- Books can be an affordable way to get professional advice before starting your own business.
- Authors highlight the mistakes startups have made in the past, making it easier to avoid doing the same.
- The advice in these books can apply to anyone, whether you're an aspiring tech entrepreneur or an artist looking to tell your work.
If you want to start a business, you'll need advice on where to start, what pitfalls to anticipate, and how best to spend your time and money to get your idea off the ground.
While you may be tempted to spring for classes, seminars, and training sessions, books are the most accessible and affordable way to start learning.
Whether you're an aspiring tech entrepreneur or an artisan looking to sell your work, these are some of the most insightful books to read before you launch.
1. 'The Art of the Start 2.0: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything,' by Guy Kawasaki
Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki breaks down important lessons for new business owners in an accessible, easy-to-follow guide.
He acknowledges that with the democratizing force of the internet, once-unassailable business lessons are now in question. But one key idea is timeless: The importance of focusing on key details in the beginning so mistakes don't trip you up as your business grows. The book contains Kawasaki's hard-won practical advice about all manner of topics, from marketing and social media to crowdfunding and cloud computing.
Amidst all this practical advice, Kawasaki helps readers internalize his advice that "entrepreneur is a state of mind, not a job title."
2. 'The Founder's Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup,' by Noam Wasserman
You can learn a lot by studying the experiences of founders who have gone before you. Noam Wasserman, a professor of clinical entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California, takes a wide-ranging look at how founders succeed and fail.
Using real-world examples to make his points, Wasserman vividly illustrates why certain ways of approaching entrepreneurship are better than others. Throughout, he focuses his advice on figuring out when to maintain control and when to tap outside resources.
3. 'Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works,' by Melinda F. Emerson
Emerson, founder and CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, lays out how to get a business off the ground in a series of monthly steps.
This practical guide spells out the tasks you need to tackle to get your business off the ground, from reaching out to venture capitalists and planning a one-year marketing strategy to getting the right software and investing in graphic design.
If you are looking to go from 0 to 60 and want to know exactly how to make it work, this book is a great one to have on your shelf.
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