is perfect for taking a look at how your company may struggle with being innovative compared to others and what habits are good for success.
You’ll learn a bit more about companies like Starbucks and Target who have figured out what habits have put them in the millionaire category. One habit that is discussed is how companies like these give employees a sense of control and free agency in which they feel they have decision-making authority giving them more energy into their work. This could be a great book for the business that is struggling to grow.
The Lean Startup
Perhaps you have a start-up and you are struggling to manage things. Eric Ries’s “The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses” may be the perfect book to pick up next. The book is from 2011 and has since helped business owners to reduce risks and eliminate unnecessary steps in the process.
Since Ries has worked with many startup companies which has helped him to learn through observation and past experience. The book can help you learn about the importance of customer feedback and product development while learning about success without large amounts of funding.
Think and Grow Rich
If money’s on your mind, it may be time to check out the classic Think and Grow Rich dated from 1937. This classic business book was written by Napoleon Hill to help business owners understand the different philosophies to be applied in any line of work. You’ll learn what techniques have led different individuals to success or wealth. Business Week Magazine’s calls it the sixth best seller in business books.
The E-Myth Revisited
If you haven’t checked out this one yet, this needs to go to the top of the list. It’s a best seller written by Michael E. Gerber and looks at why 40% of small businesses don’t succeed in their first year. You’ll learn about common fallacies of small business, learn about franchises, and understand more about growing pains. He also talks about how mature companies are founded on a broad prospective and entrepreneurial perspective and how your business should be able to work without you.
Start scheduling in time to pick up a book throughout the week and start reading on ways to improve and thrive in business. These are the perfect places to start.
