Starting a business is a process that requires careful application of business principles and knowledge. Entrepreneurs in today’s world have access to a variety of resources that can help them in their journey of building a business. Access to these resources gives businesses a better chance of surviving and growing into something that lasts for generations.
For time immemorial, books have been a vital source of knowledge. This is still the case as there are many books that one can refer to and learn about the different aspects of the business. Whether you prefer physical copies or digital copies that you can access on any of your devices, you can certainly get information that can help you in your entrepreneurial journey. Here are five books that we recommend for entrepreneurs.
The statistics around startups and their success rate may be discouraging. About 10% of startups fail within the first year of inception and almost 90% fail at a later stage. The Lean Startup can help an entrepreneur understand some of the uncertainty that they are likely to face in their business and how to deal with them. The book gives business founders a scientific approach that can help them run a business better.
Research-based findings are few and far between when it comes to helping entrepreneurs. Most of the books on the market may be helpful but they do not give a clear factual picture of how successful companies managed to build their business. In Good To Great, business founders can find research-based advice on how they can successfully build. The author is also a business management consultant which gives weight to the practical advice in the book.
There are a lot of ideas that one could have but many people struggle with getting things off the ground. The Art of the Start brings into perspective the steps that one needs to take in order to get the ball rolling. The book also teaches entrepreneurs the principles of breaking down tasks, creating milestones, and how to ensure that a business idea has a clear direction. If you have an idea that you’ve been sitting on while you try to figure out how you can get started, this is the book for you.
Creating and developing a product is a sensitive part of business development. Products are what make a business and Disciplined Entrepreneurship gives a step-by-step breakdown of how you can build a top-tier product. The 24-step process as written by Bill Aulet can help you hone your entrepreneurial skills and grow your business. A breakdown of the different processes and parts that go into creating a unique product is given in this book in numerical order.
Social media and digital platforms are an unavoidable part of the business world today. These tools make it easier for a business to connect with its target market while also giving people more access to the products they live and any processes behind them. Any business needs to have strong visual tools that communicate clearly with the intended target market.
Bonus book: Sell More Faster: The Ultimate Sales Playbook for Startups – Amos Schwartzfarb
Our bonus book is recommended by Tongayi Choto, CEO of AfriBlocks. Sell More Faster teaches entrepreneurs different techniques that can be used to help market and sell a product. One of the key takeaways from the book is the W3 framework which looks at the Who, What, and Why aspects of a product in the works. This book can help you discover who your target audience is and how you can make sure your product reaches them.
Books are an endless well of knowledge and entrepreneurs can benefit from reading more about business. The books mentioned above can help you kickstart your journey. Remember that AfriBlocks is here to help you with the human resources you need to reach your business goals.